Special permit: Schleswig-Holstein violates EU law

16 Dec 2009. The German federals state of Schleswig-Holstein has for the first time allowed border crossing trips for Gigaliners, even though this violates applicable EU law. Since December 1st a Danish mega truck with a German special permit drives through the streets of the north German state.

According to information published by the journal DVZ the federal states former Minister of Transport Dietrich Austermann (CDU) stood up for this idea. It shall be a matter of “special transportation with overlength”, the maximum weight remains at 40 tonnes. The trade association of the Danish international road hauliers ITD sees this first special permit as "door opener" for a "corridor solution” in which Gigaliners would be used between Northern Europe and the Port of Hamburg. A route to the Netherlands through the German state of Lower Saxony will be the next step for ITD.

In Denmark and the Netherlands mega trucks are now driving virtually everywhere. Under current EU law, border crossing journeys of longer and heavier trucks are forbidden and exceptions are not provided.