A political agreement on the long-awaited revision of the EU’s Weights and Dimensions Directive has been reached at ambassador level, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) announced on 20 November. According to the organisation, EU ambassadors endorsed the Danish Presidency’s compromise text, signalling that Member States may finally be ready to move forward after years of difficult negotiations.
The Council has not yet released the accompanying documents. A formal General Approach still needs to be adopted by EU transport ministers before trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament can begin.
What has IRU confirmed about the draft agreement?
IRU stated that the text agreed at COREPER level introduces several measures intended to improve efficiency, enable the uptake of zero-emission technologies and support intermodal logistics. These include:
- 44-tonne operations for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in cross-border flows, seen by operators as essential to avoid payload losses caused by heavier batteries and fuel-cell systems;
- Improved conditions for intermodal and cross-border operations, allowing higher weights when vehicles are used as part of a combined transport chain;
- A clearer framework for the European Modular System (EMS), aimed at providing regulatory coherence and enabling energy-efficient combinations where infrastructure permits;
- A crisis-response clause, enabling temporary flexibility during emergencies to maintain essential supply chains.
Raluca Marian, IRU’s EU Director, said the breakthrough comes after years of intensive negotiation.
“The Danish Presidency showed exceptional leadership in delivering this breakthrough,” she stated. “The proposed 44 tonnes for ZEVs gives operators in many countries the confidence to deploy them at scale without losing payload or competitiveness.”
What happens next in the legislative process?
The political agreement reported by IRU will now be passed to EU transport ministers, who must formally adopt the Council’s General Approach. Formal negotiations with the Parliament can only begin once EU ministers adopt the Council’s General Approach, even though the Parliament finalised its position back in March 2024.
IRU urged ministers to move quickly, arguing that operators need regulatory clarity to plan investment in zero-emission fleets.
“Decarbonisation goals and targets are here now. There is a sense of urgency for our sector,” Marian added.
Why does this matter for hauliers?
The revision of Directive 96/53/EC has been under discussion since 2023 and is seen by the road transport sector as a key enabler for the transition to cleaner fleets. Allowing heavier ZEVs to operate without capacity penalties is considered essential if operators are to invest at scale, while a clearer EMS framework could increase flexibility in countries that permit longer and heavier combinations.
However, some Member States had previously expressed concerns regarding infrastructure compatibility, axle load impacts and the interaction with rail freight. The details of the Danish Presidency’s compromise text have not yet been made public.
