Fenadismer argues that any move to raise the international weight limit should be restricted to zero-emission electric vehicles only, as a way to offset the extra weight of batteries. Extending 44 tonnes to conventional trucks, it says, would create legal uncertainty and add fresh operational hurdles for hauliers.
Fenadismer pushes back against a blanket 44-tonne rollout
The National Federation of Transport Associations of Spain (Fenadismer) has come out against proposals backed by several European organisations to amend Directive 96/53/EC. The aim of those initiatives is to enable widespread cross-border operations at 44 tonnes between countries that already allow that limit domestically.
Fenadismer notes that, for almost two decades, EU legislation has kept the international road transport limit at 40 tonnes. While a number of countries have raised the maximum weight for their internal markets, international movements above that threshold are still not permitted.
Against that backdrop, the federation says the directive currently under review should keep a carve-out exclusively for zero-emission electric vehicles. In its view, this is the most consistent way to partially compensate for battery weight without distorting competitive conditions across the market.
The bigger issue: rules still don’t match across the EU
A central concern for Fenadismer is the patchwork of technical and regulatory requirements across Europe. It warns that letting 44-tonne cross-border transport happen simply because two countries allow it at national level would invite legal and technical disputes.
The federation points to Spain and France as an example. In France, 44-tonne vehicles must strictly meet Euro VI environmental standards. In Spain, however, Euro V or older vehicles can still be used for this type of operation because that requirement is not mandatory under national rules.
Fenadismer says that if the approach promoted by some European organisations goes ahead, many Spanish hauliers could face restrictions when trying to access the French market, due to additional technical requirements they do not meet.
The federation warns that this would create “an unacceptable level of legal uncertainty” for companies that would be forced to operate under conditions different from those that apply in the country where their vehicles are registered.
Scepticism over the environmental case
Fenadismer also challenges the claim that raising the international limit to 44 tonnes for conventional road transport should be framed as an environmental sustainability measure.
It points out that the EU already has dedicated regulatory tools to drive transport decarbonisation, including CO2 reduction standards, the European Green Deal, the Renewable Energy Directive, and the sustainable mobility legislative package Mobility Package.
For that reason, the federation says using a higher weight limit as a “green” policy lever is not justified under the current European regulatory framework.
Call to Madrid and Brussels
Fenadismer is urging both EU institutions and the Spanish government to oppose any regulatory change that could weaken the competitiveness of Spanish companies in the face of unilateral rules imposed by other member states.
It insists the EU single market must ensure a level playing field and prevent technical or environmental differences between countries from limiting Spanish hauliers’ access to key international corridors.
