The European Parliament will decide this Tuesday in plenary session in Brussels on a draft revision of the “Weight and dimensions” directive, promoted by the European Commission, which deals with the weight and size of goods trucks.
This text allows, among other things, to increase the maximum weight of trucks circulating between the countries of the European Union to more than 44 tonnes, and opens the way to the circulation of “mega trucks”.
A controversial measure.
What are these “mega trucks”?
Sixty tonnes, 25 m long, the size of a tennis court: such is the scale of these mega trucks, also called “gigaliners” or EMS (European Modular System) which could soon be authorized to circulate between States willing neighbors.
These extendable trucks, which consist of a container plus a trailer, are already circulating in a handful of countries, such as Sweden, Finland but also Spain and Portugal, upon exemption. .
Ecological arguments discussed
The authorization of these “gigaliners” is sparking lively debate.
Its defenders claim to be a useful tool for achieving the European Union's decarbonization objectives because these EMS would save fuel and CO2 emissions by transporting more goods in fewer journeys.
“Under the guise of increasing truck loading volume, this measure goes against the road decarbonization policies pursued by Europe and the strategy of replacing road freight with piggyback and rail freight.
They are an ecological aberration,” says MEP Pascal Canfin, who specifies that the French delegation of Renew will vote no.
In 2009, during the Grenelle Environment Forum, and in 2015 in the European Parliament, France had already opposed the implementation of legislation favorable to these road behemoths.
A risk for road infrastructure?
On this line, environmentalist MEP Karima Delli, president of the Transport and Tourism Committee, tabled two amendments to “stop these polluting monsters”.
“They will pose enormous problems: first in terms of security, traffic and road infrastructure which are absolutely not suitable, particularly during the first and last kilometer,” explains the elected official.
“These are not vehicles that will be intended to circulate in urban centers,” wants to reassure Erwan Célérié, delegate for Technical Affairs, Environment and Innovation of the National Road Transport Federation (FNTR).
Our position is to authorize the national and cross-border use of EMS, but on condition that the weight, dimensions and road safety criteria set by France are respected.
It is also necessary that their circulation takes place on previously verified routes.”
Angry rail freight
For its part, rail freight is firmly opposed to the project.
The four railway unions (CGT, Unsa, Sud Rail and CFDT) denounce an unfair text and deplore the lack of “firm” speech from the State on the subject.
“While the government is liquidating SNCF FREIGHT, it is letting 60-ton trucks circulate on the roads,” the federal secretary of SUD-Rail, Julien Troccaz, told the Parisian.
“This proposal is a threat to our ecosystem and the railway sector,” adds the secretary general of Unsa Ferroviaire, Didier Mathis.
An argument swept aside by Jean-Marc Rivera, secretary general of the European Road Transport Organization (OTRE) who believes that the circulation of mega trucks will not disrupt rail transport.
“We don’t want our vehicles to travel long distances.
For these, we will always favor the train, he explains.
EMS should be used in a limited and controlled setting.
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