Commission withdraws weekend driving ban for lorries

Publication date: 27 September 2005

The European Commission intends to withdraw 68 legislative proposals under its broader initiative to cut red tape. Among the draft directives which will be scrapped are:
 

– 1998/0096/COD: Proposal for a Council Directive on a transparent system of harmonised rules for driving restrictions on heavy goods vehicles involved in international transport on designated roads ("weekend bans")
 

– 2001/0266/CNS: Proposal for Council Directive amending Directive 92/81/EEC with regard to the possibility of applying a reduced rate of excise duty on certain mineral oils containing biofuels and on biofuels

– 2002/0191/CNS: Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 92/81/EEC and Directive 92/82/EEC to introduce special tax arrangements for diesel fuel used for commercial purposes and to align the excise duties on petrol and diesel fuel
 

For more information:
- Press Release IP/05/1189
- Communication COM (2005) 462
- MEMO/05/340

ip_05_1189_better_regulation.pdf (103 KB)

com2005_462_better_regulation.pdf (60 KB)

memo_better_regulation.pdf (85 KB)

Background:
The proposals are being withdrawn because they are considered not to reflect better regulation principles, and their withdrawal is the direct result of a review of European legislation launched by the Commission in March 2005. The review considered legislative proposals adopted by the Commission before 1 January 2004, which have not yet been agreed by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.

The criteria for removal included proposals which have not made substantial progress in the legislative process for a significant period of time; proposals for which impact assessments were not carried out, or where the impact assessments revealed substantial weaknesses; and proposals where substantial new scientific evidence, market developments or social change justify a review of the approach initially chosen.

As a next step, the Commission will submit far-reaching proposals to simplify existing EU legislation in October.