Activites

• 2009/03/25 Additional information
• 2009/03/25 Proposal withdrawn by Commission
  • DG Energy and Transport, TAJANI Antonio
• 2006/12/11 Resolution/conclusions adopted by Council
• 2004/04/30 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(2004)0361 summary

    On the basis of Parliament's amendments, the Commission proposes to introduce some new elements to its original text. The Commission has accepted 11 amendments: - The Commission is prepared to incorporate those amendments aiming at improving and clarifying the current text of its proposal. These amendments add technical clarifications or improve the logic and structure of the text. It is clarified that containers subject to the Convention for Safe Containers (CSC) are not obliged to undergo European certification, maintenance and periodic inspection obligations. This would impair trade and transport and this reflects the intention of the Commission. In consequence, containers complying with the requirements of the CSC can circulate freely in Europe. However, since the Directive provides for the possibility of withdrawing loading units from the market when they present a risk, the wording has been softened. Inspection intervals are aligned with the ones prescribed by the CSC. - A series of amendments is in line with the principle of a avoidance of conflict between European and global standards. However, the wording has been softened in order not to subject European interests at any cost to current ISO standards, which may be technically sub-optimal or unsuitable. Non-stackable swap bodies will still continue to be used and transhipped. Another amendment intends to ensure that the use of the European intermodal loading unit will not carry with it expensive adaptation of existing container ships. The Commission has redrafted the text in order not to limit the standardisation mandate to an undue extent. Parliament has inserted an amendment that will increase the carrying capacity of the European intermodal loading unit and is therefore acceptable in principle. However, the reference to the ISO standard is inappropriate, given that the European standardisation bodies will define this standard, and not ISO. Finally, the Commission accepts the amendments concerning the harmonisation of penalties applicable in case of infringements of the national provisions adopted pursuant to this Directive. This amendment would avoid distortions of competition between operators resulting from varying penalties according to Member States.�

  • DG Energy and Transport, TAJANI Antonio
• 2004/02/12 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0093/2004 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Ulrich STOCKMANN (PES, D) approving the proposal subject to some amendments. (Please see the summary of 21/01/04.) Parliament stipulated that the Directive should not affect the use, control and maintenance of intermodal loading units subject to the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC). A Member State may take measures to limit or prohibit the placing on the market and use of intermodal loading units when units which have the CE marking, the symbol referring to the reassessment of these units or the symbol relating to the periodic inspection do not conform. �

• 2004/02/11 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2004/01/21 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0016/2004
• #X019
• 2003/10/09 Council Meeting
• 2003/04/10 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2003/04/07 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2003)0155 summary

    PURPOSE : to present a proposal for a Directive on Intermodal Loading Units (ILU). CONTENT : the current diversity of ILUs, particularly the diversity of their handling and securing devices, hampers the efficiency of transhipment operations. Each ILU has to be examined to determine the handling technique and to adjust or modify the handling equipment. The same goes for the devices for securing them on to the vehicles or ships which transport them. Transhipments therefore become complicated and slow, and incur unnecessary costs. To solve this problem the handling and securing of devices of ILUs need to be made more uniform. The proposed directive on Intermodal Loading Units aims to achieve the following: - standardised, safer, more efficient and stackable equipment will enable easier transfer of freight from one mode of transport to another; - the Directive will enable all Intermodal Loading Units (ILU) circulating in Europe to be maintained and be subject to the periodic checks foreseen also for international traffic in the Convention for safe containers; - harmonisation of aspects of new Intermodal Loading Units after the definition of applicable standards by the European Committee for Standardisation. In particular, maintenance and handling of Intermodal Loading Units will be easier, allowing for substantial productivity gains; - finally, the Directive will enable greater security for new intermodal loading units through requirements for use of state-of-the-art alarms (for instance electronic seals) to counter break-in. - the creation of European intermodal loading units (EILU), a unit optimised for the transport of palettes, the most usual condition for goods using Intermodal Loading Units The European intermodal loading units combines the advantages of swap bodies (especially their larger size, offering a greater capacity) and containers (especially their greater strength and the possibilities to stack them). At this stage, the use of the last will not be made obligatory. The Intermodal Loading Units and European intermodal loading units will have to meet specific requirements, and the European Committee for Standardisation will be mandated to elaborate the standards necessary. These mandatory standards will then be adopted by a Regulatory Committee. The following items will then be able to circulate in the EU: - ISO standard containers respecting the maximum dimensions authorised by Directive 96/53; - the ILUs still in service at the date of itnroducing the standards; - the new ILUs and EILUs, developed to facilitate the transhipments between road, rail waterways and short sea shipping. Finally, the units covered by the directive must have a CE marking indicating that they conform to the requirements of the Directive. The symbols relating to the harmonised characteristics of the ILUs are separate from those indicating that the unit is a standardised EILU. Each intermodal loading unit must indicate that it has passed its previous periodic inspection. In the case of units that are less than five years old, that they have notyet needed to undergo such an inspection, and showing the date for the next inspection.�

  • DG Energy and Transport, TAJANI Antonio

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2003)0155
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0016/2004
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0093/2004
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(2004)0361

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)