126.6.78 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 168/29 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 12 June 1978 on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods by road, as part of regional statistics (78/546/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 213 thereof, Having regard to the draft Directive submitted by the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia- ment (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2), Whereas the development of the common transport policy calls for a better knowledge of the scale and de- velopment of the carriage of goods by road by means of vehicles registered in the Community; whereas the data must be comparable with that for other means of trans- port and must refer to both national and international transport; Whereas the Member States already compile statistical data, at annual or multiannual intervals, on goods traf- fic within their own territory; Whereas Directive 69/467/EEC (3) provides for the compilation of statistical returns, to be made on the basis of regional statistics, in respect of international carriage of goods by road; whereas the report on the implementation of this Directive submitted by the Commission to the Council on 27 June 1974 indicates that several Member States can only compile the data requested by means of supplementary formalities at frontiers; whereas these Member States should be al- lowed to dispense with compilation of statistical data at frontiers, as is implicitly provided for in that Directive; Whereas the system set out in Directive 69/467/EEC should therefore be revised; (1) OJ No C 108, 8. 5. 1978, p. S6. (3) Opinion delivered 30 March 1978 (not yet published in the Official Journal).’ (3) OJ No L 323, 24. 12. 1969, p. 7. Whereas provision should be made for such amendment of this Directive as may prove necessary in the light of experience acquired over a suitable period, particularly as regards the compilation of data on the main flows of goods between the regions of the Community in the form of international traffic and for any statistical re- turns still compiled at frontiers within the Community to cease, HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: Article 1 This Directive shall apply to carriage of goods by road by means of vehicles registered in a Member State: (a) in the territory of that Member State (hereinafter referred to as ‘national transport’); (b) between that Member State and another Member State or a non-Member State (hereinafter referred to as ‘international transport’). Article 2 1. For the purpose of this Directive the following terms shall have the meanings hereinafter assigned to them: (a) ‘carriage of goods by road’: all transport of goods by means of a commercial motor vehicle; (b) ‘commercial motor vehicle’: any single vehicle or coupled combination of vehicles, such as a lorry with or without trailer, or a tractor vehicle with trailer or semi-trailer; (c) ‘registered’: the state of having been entered in a register of commercial motor vehicles kept by an official body, whether or not such registration is combined with the issue of a registration plate. 2. This Directive shall not apply to carriage of goods by road by means of: (a) commercial motor vehicles whose weight or dimen- sions exceed the normal permitted limits;