1 7.9.96 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 235/59 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 96/53/EC of 25 July 1996 laying down for certain road vehicles circulating within the Community the maximum authorized dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorized weights in international traffic THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 75 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(’), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189¢ of the Treaty (%), (1) Whereas  Council  Directive  85/3/EEC  of 19 December 1984 on the weights, dimensions and certain other technical characteristics of certain road vehicles(*) established, in the framework of the common transport policy, common standards permitting improved use of road vehicles in traffic between Member States; (2) Whereas Directive 85/3/EEC has been significantly amended on many occasions; whereas on the occasion of its further amendment it should for reasons of clarity and rationality be recast in a single text together with Council Directive 86/364/EEC of 24 July 1986 relating to proof of compliance of vehicles with Directive 85/3/EEC(%); (3) Whereas differences between standards in force in the Member States with regard to the weights and dimensions of commercial road vehicles could have an adverse effect on the conditions of competition and constitute an obstacle to traffic between Member States; y O] No C 38, 8. 2. 1994, p. 3 and O] NO C 247, 23. 9. 1995, p. 1. y O] No C 295, 22. 10. 1994, p. 72. ) Opinion of the European Parliament delivered on 15 November 1994 (O] No C 341, 5. 12. 1994, p. 39), Council common position of 8 December 1995 (O] No C 356, 30. 12. 1995, p. 13), and Decision of the European Parliament of 14 March 1996 (O] No C 96, 4. 4. 1996, p. 233). OJ No L 2, 3. 1. 1985, p. 14. Directive as last amended by Directive 92/7/EEC (O] No L 57, 2. 3. 1992, p. 29). O] No L 221, 7. 8. 1986, p. 48). (10) Whereas the (4) Whereas, under the principle of subsidiarity, action should be taken at Community level in order to remove this obstacle; (5) Whereas the abovementioned standards reflect a balance between the rational and economical use of commercial road vehicles and the requirements of infrastructure maintenance, road safety and the protection of the environment and the fabric of live; (6) Whereas common standards on the dimensions of vehicles intended for the carriage of goods should remain stable in the long term; (7) Whereas additional technical requirements related to the weights and dimensions of vehicles may apply to commercial vehicles registered or put into circulation in a Member State; whereas these requirements must not constitute an obstacle to the circulation of commercial vehicles between Member States; (8) Whereas the definition of ‘thick-walled refrigerated vehicle’ in Article 2 of Directive 85/3/EEC, as amended by Directive 89/388/EEC(*), should be broadened in order to permit Member States to allow refrigerated vehicles no longer meeting the insulation requirements defined in that Article to circulate in their territory; (9) Whereas it is necessary to clarify the concept of ‘indivisible load’ in order to ensure uniform application of this Directive in respect of permits for vehicles or vehicle combinations carrying such loads; tonne is universally used and understood as the unit of measurement for vehicle weight and is, therefore, applied in this Directive whilst recognizing that the formal unit of weight is the newton; (11) Whereas, in implementation of the internal market, the scope of this Directive should be extended to national transport insofar as it concerns characteristics  that  significantly  affect  the conditions of competition in the transport sector and in vparticular the values relating to the (*) OJ No L 142, 25. 5. 1989, p. 3.