3.8.89 Official Jotirnal of the European Communities No L 226/5 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 18 July 1989 amending, with a view to fixing an expiry date for the derogations accorded to Ireland and the United Kingdom, Directive 85/3/EEC on the weights, dimensions and certain other technical characteristics of certain road vehiqles (89/460/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Européan Economi¢ Community, and in particular Article -75 thereof, Having regard to Council Directive 85/3/EEC of 19 December 1984 on the weights, dimensions and certain other technical characteristics of certain road vehicles (1), as last amended by Directive 89/338/EEC (?), and in particular- Article 8 (6) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (3), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (#), Having regard' to the opinion of the Economic and Social . Committee (°), Whereas Directive 8573/EEC lays- down maximum authorized weights, dimensions and certain other technical characteristics of certain road vehicles; Whereas the state of certain portions of the road network in. Ireland and the United Kingdom did not make it possible for these Member States to-apply, at the time of the adoption of Directive 85/3/EEC and its subsequent amendments, all the provisions of the Directive; : Whereas the application of some of these provisions in those - Member States was therefore temporarily deferred; Whereas on 4 February 1987 the Commission transmitted a first report to the Council concerning the derogations accorded to Ireland and the United Kingdom under Article 8 (1) and (3) of Directive 85/3/EEC and indicating that the- bridges in Ireland and the United Kingdom which were built according to the design standards in force in those Member States are - sufficiently strong to carry the maximum authorized weights laid down in the said Directive; (*) OJNoLl2,3.1.1985, p. 14. (2) O No L 142, 25. 5. 1989, p. 3. (3) O No C 45, 24. 2. 1989, p. 14. (*) OJ No C 120, 16. 5. 1989, (5) Opinion delivered on 31 May 1989 (not yet published in the Official Journal). Whereas, on the basis of the first report and information since provided, the Commission submitted a second report concerning the said derogations on 16 January 1989; Whereas this report concludes that there will be no further justification for the derogations-accorded by Article 8 (1) and (3) once the bridges of insufficient weight-bearing capacity have been identified and those on principal routes have been strengthened; . Whereas the information provided in the abovementioned. report also leads to the conclusion that the derogations granted to Ireland and the United Kingdom under Article 8 (5) of Directive 85/3/EEC would no longer be justified as from that moment; Whereas it will be possible for the works necessary to bring about this objective to be completed by 31 December 1998; Whereas bridges which still require strengthening after 31 December 1998 could be covered - by local weight . restrictions; Whereas, once safety considerations are met in this way, the - full application of the provisions.of Directive 85/3/EEC throughout the whole territory of the Community will have. beneficial effects on the operation of transport facilities, HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: Article 1 Article 8 of Directive 85/3/EEC is replaced by the following: ‘Article 8 Article 3 shall not apply in Ireland and the United Kingdom until 31 December 1998: — as regards the standards referred to in points 2.2, 2.3.1,2.3.3, 2.4 and 3.3.2 of Annex I: — with the-exception of the articulated -vehicles referred to in point 2.2.2 where: (i) the total laden weight does not exceed 38 tonnes; (ii) the weight on any tri-axle at the spacing specified in point 3.3.2 of Annex I does not exceed 22,5 tonnes;