30. 12. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 398/33 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 21 December 1989 on vocational training for certain drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous goods by road (89/684/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 75 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2), ) Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3), LY Whereas, over the years, both national and international services carrying dangerous goods by road have been growing, adding to the risk of accidents; Whereas it is in the public interest to reduce as far as possible the risk of such accidents with their potential for causing perhaps irreversible damage to the environment and seriously injuring the vehicle crew or anyone else coming into contact with the goods; Whereas the origin of many accidents involving vehicles carrying dangerous goods, and in particular the seriousness of suchaccidents, can be traced to an insufficient knowledge of the risks inherent in the carriage of such goods on the part of the vehicle crews and every effort must therefore be made to improve the professional qualificatiors of such crews; Whereas the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), to which nearly all the Member States are Contracting Parties, stipulates that international carriage by road of dangerous goods in tanks, batteries or receptables or tank " containers with a total capacity of more than 3 000 litres per transport unit must be carried out by drivers who have been specially trained; whereas a recent amendment to the ADR states that, as from 1 January 1996, such training must have been given in respect of the carriage of goods on vehicles of a maximum permissible weight exceeding 3,5 tonnes, provided the quantities of packaged goods exceed the minimum laid down in marginal 10011 of the ADR; whereas it is desirable not only that such measures should be implemented throughout the Community but also that they should be strengthened and their scope extended to national traffic; ('Y OJ No C 322, 15. 12. 1988; p. 11. (2) OJ No C 47, 27. 2. 1989, p. 182. (%) OJ No C 56, 6. 3. 1989, p. 27. Whereas the obligation to guarantee satisfactory vocational training for all those engaged in the carriage of dangerous goods calls for, in view of the introduction of the single transport market, all necessary measures to be taken to ensure better risk prevention not only for international but also national services carrying such goods; Whereas with a view, inter alia, to promoting Community-wide harmonized systems for training drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous goods, standardized training programmes should be introduced for such drivers, using modern methods generally geared to active learning by the participants; Whereas provision should be made for the issue of a certificate corresponding to certain minimum vocational training requirements; whereas the certificate thus issued must be recognized throughout the Community; Whereas Portugal has implemented a programme for training drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous goods, which runs until 31 December 1995; whereas Portugal is unable for organizational reasons to reduce this period and that State should accordingly be granted an additional period of one year for the training of certain of these drivers, HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: Article 1 Objective The objective of this Directive is to require drivers who, by way of national or international road transport, carry dangerous goods using: — vehicles with a maximum permissible weight exceeding 3,5 tonnes and carrying such goods in quantities higher than the thresholds laid down in marginal 10011 of the ADR. However, in the case of explosive substances and articles, vehicles shall be taken into account whatever their maximum permissible weight may be, — tank vehicles or transport units comprising tanks or tank containers with a capacity exceeding 3 000 litres and/or a maximum permissible weight exceeding 3,5 tonnes, where such vehicles or such transport units carry dangerous goods or carry out a road transport operation