The FALCON project ('Freight and Logistics in a Multimodal Context') is a collaborative effort funded by the Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR), and has set out to address ambitious carbon emission reduction targets set by the European Commission. A primary goal of the project is to define a potential Performance-Based Standards (PBS) framework for cross-border road freight transport in Europe. Such a framework would accommodate high capacity vehicles, which have been shown to have a large beneficial impact on road freight transport efficiency and emissions. Towards this end, a representative fleet of heavy vehicle combinations carrying modular loading units was formulated in collaboration with industry, and was simulated against a wide range of potential performance standards sourced from various countries. The results of these simulations, coupled with existing European conditions and standards, and expert opinion, were used to make recommendations for a proposed PBS framework for Europe. A proposal is made for which performance standards are appropriate for Europe, which require tailoring, and how the performance criteria for each standard should be reviewed going forwards for suitability to Europe, on both a universal and jurisdiction-specific level. New methodologies are proposed for defining road wear and bridge loading impact standards for such a framework. A road access classification system is also proposed, which can serve as a framework against which to set performance criteria for different vehicle categories.