Slow progress on road charges

Date: 04/12/1997

By Simon Coss

PLANS drawn up by Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock to ensure that road charges for lorries take account of environmental costs look set to make little progress before the end of the year.

Kinnock's proposal to raise the price of the so-called Eurovignette tax-disc for lorries has fallen foul both of disagreements between EU governments and also of the Union's continued failure to agree a lorry transit deal with Switzerland.

Transport ministers will discuss a watered-down version of Kinnock's original plan when they meet in Brussels next Wednesday (10 December), but are unlikely to make much headway in settling their differences over the issue.

Under the latest compromise proposal drafted by the Luxembourg presidency, older lorries - known in EU jargon as 'Euro 0' and 'Euro 1' vehicles - would pay an annual charge of 1,500 ecu. Kinnock had originally called for a 2,000-ecu-a-year levy in the proposals he unveiled in July last year. Cleaner 'Euro 2' trucks would benefit from a reduced rate of 1,250 ecu.

The plan also contains a so-called 'Alpine clause' which would allow for extra tolls to be levied on routes considered to be at particular environmental risk. This has, however, become a major bone of contention between member states, with many governments arguing the Eurovignette should be a flat-rate charge.

Since the proposal deals with taxation measures, it can only become law with the unanimous agreement of all 15 EU member states - and at least five are not happy with the current text.

"The Italians, Greeks, Germany, Portugal and Spain are all opposed to the plan. As you need unanimity on this, it is hard to see where any movement could come from. I would be positively surprised if something happened," said one Council of Ministers transport expert.

Germany, which is set to be at the crossroads of the Union after the next enlargement, wants the option of imposing higher tolls than the proposal envisages, while southern member states say the plan would severely damage their haulage industries.

On top of these internal divisions comes the whole question of striking a deal with Switzerland over motorway charges on Alpine routes.

Although the EU-Swiss talks are not officially linked to the Eurovignette proposals, a deal with Bern over environmental surcharges for specific routes would provide a perfect precedent for agreement on the Alpine clause.

"Negotiations with the Swiss looked hopelessly mired ten days ago," said Kinnock's spokeswoman Sarah Lambert. But she added that officials were working to try to strike some sort of deal before next week's meeting of transport ministers.

At present, six EU countries - Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden - use the Euro-vignette system.

Meanwhile, Kinnock this week put forward extensive plans to cut polluting emissions from heavy goods vehicles. Under the scheme - part of the Commission's 'Auto-Oil Programme' - the Commissioner hopes to cut levels of major pollutants from lorries by 30% by 2001. The proposals aim to encourage manufacturers to produce better engines and cleaner fuels, and would also bring in stricter inspection and maintenance standards for vehicles. Kinnock did not indicate how much the plans would cost.