EEC increases quota
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THE EEC Commission is proposing a modest 4.3 per cent increase in the number of road haulage licences next year authorised under the Community quota system.
The number would thus rise from 4,038 this year to 4,227 and in Britain's case the proposed increase would be from 436 this year to 453.
It was also announced that a new basis for establishing the quota will be put forward for discussion by Transport Ministers early next year.
The idea of the new system is to avoid the annual wrangle between countries like Britain and the Netherlands which want to expand the quota system and West Germany, at the other extreme, which gives priority to switching road traffic to the railways.
CM understands that although the criteria have not yet been defined, one idea being examined in Brussels is to issue separate licences according to the type of goods carried, making the scheme more flexible.
The Commission's proposals for 1983 are based on a forecast of 4.3 per cent growth in the tonnage of goods carried between member countries by road transport.
There are additional authorisations based on the use made of the system during the year and for countries situated on the periphery of the community.
The proposed share-out of the licences is shown in the table below: