EC may help RHA on duty
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• by Charles Young The Road Haulage Association has shelved its plans to take the government to the European courts while it looks at a cheaper and more practical way of fighting fuel tax.
The RHA's chief executive Roger King says: 1 went to Brussels to speak to a number of people who .told me its not going to be easy to take them to court. We were given some very good advice [on another way forward] and we are in the process of following that up."
King is reluctant to give details of the new approach but says it might involve the help of the European Commissioner for Competition, Mario Monti.
"It's all to do with overall haulage costs and European competitors seizing the opportunity to price UK operators out of the market. It's based on the fact that we are in a single market which should operate in a fair way for all,'' says King.
"Mario Monti is keen to hear of competition issues especially where there's an element of exploitation."
Another approach might be to argue that the taxes are against the human rights principles which will soon be part of UK law. But King says this, if successful, could take up to three years to resolve.
The RHA's new approach will effectively halt the Hauliers and Farmers Alliance's plans to take the government to court over fuel taxes.
The HFA's Len Johnson says he was waiting to see if the RHA would join him to fight the matter in the European Courts.
The United Road Transport Union had also announced plans to take the issue of fines for illegal immigrants to the European Courts but as Commercial Motor went to press no one was available to comment on the plan.