elders gain extra 3 EEC quota permits
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ISH road hauliers have gained another 63 European unity quota permits, following a Council of Ministers ting in Brussels last week. ALAN MILLAR reports.
e Council accepted a pean Commission propohat the quota for 1980 be ased by 20 per cent, rising 3122 to 3751. For Britain, means an increase of 63 its from the present 355. the same time, the minagreed that 10 per cent he quota can now be ed into 12 30-day permits he benefit of road hauliers with short-term needs. It Id also help new hauliers k into the international ket.
ter the meeting, Britain's nsport Minister Norman ler told CM: "This is, of rse, satisfactory from our t of view. It will be of great to the industry."
ut it is still very much a promise. Britain wants ntually to see complete ralisation of international d haulage, and Italy and st Germany are particuy vehement in their de e of current levels.
est Germany's transport ister thought that 20 per t was too great an increase, withdrew his objections r a long debate.
taly, too, put up a strong ence. Mr Fowler said: "The jor move was for the Ita s to come to the British w on the 20 per cent in crease. We have got as far as could be expected today."
An attempt to free ownaccount transport from quota restrictions became bogged down by Italian concern about how to identify a vehicle on own-account work. Italy feels that complete freedom could open the floodgates to dubious operations which could be classified as own-account merely for convenience.
The Council asked the European Commission to investigate how it can obviate this difficulty. It wants a document to be drawn up, but this is not likely to appear before the middle of next year.
For the Freight Transport Association, David Green told CM that he saw no problem over the identification problem. West Germany demands a form of identification for own-account vehicles, and it should be possible to produce something along these lines.
The Commission is satisfied with the progress of last week's meeting. While the quota increase is relatively small, the mood was summed up by a spokesman who said: "At least the thing is moving in the right direction."