Alpine road to more permits?
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• Non-EEC countries could hold the key to unblocking an EEC permits increase when EEC transport ministers meet in Luxembourg at the end of next month.
In December 1986, and again in March this year, Germany vetoed a 40% increase in multilateral permits, (CM March 28), with German Transport Ministerifirgen Warncke demanding faster progress on ironing out differences of fuel taxes, VED and road tolls before agreeing to any rise.
Last year the commission produced a long report detailing the facts on taxation and tolls in the twelve EEC countries (CM March 28) but it will not put forward legislative proposals until the autumn.
While a third German ban seems likely next month, Belgium's Communications Minister Herman de Croo, the current president of the ministerial meetings, hopes to placate Wamcke by easing another problem of special concern to German hauliers the transit of Switzerland and Austria.
Foreign lorries in transit through both these non-EEC countries currently have to pay heavy taxes. Although the Swiss do not demand permits, they impose their domestic 28-tonne gross weight limit on operators. This has the effect of diverting most transit traffic to Austria, which has a 38-tonne limit, putting pressure on available Austrian permits.
De Croo has been having private discussions with the Swiss and Austrian Ministers, and is asking the Swiss to designate specific transit routes for 40-torme trucks.
If they refuse, he is threatening to ask his fellow EEC ministers to impose a reciprocal 28-tonne limit on Swiss lorries on all EEC roads.