ECO slows Austria's entry • The ECU points transit system
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remains one of the major unresolved items in negotiations for Austria's EC membership. Austria wants the transit agreement to stay in force until its normal expiry date of 2004, though it would replace ECU point checks at frontiers by electronic controls.
The Commission is offering a three-year transitional period after which the agreement would have to be abolished.
• The EC Commission is planning to give priority to trucks with validated TIR carnets at east European frontier crossings. Under the proposal, a Balkans customs corridor would reduce the delays caused by heavy traffic diverted eastwards from the Yugoslav transit route. Some border posts would be reserved exclusively for TIR traffic. At others, TIR fast lanes would be set up.
The Commission has earmarked up to £12 million for the plans which will reduce border delays from several days to one hour.
• The European Parliament has finally backed a European Commission proposal to offer subsidies for alternative fuels. But the move could take 10 years to introduce. Under the plan, excise duty on biodiesel would be pegged at no more than 10% of the level on conventional fuel.