NEWS FROM THE CONTINENT BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
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Dutch Compromise on Quotas
NMAJOR compromises on its views on Pa transport are being made by the Netherlands Government in a generous effort to speed up the implementation of the Common Market transport policy. Although it is known to consider the abolition of existing quota systems for international road transport to be the solution which corresponds most closely to the Rome Treaty, it is now prepared to compromise at this stage by agreeing to accept some system of quotas.
In order to develop an effective system for this purpose, the Netherlands Government considers it desirable to adapt the existing system of bilateral licences in a way common to the Community. Bilateral quotas will therefore have to be based on a combined annual forecast of the demand of the countries of departure and destination drawn up by those countries, together with the Commission.
This forecast must indicate a growth percentage for the road transport capacity in each of the two countries, taking into account the transport capacity that is used between the countries concerned under the Community licences. The authorities of the country where the road traulier is established can issue licences within the fixed growth percentage, provided they conform to the norms to be established by the Community. Norms will have to be fixed for the requirements with which transport undertakings must comply in respect of professional skill, solvency and price policy.
The Netherlands Government also recommends that provision should be made for appeal to a Community agency, and considers that a Community quota should be fixed with a view to meeting the need for multilateral transport licences. For the time being, this quota might be fixed at, say, 1,000 transport units a year. In principle, allotments by virtue of this quota should be made in
A22 accordance with demand—irrespective, therefore of the nationality of the applicant. Until such time as an appropriate method is devised for that purpose, the quota can be divided between the various countries as much as possible in accordance with the actual demand. Objective, common standards should be fixed for this purpose to ensure impartiality.
It is advocated that a Community agency be appointed to hold consultations, if necessary, on the development of bilateral quotas. It will also have to assist the Commission to supervise the division of the Community quota. The question whether the introduction of tariffs for international road transport is acceptable or not will have to be viewed in the light of the possible consequences for the undertakings concerned, the nature and level of the proposed tariffs, and the extent to which the wishes of the Netherlands Government in respect of other elements of the transport policy are taken into account.
International Transport Outpaces National Traffic
I NTERNATIONAL transport by road, rail and waterways is increasing more rapidly than national traffic. This surprising development is amplified in a recently published report of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe. No overall figures are available, but the statistics which have been given indicate that the phenomenon is pronounced in every country. Statistical data produced by the E.C.E. for the years 1956 to 1961 reveal a marked rise in the percentage of ton-kilometres of goods crossing frontiers by rail (including goods in transit). This trend is most noticeable in the smaller countries situated on the principal transit
routes—Switzerland, Belgium and Luxemburg. For road traffic the increase is even more striking. According to an E.C.E. estimate of the tonnage of goods crossing the frontiers, taking the index figure for 1954 as 100, the figures for 1961 had risen to 600 for Denmark, 310 for Holland, 420 for Western Germany and 430 for Switzerland.
The general rate of growth of road transport exceeds that of the national product (5 per cent). According to E.C.E. statistics, road transport in Western Europe takes one-third of the total tonkilometres, and the annual increase in the ton-km. figure for this class of transport has been around 9-10 per cent between 1955 and 1962. This advance is not without certain difficulties, the most serious of which is the inadequacy of the road system. The Assembly stresses that despite considerable efforts to modernize and extend the infrastructure, the roads of Western Europe are still not matching the demands of the rapidly growing traffic.
Combined transport between road and rail is also favoured by the Assembly as the best means of securing the proper co-ordination of long-distance transport. The desirability of expanding and promoting this type of traffic is referred to the attention of the E.C.M.T.
E.E.C. Problem
'WHEN virtually all vehicle weights VT and dimensions were agreed by the E.E.C. Council of Ministers at its October meeting, the outstanding item of difference—a 13-metric-ton single-axle limit—was smoothed over by asking the Commission to find out from member States how many of their roads could accept this figure. Now France, Belgium and Luxemburg have said that all their main roads can take this figure; Holland has said that very few of hers can, and that conversion would be enormously costly; Germany has reported similarly. and adds that traffic density makes it unwise to accept the 13 tonnes even on modern motor roads; while Italy, with some of the newest trunk roads in the Community, has flatly stated that she has no roads suitable for this weight.