AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Hauliers win backing over French strikes

18th December 1997
Page 8
Page 8, 18th December 1997 — Hauliers win backing over French strikes
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

by Ian Wylie • Lawyers have hailed a judgment last week by the European Court of Justice as a significant breakthrough for hundreds of British hauliers seeking compensation for this and last year's French blockades. The ruling should speed up compensation arising out of the two strikes by French drivers.

The court decided the French government had not done enough during the past 10 years to protect hauliers carrying Spanish strawberries into France, despite repeated aggression from French farmers.

The French government had argued that compensation was being paid, but the ECJ dismissed this as a defence. The ruling effectively makes governments responsible for the actions of strikers and could compel EU member states to break up blockades.

Keith Hearn, managing partner of solicitors Ford & Warren, says the judgment establishes the freedom to transport goods as a fundamental right and believes it may smooth the path for compensation claims following last year's blockades as well as more recent disputes.

"This is the best news hauliers could have hoped for and it's a complete vindication of our position," he says.

Hearn has now written to EU transport commissioner Neil Kinnock asking him to French to sort it out. concede that compen Kinnock: Wanted sation for British hauliers is now a matter for the European Commission to settle. Until now, Kinnock has taken the view that the French should be left to handle compensation claims themselves.

However, the French government has frustrated hauliers repeatedly by demanding more information from claimants in different forms. The latest request was that invoices be translated into French.

• The Freight Transport Association is calling on all international operators to sign a European Charter to give UK firms the same rights as their Continental colleagues.

The charter aims to put pressure on the UK Government ahead of its presidency of the European Union on 1 January and calls for:

OW Secure compensation for losses incurred through delays caused by blockades; • European ports, roads and frontiers to be kept free from illegal blockades;

• A network of strategic European routes to be designated free from weekend and public holiday lorry bans; • A consistency in road charges and lorry taxes.

The FTA is asking all international transport firms to sign the charter and to include a letter to John Prescott with details of companies' comments and experiences. • Stuart Buttenvorth of Clwyd-based TDS Morgan Freight welcomes the move. "At last Europe seems to be doing something. The best thing they could do for international hauliers would be to introduce guaranteed freeways and make sure they stay open whatever happens."


comments powered by Disqus