Euro lorry inches into EEC's focus
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ki EEC AGREEMENT on lorry weights came a step closer at last sek's meeting of transport ministers in Luxembourg, with comissioner Giorgios Kontogeorgis forecasting, perhaps rashly, a deal the end of the year, reports our Brussels correspondent.
Important developments at e meeting were the French ceptance of the 40 tonne Euro rry, and signs that the Nethernds will also fall into line. Italy, however, still clung to its isire for 44 tonnes, and British -ansport Under Secretary rnda Chalker pointed out that itain still has not decided on I tonnes.
Commissioner Kontogeorgis id after the meeting: "After 20 ;ars of discussion on lorry eights and measures, I now ink that there will be concrete results by the end of this year."
But a British spokesman was more cautious. He said: "It's too early to talk in these terms."
Ministers also made progress in the important field of EEC finance for major transport infrastructure schemes like the Channel Tunnel.
They called on the Commission to table concrete proposals within three months on possible projects both inside and outside the EEC.
But there are still formidable obstacles — such as the method of financing — to be overcome before EEC money can be released.
There was comparatively rapid agreement, however, to ease restrictions on national aid to combined transport and governments will now be free to invest more heavily in container centres and improving handling facilities in goods yards.
A decision was also taken to monitor road haulage rates charged within the EEC by nonmember countries, after complaints that East European states are operating at dumping prices. Information will be collected between January 1983 and July 1984 to see if these complaints are justified.
Now it remains to be seen 'whether the results of the meeting will satisfy the European Parliament which had threatened to take the ministers to the EEC's Court of Justice if the meeting had failed to produce concrete decisions.
• see p18