Liberate E.E.C. Road Transport' Say Holland and Italy
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FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT WHEN the E.E.C. Council of Ministers " met in Brussels on Friday to discuss the Commission's transport policy proposals, Holland and Italy made it clear that they do not like the emphasis which the proposals put upon organization of the transport market and harmonization of competitive conditions. Both countries feel that the true object of the E.E.C. policy should be to create a common transport market and not a system which puts very definite limits on the liberation of road transport.
As the Treaty of Rome demands, the Council is sending the transport policy draft to the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee for comment before debating the proposals.
The Dutch Minister of Transport centred his criticism of the Commission's plans on the fact that th.:. Community quota system would perpetuate the quota idea for road transport, whereas Benelux had already proposed total liberation. Belgium's Minister said it appeared premature to propose to control international road transport capacity by a Community quota arrangement; the idea of laying down hard and fast rules should be abandoned. Italy was equally doubtful on this point, and indecd on most of the road transport proposals, it being pointed out that the draft proposals did not really take account of previous Council decisions. Access to the transport market should be in proportion to the increase
in trade; in particular, Italy's 15 per cent share of the Community quota was insufficient.
The French and German representatives were in general agreement with the draft policy, but Germany continued to reserve its position on the proposed vehicle weights and dimensions, and felt that more detail about passenger transport, pipeline regulations and the co-ordination of infrastructure investments should be incorporated in the E.E.C. policy plans as soon as possible. The French Minister did not agree with the idea of incorporating all the bilateral quotas for road transport into the Community quota; the bilateral quotas ought to continue, he maintained. He also felt that special contracts might be necessary to ensure proper functioning of thc forked-rates system.