EEC compromise
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AFTER YEARS of haggling, EEC transport ministers shook hands last week on their compromise deal that sets a 40-tonne limit on the Euro lorry outside Britain, and doubles the Community quota over five years.
The deal was expected to be formally adopted by the EEC's Council of Ministers in Brussels this week after British MPs had been consulted and had given their approval.
But Britain and Ireland have given nothing away and will be able to prevent the 40-tonners entering their countries virtually indefinitely.
The date for ending the exemption will be discussed by February 1987, but any decision taken then must be unanimous.
"That means we retain a veto and the last word rests with the Parliament in London," pointed out Transport Minister Nicholas Ridley at the end of the two day meeting in Brussels.
In the meantime, Britain's limit will remain at 38 tonnes and improvement to roads, bridges and by-passes will continue without the pressure of meeting a deadline.
EEC diplomats expect that Britain will use the date for ending the exemption as a lever to scrap the quota system entirely after 1989.
The thorny question of driving axle weights was left out of the directive because of the impossibility of finding a compromise between Italy, which wanted between 11.5 and 12.5 tonnes, France (12 tonnes) and other countries which refused to exceed 11 tonnes. The weights which have been agreed and will apply from July 1986, are: • Single non-drive axles: 10 tonnes.
• Tandem axles with less than one metre spacing: 11 tonnes; between one metre and 1.3m: 16 tonnes; between 1.3m and 1.8m: 18 tonnes; over 1.8m: 20 tonnes.
• Tr-axles less than 1.3m: 21 tonnes; 1.3m to 1.4m: 24 tonnes.
Dimensions which were agreed some time ago will be: motor vehicles 12m long, articulated vehicles 15.5m, drawbar combinations 18m, maximum width 2.5m, maximum height 4m.
The quotas, frozen for the last two years, will be increased by 30 per cent in 1985 and by 15 per cent annually after that until 1989.
The Ministers also discussed the review of Regulations 543/69 (drivers' hours) and 1463/70 (tachographs) which is taking shape in Brussels on more flexible driving hours and rest periods.
They asked for the work to be treated as a matter of urgency in order that a decision can be taken early next year.
Mr Ridley's satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting contrasts with the response of the transport industry, especially that of the Road Haulage Association.
The RHA, which, ironically, was relatively lukewarm about the increase of 38 tonnes least year, dismissed last week's decision as premature and ill-considered.
It complained that it had not been consulted by the Government, and said that while an increase to 40 tonnes would not result in a rush to buy new equipment, some operators would benefit and ought to have an opportunity to take advantage of an uplift.
The Freight Transport Association said it, too, was disappointed by the decision to exempt Britain from the 40tonne limit, but said it was happy that the increase in the EEC permit quota had still gone through.
It added that the decision to compromise on the 1980 Armitage Report's recommendation for 40 and 44-tonne lorries had made the EEC "fudge" inevitable.