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THINGS TO COME
How do operators in Europe view the frontier-free future which lies beyond 1992? We have been talking to representatives of hauliers in Belgium, France and Germany. Some welcome harmonisation as an exciting opportunity, others fear it as opening the floodgates to unfair competition.
• By the end of 1992 road hauliers in all 12 European Community states should be able to operate as though national frontiers did not exist. If all goes according to plan, from 1 January 1993: D "Access to the profession" — 0licensing in British terms — will require higher standards than those applied at present in most countries. o Operators holding an international licence in any EEC country will be able to undertake cabotage.
0 Diesel duty will be harmonised. El Road tax will be "approximated" and the proceeds distributed among countries according to the use made of their roads.
Drivers hours rules will be enforced uniformly. International haulage, including triangular traffic, will be free of permits and quotas.
It will be the biggest regulatory shakeup in the industry's history. Even British hauliers, deregulated for almost 20 years, have doubts about the frontier-free future. Commercial Motor decided to find out what their opposite numbers in three other Community countries thought.
BELGIUM
We started with SAV, the association representing hauliers in the Flemish region of Belgian with its headquarters in Gent. Its 700 members make up about 30% of the total Belgian haulage industry. Secretary general Liliane de Wilde is a lady with firm views: "Belgian hauliers are anxious and pessimistic about what the future holds," she says.
She does not expect deregulation to come before 1992 — if then: "Whenever it comes it must be as part of a package of harmonisation measures. These must cover not only specific transport matters like taxes or weights and dimensions, but also social security systems." She is vehemently opposed to tolls, and very relieved that the Belgian government has backed away from a system of taxing foreign hauliers announced last autumn.
International deregulation arouses little interest, partly because Belgium has never suffered as badly as Great Britain from permit shortages.
Today there are almost no problems of this sort for SAV's international hauliers, though most would welcome more Community "books". For them 1992 will have two benefits — the loss of one piece of paper to be carried, and the freedom to carry out third country traffic.
Mention of cabotage caused de Wilde's eyes to light up: "Belgian hauliers are well placed to benefit from consecutive cabotage. The German market is large in both geographical and economic terms, and lies just over the frontier. By contrast Belgium is a small country, and there is little profit for foreigners to carry goods over short distances."
The drivers hours regulations are seen as a problem. De Wilde is president of the social affairs committee of the FNBTR, the federation of the eight provincial Belgian haulage associations, and a member of the European Commission's joint committee on road transport, which is chaired by the TGWU's Jack Ashwell. She thinks that Regulation 3820/85, though an improvement on its predecessor, 543/69, "still does not suit the industry. It is not flexible enough, and there are problems of interpretation."
De Wilde fears that some SAY members will not be strong enough to survive. One SAV member, Willy Van den Berghe from Transport Meetjesland of Eeldo, says that 90% of the company's work is international. The company sends its 30 drawbars and 30 artics all over the Community, with France and Italy as the main destinations.
Although he is concerned about the uncertain future, he seems fairly relaxed about the prospect of 1992. The company has a modern operating centre with wellequipped offices, and is well placed to benefit from a wider market. He is blunt about Britain's low gross weight limits, however, calling them a "catastrophe". He is especially critical of the 32.5-tonne drawbar limit. This unnecessarily reduces each load of paper tissues by 5.5 tonnes, with a consequent increase in the price. It is also impossible to obtain a return load from the UK.
His major complaint has nothing to do with 1992 — the price of trucks, he says, has risen by 25% in three months.
FRANCE
In Paris Claude Farhi, secretary of AFTRI, the international section of the French haulage association FNTR, tells a similar story.
"We cannot say how things will go," he says. "But there is no obligation in the Treaty of Rome to liberalise internationally and to lay down conditions for cabotage. This was confirmed by the European Court in 1985. So we must find ways and means of solving these problems."
He describes the Commission's 1986 report on the tax situation in the 12 states as "of limited value". It made much of the aide tax refunds available to French international hauliers, but omitted to mention that these are limited to four-aided vehicles, now scarcely used internationally. He ignores the more serious problem of the restrictions imposed by the French Government on VAT refunds. Nor does he regard autoroute tolls as taxes, but as specific charges, without which France would not have its modern highways.
Farhi describes the situation on lorry weights and dimensions as, "a mess. It is unrealistic to have different limits for national and international traffic. There should be an EEC-wide limit of 44 tonnes, and even if Britain and Ireland need a derogation from 40 tonnes, it should be limited in time, not open ended," he says.
On cabotage he says: "It is in the Treaty, so something has to be done, but no one knows what to do or how to do it." It will be one of the last pieces of legislation to be adopted in the run-up to 1992 and it is difficult to predict what effect it will have on French hauliers, but he does not seem specially concerned.
The new drivers hours rules have not made much impact in France, because they are in line with the so-called "Cavaille norms", named after a former transport minister. In practice France has been applying these for 10 years. the rules are a very important element of competition, but there is need for a wider harmonisation of social policy, going beyond work and rest. Without better controls the situation will remain unsatisfactory. "
GERFAANY
Not surprisingly the haulage association with the most decisive reaction to cabotage is Germany's BDF. At the BDF headquarters in Frankfurt, Wolfgang Kownatka says that his association is looking forward to a Europe without frontiers. The world needs another economic superpower between East and West.
This has to be achieved without disharmony, however. Federal Chancellor Kohl discussed this matter with BDF representatives in June 1986. Later he wrote to the association assuring them that he would see that deregulation and harmonisation went hand-in-hand.
Kownatka says that the BDF sees three main problem areas.
The first is taxation. German hauliers pay about 15% more than the Community average, and a lot more than competitors from the lowest taxed countries. Their taxes pay for Europe's best motorway network—available toll-free to hauliers from any country. Yet German hankers have to pay heavy tolls in Italy and France, for example, as well as nonCommunity countries such as Austria and Switzerland. That must be corrected. Germany must be compensated position as the crossroads of the I munity. "The Federal Republic oc 11% of the land mass of the COIN and has 20% of the population. Yc roads carry 35% of all its traffic. / are they over-crowded — the traI tion damages our environment," s Kownatka.
German hankers also have to ol very high standards of vehicle ma nance and operation. This costs ti money. Other countries' standard: widely. The average has to be rai especially for dangerous goods.
The BDF does not find Britain't tion of a 38-tonne limit a serious problem, but it is wrong in princip member state should opt out of a munity standard. Kownatka is mw critical of Austria's restrictions, w: regards as discrimination. The Fe Transport Ministry in Bonn shoulc stronger action against Austrian v■ entering Germany, he claims.
Commercial Motor has repeated red to German transport minister ke's repeated blocking of liberalisa moves pending further harmonisat the past few months. Many foreig this as adequate protection for Ge hauliers. Kownatka agrees that thi ter moved in the right direction, b far or fast enough. Just before the munity transport ministers met laF. cember the BDF held a rally in PK which several hundred hauliers am ers urged the Minister to continue press for harmonisation. It is impc to say what part this rally played i: ke's decision to block a 40% cumu increase in the number of Commui mits — but it made it easier.
Despite the German Governmet negative attitude the BDF is adam it welcomes 1992, and looks forwa the extra competition — so long a conditions of competition are harm
SUMMARY
The haulage associations in BeIgiw France and Germany accept that tl ternal market will be completed", 1 the Euro-jargon. They are all unea out certain aspects of what this wi for their members, though the nati the worries varies according to loc cumstances. The major uncertaint3 cerns timing. Will cabotage be legs before taxation is made more equa realistic to expect drivers hours ru be enforced in countries with a mo lazed attitude to this sort of leg-Isla
Above all will "1992" arrive on• four years time? The Community i: at stopping the clock to meet dead will this have to be extended to stt the calendar?
El by Reg Dawson