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IRU chief blasts EEC plans for harmonisation
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• European Commission proposals to harmonise and liberalise the EEC's transport industry are destined to fail, says Hubert Ghigonis, the chairman of the International Road Transport Union's European Commission liaison committee. He claims that the plans will not lead to "a genuine common market which puts the transport operators of all member states on an equal footing".
MEDI
In a paper prepared for the European Transport Maintenance Council (ETMC) meeting in Florence earlier this week. Ghigonis told operators that "the action programme about to be considered by the council of ministers is extraordinarily limited". He warns that there are too many distortions and discrepancies within Europe, introduced by national governments on a local and restrictive basis. "This being the case," he says, "a major proportion of the reservations which have come to light are not targetted against the creation of a common transport market, but against those national governments which do not wish to assume responsibility for eliminating the constraints which constitute discrimination in favour of their resident trans port operators."
He dismisses the commission's plans to harmonise taxes throughout Europe as "woolly". "It is still impossible to make any forecast as to the completion of the harmonisation policy. The Commission proposals are incomplete, as no objectives have been set on vehicle taxes and motorway tolls."
Ghigonis believes that the Commission recognises that many operators have deep misgivings about the policies it is pursuing. The IRTU dislikes the fact that there is a safeguard clause in the proposed legislation which will "make it possible to limit, or temporarily suspend, the new liberalised arrangements in the event of market disturbances. The mere fact that the Commission has considered incorporating such a clause testifies to its uncertainties about the future reaction of operators and consignors." O During a session on the training of workshop technicians, British operators voiced their concern about labour and skills shortages in the UK. Many operators are finding it hard to recruit new technicians and workshop maintenance staff, and to keep existing personnel. Session chairman Roger Denniss of Bass said that unless more training is undertaken now, the situation will only get worse.