EU rejects Swiss tariff • Switzerland may have to rethink
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its proposed truck transit tariffs after it failed to win support from key EU transport ministers for the preliminary accord it struck with the European Commission in January.
Switzerland proposed that its 28-tonne limit would end by 2005, but until then a limited number of heavier trucks would be allowed through on a pay-asyou-go quota system (CM 29 Jan-4 Feb).
But Germany, Italy and Holland opposed the plan, which had been in development for four years, on grounds of expense; the average fee for crossing the Swiss Alps could be around £135.
Despite this, EU Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock and Britain's Transport Minister Gavin Strang are confident that an agreement can be reached before Britain relinquishes its EU presidency in June.
A spokeswoman for Kinnock says the Germans and Dutch have their own agenda at present because of forthcoming domestic elections. She warns: "There's no more flexibility on the Swiss position with regard to transit charges, but there may be room for manoeuvre on night bans and quotas. Any deal has to be better than no deal."