Euro court will block tax
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• Germany's plan to impose a £3,500 tax on hauliers using its roads will be squashed by the European Court of Justice, the director general of the European Commission's transport directorate said this week.
But speaking at the Road Haulage Association's annual conference in Spain, Robert Coleman said that such taxes will eventually become commonplace throughout the European Community.
Germany has been blocking an EC agreement on cabotage but its last proposal to tax foreign hauliers was thrown out of the European Court in May. Its latest proposal, presented to the EC last week, entails forcing all EC trucks to buy stickers before allowing them to use German roads. The proposal still needs EC finance ministers' approval.
Coleman also accused the UK of obstructing EC moves to raise taxes uniformly and to formulate a Community transport policy: "The UK attitude to transport policy is negative," he said. "If you are in a club you should play the game to win."
On a more positive note Coleman called on the British government — and other European Community governments — to provide cash for small hauliers who want to buy intermodal equipment.
He also told RHA delegates that enforcement of road transport regulations "will emerge as an issue with much greater importance in the future. EC transport policy will include the introduction of universal enforcement and a greater harmonisation of transport law throughout Europe."