EEC controls to go?
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IN a radical move the EEC Commission has proposed that the tight controls of international road transport within the European community should be gradually dismantled and the market thrown open to all hauliers with three or more years' experience.
The proposal by the EEC Greek transport commissioner Georges Konto Georgis reflects the new thinking in Brussels which favours scrapping beaurocratic controls in road haulage and the introduction of free market principles. The proposal which will be opposed by Germany, France and Italy is as follows: 1 Starting in 1984 the EEC quote will be increased each year by a percentage equal to five times the gross of road haulage traffic.
For example, if goods carried rose by 2.5 per cent in the latest year to which statistics are avail able the quota would be boosted by 12.5 per cent.
2 These increases would be applied over five years with the possibility of extending the transition period to eight years.
During this time the share out of the quotes among countries would be changed to take account of the use made of the licences and the level of activity.
After the transition period, the market would be entirely liberalised and national authorities would be free to issue EEC authorisation to all carriers with at least three years' experience.
Countries which wish to impose further conditions (for example, sound business management) on their operators would remain free to do so.