Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-11-17-Speech-5-060"
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"en.20001117.6.5-060"2
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". – Mr President, the Commission is aware of the package of measures in the road transport sector that the UK Government announced on 8 November in response to the recent oil price increases. One of the plans announced is the introduction of some form of road user charge such as a vignette payable by all road hauliers, British and non-British alike, for their use of the road network in the UK. Provided that the details of its implementation respect the relevant rules, such a measure seems to be in line with current Community law which aims at the elimination of distortion of competition through the establishment of fair mechanisms for charging infrastructure costs to hauliers and at harmonisation of levy systems within the European Union.
In fact, the EU directive governing this field, which was adopted unanimously in 1993, laid down the conditions under which Member States could, if they wanted, apply user charges or motorway tolls. Accordingly, six Member States, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden introduced a common user charge system often called the euro-vignette while Austria continued to apply its own user charge system and France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece maintained their already existing motorway toll system. This means that by 1995 12 out of the 15 Member States had adjusted their levy systems with more emphasis on direct charging and less on taxes.
The Commission considers that such adjustments go in the right direction towards the establishment of fairer charging systems which also give an incentive for a more rational and efficient use of road networks.
The measures announced by the UK signal such a readjustment of its charging system. However, the whole package of measures announced also includes other elements such as a reduction in the fuel taxes, similar to measures recently announced by other Member States. All these measures are presently the subject of an examination by the Commission responsible under the EU Treaty for ensuring the consistency and coordination of national activities within the common transport policy.
The Commission is therefore expecting to receive shortly a reply to its request for detailed information on the measures planned by the UK government. The Commission will then have to investigate, as it does in the case of all other Member States, whether or not such measures are likely to distort intra-Community competition. Depending on the outcome of this analysis, the Commission will decide on the next course of action in fulfilling its role of assisting Member States in taking the measures which are right for them and while respecting the rights of others."@en1
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