Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-09-04-Speech-2-300"
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"en.20010904.12.2-300"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats will be voting in favour of the Commission proposal. First, because the objective of the ecopoint system has more or less been achieved. The objective was to reduce overall NOx emissions from heavy goods vehicles in transit through Austria by 60% by the end of 2003. In 2000, we had already achieved a 56% reduction; in other words, we are well on the way to achieving the target set in the agreement by 2003.
Secondly, the Commission proposal does not touch the ecopoint system per se. The target of a 60% reduction has been retained. The Commission expressly calls for the ecopoint system to continue. Only the so-called 108% rule is to be abolished. This rule runs counter to the very objective of the ecopoint system, i.e. to protect the environment by reducing NOx emissions. It acts as an incentive to buy and use environmentally-friendly lorries. The 108% clause sets an upper ceiling on the number of transit journeys and imposes sanctions where it is exceeded. However, this clause only applies if the lorries have produced 8% fewer emissions a year. That is a contradiction in itself. Which is why the whole thing makes no sense.
Thirdly, reducing ecopoints does not reduce transit traffic through the Alps as a whole because it will either be switched to routes through Switzerland or trickily converted to bilateral traffic to and from Austria or traffic using east European lorries which are subject to a different licensing system and do not come under the ecopoint system. On balance, all this means is that there will be no further reductions in NOx emissions in Austria.
Fourthly, the sanctions attached to the 108% rule are disproportionately high. For example, exceeding 100,000 journeys in 1999 was punished by cutting 150,000 journeys in 2000.
The last point I wish to raise is this: doubts as to whether primary law, in this case an act of accession, can be changed by secondary law, i.e. by a Commission proposal for a regulation, as is the subject of today's debate, are to my mind unwarranted. Protocol no. 9 makes explicit provision for the ecopoint system to be reviewed in 2001. On this basis, the Commission proposal is therefore legal. That is why I am in favour of abolishing the 108% rule and adopting the Commission proposal as it stands."@en1
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