Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-02-11-Speech-2-285"
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"en.20030211.11.2-285"2
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"Mr President, I would like to focus my contribution to this debate on a number of key areas on which I take issue, both with the report and with the Commission's original proposals. At the outset, I should like to say how much I agree with the comments my colleague, Mrs Foster, made earlier.
Firstly, I find the whole anti-road sentiment of this report baffling in the extreme. Roads are, and always will be, the cornerstone of our transport industry, allowing us to reach every corner of our respective countries and the whole of our continent. It is, therefore, highly unrealistic to believe that there is a future for industry as a whole while we neglect its link to its customers: the road network. Yet this paper steadfastly ignores the road sector and is thus completely unbalanced.
Combining roads with other modes of transport is essential. I have no doubt that better public transport has a vital part to play in this transport strategy. However, road transport, quite rightly, remains the main choice for the majority, due to its ease and flexibility. Penalising people for using roads is an extremely dangerous step, yet this is exactly what the report advocates. One such example is the idea of infrastructure charging. This is primarily an issue of subsidiarity and should not even be considered at a European level, quite apart from whether such charging is right in principle, given the vast amounts which the motorist already pays in taxation. Only a small proportion of that tax revenue is spent on improving transport. This is certainly the case in the United Kingdom.
British Conservatives strongly opposed infrastructure charging in our country and we oppose it just as vehemently here in Europe. Yet this report goes deeper than just imposing direct charges on the public. By attempting to cut the link between transport and economic growth, we are ignoring clear evidence dating back centuries. Put simply, increased trade boosts a nation's economy, raising its GDP. Even basic trade, however, would not be possible without an efficient transport system which is available to all.
I acknowledge that this report was always going to be difficult and sympathise with the rapporteur, who is in a lose-lose situation. However, my Conservative colleagues and I have serious doubts as to where this paper would lead us, with its severe implications for the entire transport industry. I therefore urge this House to reject the report in its entirety."@en1
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