14/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - Rail companies call for rapid conclusion of Eurovignette agreement and earmarking. On Wednesday 13 April, the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) called for a rapid conclusion to the legislative process on the revised Eurovignette directive. After the second reading agreement in the European Parliament transport committee on a draft report on the Eurovignette, the draft directive is now under discussion between MEPs and the Council to try to reconcile their respective positions before the final EP vote in June. In a press release published on Wednesday, the CER says that it backs the MEPs' position, even though it regrets that, in the course of the co-decision process, the initial directive proposal was weakened. Among the amendments brought in by MEPs, the CER welcomes, in particular: - the restating of Parliament's first reading position to earmark the revenues raised for the development of the transport sector; - the granting of more flexibility to member states on the variation in the infrastructure charge (200% instead of 175% as proposed by the Council) and the length of time they can apply it for (8 hours instead of 5 hours per day) to tackle congestion; - the reduction from four years to three years in the proposed exemptions of the external cost charge related to air pollution for vehicles which meet the cleanest EURO emission standards. (A.By./transl/.rt)