On Thursday 24 May, the European Parliament’s transport committee decided on its negotiating position for three draft reports in addition to the one on road tolls (see related article), which are part of the first mobility package (see EUROPE 11799). The three texts – interoperability of electronic toll systems, the hire of vehicles without a driver and taxation of heavy-duty vehicles – are not as politically sensitive as those relating to social and market issues.
Interoperability of electronic toll systems. The draft report by Massimiliano Salini (EPP, Italy) was very widely supported by his colleagues, and the negotiating mandate for talks with the Council of the EU was granted to him unanimously.
The report, as adopted, is largely the same as the draft report, the ins and outs of which this newsletter has already described (see EUROPE 11943). It was in line with the European Commission’s proposal of 31 May 2017.
On the technical front, a number of points and definitions were clarified. The rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs also incorporated elements from the Commission's Decision 2009/750/EC of October 2009 on the definition of European electronic tolls and technical aspects. Amendments were added concerning remuneration of European electronic tolls service suppliers and protection of users’ data.
This position is very similar to that being prepared at the Council. The Bulgarian Presidency will in fact submit a final compromise broadly including the same observations as those included in Parliament's text to member states’ representatives to the EU (COREPER) on Friday 25 May. This should be approved without any problem and endorsed by EU transport ministers in Luxembourg on 7 June.
Hire of vehicles in another member state. The vote on liberalising the hire of vehicles without a driver approved a text quite similar to that initially proposed by the rapporteur, Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar (EPP, Portugal) (see EUROPE 11941).
Compromise amendments were suggested both by the rapporteur and by the S&D group, which led to a shared vote (24 for, 15 against with no abstentions). Monteiro de Aguiar did not, however, manage to achieve the necessary majority (25 votes) to win a mandate for the inter-institutional negotiations with the Council.
In terms of content, the MEPs are of the opinion that a state may limit the authorised number of vehicles rented in another member state if they are registered or put into circulation in compliance with the laws of another Member State, the limit being 25% of the total fleet owned by the company or at least one vehicle, if it owns fewer than four, over a period of at least four months in a year.
According to Parliament’s position, the restrictions on the use of vehicles having a total authorised laden weight of above 6 tonnes for own-account operators that a state may impose on companies registered in their country should be scrapped.
These positions are broadly in line with those of the Council. The Bulgarian Presidency will also submit a final compromise to COREPER on Friday with quite similar amendments apart from a point on limiting the hire of vehicles in another member state. Effectively, it proposed that the limitation period threshold should be set at a minimum of 30 consecutive days in year.
Heavy-duty vehicles taxation. A final report, drawn up by Deirdre Clune (EPP, Ireland) on the taxing of heavy-duty vehicles was widely approved.
Only a few amendments were made to the rapporteur’s initial draft (see EUROPE 11935). The special legislative procedure applies to this report, in which the European Parliament only has a consulting role. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)