Brussels, 26/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - Between now and the end of September, the European Commission will be making 1.5 million ecopoints available for heavy goods vehicles passing in transit through Austria. It has taken the decision pending the adoption of a Regulation on reducing traffic levels between now and 2003. Those mainly affected by the issue, German transport operators, will have 350,000 ecopoints, Austrians 135,000 and Italians 550,000.
This decision will help avoid any « paralysis of transit operations through Austria » according to the Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio. The adopted decision reflects a compromise, which stops short of releasing all the ecopoints so as not to pre-empt any future compromise on a gradual reduction in transit operations. The Regulation has to be adopted either: a) by the Council by a qualified majority before mid September if it amends the proposal the Commission unfurled last May; b) by the Commission if no majority support is forthcoming in the Council, as at present, given that Austria, Italy, Germany, Belgium and are hostile for different reasons to the Commission plan (see EUROPE of 25 May)