Brussels, 22/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - The debate within the European Commission on the proposal of directive to amend the Eurovignette Directive on the taxation of heavy goods vehicles using certain road infrastructure, that the Commission is to adopt on Wednesday (EUROPE of 9 July, p.12), is still open especially for cross-financing.
The proposal would allow cross-financing in certain sensitive regions: a 20% increase of tolls would be authorised on condition that receipts are used for developing another mode of transport on the same route. Commissioners Margot Wallström and Franz Fischler express the hope that there will be a clearly more substantial increase (from 50-100%). Some Commissioners, especially British and German, do not want the allocation of budgetary resources to be included in a directive. In addition to the costs already contained in the current Eurovignette directive, the proposal would take into account costs of accidents not covered by insurance. Commissioners Margot Wallström, Michaele Schreyer and Pascal Lamy, consider the directive should include more costs. Finally, the creation of independent national authorities responsible for ensuring implementation of the directive is also a point being discussed.