Brussels, 13/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - The third railway package, the liberalisation of port services and the proposal modifying the "Eurovignette" directive are just a few of the priorities of the future Luxembourg Presidency of the EU. Luxembourg will manage these dossiers with prudence, especially on the liberalisation of rail transport, and paying particular care on the social aspects, the Luxembourg minister for European Affairs, Nicolas Schmit, explained to EUROPE. Mr Schmit will chair the Transport Council under the Luxembourg Presidency.
One of the main dossiers Luxembourg will have to deal with during its Presidency will be the third railway package, presented by the Commission in March 2003. This package contains four proposals, and the Council, against the opinion of the Commission and the European Parliament, wants to "chop up". The future Presidency of the EU will defend this position; " We feel that the various elements of the package could be separated from each other, and we have to make progress where progress can be made", as proved by the agreement reached last week on the proposal concerning the licence for train drivers (see EUROPE of 11 December, p.7). For the other elements of the package, especially the proposal to liberalise passenger rail transport, the future Presidency, a country which has always been very hesitant on this point, has called for prudence. "It is clear that for us, on this package, there are priorities which seem to be easier to implement now, and maybe we should approach the other questions with greater cautioun, and on the basis of a more global assessment of progress made in terms of liberalisation in the first and second packages". This assessment is indispensable before we can "change up a gear", says Mr Schmit, who feels that this dossier should be approached with "greater prudence, less ideology and more pragmatism".
The other major dossier awaiting Luxembourg is the proposed liberalisation of port services, which was presented in October (see EUROPE of 14 October). This is the second time the Commission has tried to open port services up to competition, the first having been scuppered after three years of negotiations by dockers' demonstrations. On this dossier, the Presidency will be particularly attentive to the social dimension. "A couple of days ago we talked to the European Parliament's rapporteur on this dossier, and he recommended a very cautious approach (…). We need a European directive which also takes account of the social dimension, and the stances of the social partners", explained the minister. However, the first contacts the Luxembourg Presidency has had with the European social partners point to difficult negotiations to come. "We are attentive to their reactions, we have held talks with representatives of the European trades unions, which are reluctant, not to say downright opposed to the second change". For this reason, the Presidency hopes to continue to work on this proposal to move the dossier forward, but "without causing any upheaval in the European ports". The minister feels that "we should not impose a directive which is going to end up causing huge problems in European ports".
Luxembourg will also attempt (finally) to conclude on agreement on the proposal modifying the "Eurovignette" directive on charges for heavy goods vehicles using the road network. The minister acknowledges that this is a difficult dossier, as several Presidencies have already tried to conclude this dossier, notably Ireland, which came close to doing so. Like its predecessors, Luxembourg will work closely with the Commission, and consulting all the parties concerned to try to find "a compromise which is acceptable to all". However, "may I remind you that at the end of the day, the decision will be taken by qualified majority, and so we are not in a unanimity scenario, even though we do not want to play the card of excluding such and such a country", said Mr Schmit.
Among its other priorities, the future Luxembourg Presidency will be pay particular attention to improving road safety, which is also on the European Commission's agenda, improving the safety of Community ports, and, even more importantly, the proposed directive to impose criminal sanctions on those responsible for serious marine pollution.
In the field of external relations, the Presidency will give priority to negotiations with the United States on an aviation agreement to replace the bilateral agreements concluded between the Member States and the US, and which should start again under the aegis of the Commission, once the new American administration is in place. "It is important that we reach on agreement, because we are in a kind of grey area as the bilateral agreements have been invalidated. It is a matter of urgency for us to have Community agreements and to move forwards with our most important partner, the United States".