Strasbourg, 15/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament and the Council will end up avoiding having to go to conciliation over the Eurovignette after the vote in plenary on 15 December on the tough, last minute compromise between EP rapporteur Corien Wortmann-Kool (EPP-ED, Netherlands) and the Council. EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot said that by gradually making users bear transport costs, it would be possible to cut pollution and congestion and release further resources for investing in transport infrastructure.
The MEPs backed the compromise document on harmonising road tolls across Member States and recognising the polluter pays principle but avoiding double taxation. MEPs like Paolo Costa (ALDE, Italy), President of the EP's Transport Committee, and Eva Lichtenberger (Greens/EFA, Austria) would have preferred a more ambitious compromise, but the rapporteur explained that she wanted the EP to come up with realistic proposals. By refusing to go to conciliation, the EP had given up various important measures, regretted Gilles Savary (French Socialist). Commissioner Barrot said the Council had finally agreed to extend the directive to all vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes from 2012 onwards (with a few exceptions when administrative costs exceed 30% of the toll proceeds) and this was a wise proposal guaranteeing better application of the directive. Tolls may later be levied on all the trans-European network and main roads, with the proceeds being used to maintain the infrastructure and invest in transport in general.
In terms of taking account of the external costs when calculating road tolls, the rapporteur opted for caution given the lack of objective information since the figures currently available were highly contradictory. The text adopted by the plenary does not include all the measures desired by the Transport Committee but does aim to boost environmental restrictions, she added. Road tolls may be raised for the most polluting vehicles and Member States will have the option of applying tools to TENs crossing conurbations. During the debate on Tuesday night, German Social Democrat Willi Piecyk said the compromise was a pledge - this was echoed by Jacques Barrot, who said the Commission would be publishing an impact study and calculation model for external costs within two years of the new directive coming into force. Within three years of it coming into force, the Commission may unveil amendments to incorporate external costs. Barrot said the European Parliament had made it possible to clearly set out the next stages in the process of incorporating external costs.
German Social Democrat Ulrich Stockmann said a European style solution had been reached. Austrian EPP-ED MEP Reinhard Rack said it struck a balance between operators' demands and free circulation in the EU25 on the one hand, and protection health and the environment on the other. French Green Jean-Luc Bennahmias commented that the 'bastard compromise' was unacceptable.