Strasbourg, 13/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 12 July, the plenary session of the European Parliament adopted the own initiative report by Michael Cramer (Greens/EFA, Germany) on implementing the first rail package (see EUROPE 8135). Mr Cramer called for the shift from road haulage to rail to be speeded up, through better funding for the rail infrastructure, funding which could be guaranteed by the other forms of transport. The report, adopted by a wide majority, despite EPP criticism, backs the position of the European Commission and sees the Parliament give its firm backing to rail, rather than road, transport development.
In adopting the report, MEPs indicated that they felt the modal shift was not being encouraged, notably since there was no fair competition between road and rail, rail being penalised by heavy costs. They proposed that the Commission bring forward, by 2008, a directive to ensure the funding of rail by other forms of transport. The idea is to levy a charge on all EU roads on heavy goods lorries of over 3.5 tonnes, with no exceptions, and to internalise external costs, a call to which Commission Vice-President with responsibility for Transport Jacques Barrot subscribed, during the debate on Tuesday evening when he renewed his commitment (contained in the Eurovignette directive) to bring forward a proposal on the internalisation of transport external costs in June 2008 (see EUROPE 9363). He announced a series of measures to revitalise rail transport. In the autumn of this year, he plans to present a communication on measures to reduce the noise pollution caused by rolling stock; in October, another communication on the rail network for freight, accompanied by an action plan which will respond to the main concerns of the Parliamentary report; and guidelines on state aid in the rail sector at the end of the year. A proposal for the overhaul of the first rail package is planned for 2008.
Parliament also gave its backing to separation of rail infrastructure managers (responsible for price setting and the allocation of rail capacity) and suppliers of transport services. For this, it will be essential, say MEPs, to put in place an independent and transparent supervisory authority with sufficient funding, and which would be responsible for allocating rail capacity.
With regard to competition between road and rail, another point attracted the Parliament's attention: modular heavy goods vehicles on EU roads (see EUROPE 9370). In plenary session, MEPs rejected the amendment to the Cramer report warning the Commission against the possible authorisation of gigaliners (heavy goods vehicles of over 60 tonnes). However, the transport committee, meeting on the same day, adopted an own initiative report by Spanish MEP Ines Ayala Sender (PES) on the logistics of freight transport in Europe. She proposes that the use of heavy goods lorries of over 60 tonnes (currently being tested in some member states) may be authorised by the Commission only on certain roads, depending on the condition of the infrastructure used and safety, on request and within a member state. The Commission will not have its say on this issue until mid-2008, after the recently launched assessment study is completed. (aby)