Brussels, 11/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - Land transport will dominate the meeting of European transport ministers which will take place in Luxembourg on Friday 13 June. Road transport and the purchase of clean vehicles by public authorities are likely to be the controversial points on the agenda. The Council is also expected to adopt conclusions on the Commission communication on multi-annual contracts for rail infrastructure quality, the mandate for the Commission to open negotiations on a transport treaty with the Western Balkans, and negotiating mandates for comprehensive air transport agreements with Australia and New Zealand.
Transport ministers will meet for the last time this year under the chairmanship of Slovenian Transport Minister Radovan Zerjav. The meeting will begin at 10.00am, with discussion on the “road package” (see EUROPE 9431). Ministers are expected to come to a political agreement on each of the three proposals for a regulation establishing common rules for access to the international road haulage market, the occupation of road transport operator and access to the international market for coach and bus services. Working from a compromise prepared by the Slovenian Presidency, ministers are likely to reach agreement on the last remaining points of contention, including cabotage (whereby a haulier is able to carry out loading and unloading operations within another member state). As defined by the Commission as a temporary activity (the haulier can carry out three consecutive operations within a period of not more than seven days), cabotage was endorsed by the European Parliament, on condition that restrictions were phased out by 1 January 2014 (see EUROPE 9666). The Slovenian Presidency proposed authorising cabotage on return journeys (still restricted to three operations in seven days). This proposal has not found favour with all member states, however. Following the debate at the last Transport Council (see EUROPE 9637), it is expected that member states will reconcile the stances of those member states (the large majority) which support the compromise in order to avoid unladen journeys, those which are prepared to go along with this as long as there are safeguard measures to protect against possible abuses (France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany), those which believe the proposed definition is too loose (Greece and Austria) and those, like Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal, which want the transport market opened up even further. Ministers are likely also to reach a compromise on the date for the Commission to present an assessment report prior to the opening up of national transport markets. The opening up of the market is currently planned for 2012, and a compromise will have to be found between those states which want the date pushed back until 2015 (Austria and Greece), those which want to stick to the proposed date (Belgium, Malta and the Netherlands), those which want it delayed until 2013 (Bulgaria, Poland and also the Commission) or 2014 (Italy). The third area of disagreement concerns the content of national electronic registers, which are supposed to hold information on transport companies and managers, but which some member states feel are too expensive.
With the opinion of Parliament still pending, the Council will try to reach a general approach on the draft directive codifying the existing directive on roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers and to adopt conclusions on the communication presented by the European Commission in February which seeks to make it easier to conclude multi-annual contracts with regard to the quality of rail infrastructure (see EUROPE 9597). In the afternoon, ministers, while awaiting Parliament's first reading vote, scheduled for July, will attempt to reach a general approach on the draft directive on the promotion of clean and energy efficient road transport vehicles. This proposal, which was adopted by the European Commission in December of last year, seeks to introduce environmental criteria (energy consumption, emissions of CO2 and other pollutants) for the purchase of transport vehicles by public authorities and public passenger transport operators (see EUROPE 9569). Member states will still have a lot to discuss with the Commission on a number of points amended by the working groups in relation to the aims of the directive: how binding it is to be, its scope (at present, the Commission proposal covers all types of vehicles purchased by public authorities) and how vehicles' costs are to be calculated throughout their working lives - something the Council is expected to relax. The Council is also expected to adopt a raft of mandates allowing the Commission to begin negotiations on a transport treaty with the countries of the Western Balkans (see EUROPE 9616), and to open separate negotiations with Australia and New Zealand on comprehensive air transport agreements. (A.By/transl.rt)