Brussels, 14/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - After his meeting with the European transport commissioner, Antonio Tajani, on Wednesday 9 July, the chairman of the European Parliament's committee on transport, Paolo Costa (ALDE, Italy) set out the Parliament's reservations with regard to the package on greener transport presented the previous day and, in particular, with regard to the second generation Eurovignette (EUROPE 9699). First of all, the Parliament wants introduction of the Eurovignette (that suggests member states have a tariff system for heavy goods vehicles in relation to the pollution and congestion that they cause) to be binding. It is also necessary, the EP says, for the proceeds from the Eurovignette to be “strictly reinvested” to promote “services and infrastructure alternative to road transport”. MEPs also want making non-road transport greener not just to be restricted to reducing noise in the rail sector or to delegating the question of marine pollution to the International Maritime Organisation.
The worrying surge in oil prices and the dramatic effect that this has on road haulage is a serious problem that deserves attention, Paolo Costa said in a press release on Wednesday 9 July before going on to say that, because of this, Europe cannot close its eyes to the obvious and urgent need to reform its transport system through the strengthening of a broader and more sustainable set of modes of transport. According to Mr Costa, the Eurovignette should be perceived as a replacement for other taxes on transport.
Presenting the package to the press, the transport commissioner, for his part, pointed out that this was not a new tax imposed on the road sector. “This is not a new tax”, he said, as the “pricing system will be voluntary” and proceeds from it should be allocated to “financing more sustainable transport”. The proposal “will not mean more expensive transport for society”, Mr Tajani says, underlining the fact that this was not an “increase in costs, but rather diversification”, that will now be up to the polluter to pay. The package will above all make transport greener, bring down emission levels, make savings of 8% on lorry fuel consumption and reduce congestion for all road users. If, he said, a lorry today finds itself stuck in a traffic jam because of an enormous bottleneck congestion and leaves the engine running, then it is clear this will increase pollution. He added: “If the traffic flow were more fluid there would not be this problem”. (A.By.)