Brussels, 30/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - According to the results of a new study published on Wednesday 29 July by CER (Community of European Railways and infrastructure companies), the taxation of heavy vehicles depending on the external costs entailed by these vehicles would significantly contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) in the transport sector. According to the CER document, a modal shift from road to rail could exceed 10% of the whole network and contribute about 7% to the required reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for the transport sector. Rail would carry freight over long distances (about 60% of all land-borne traffic over distances exceeding 700 km could be carried by rail), while feeder distribution would be by road. Entitled “Internalisation of External Costs of Transport: Impact on Rail”, the study was carried out by the Institute for Economic Policy Research (IWW) of the University of Karlsruhe (TH) in Germany and by the French Nouveaux Espaces de Transport en Europe - Applications de Recherche (NESTEAR), over the whole network and on the Rotterdam to Genoa and Antwerp/Zeebrugge to Warsaw corridors. “The study shows that fair pricing is a prerequisite for greener transport”, CER Executive Director Johannes Ludewig states in a press release, calling on the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU to accelerate work on the revised Eurovignette directive that allows external cost charges for road freight transport to be included in charges paid by heavy vehicles, including the cost of noise pollution, air pollution (except for CO2) and congestion. The complete study can be obtained from CER. (A.By./transl.jl)