A FAIR DEAL FOR THE MOTORIST |
|
This campaign is working hard to bring about a fair deal
for the motorist. The government wants us to believe that it stands for
ending the war on the motorist, but it faces a challenge from Europe. |
The Sunday Express carried a story
on 22 August 2010. |
There are three burning issues, none of
which have been given much publicity: · The European Union (EU) regards many
major regional and national transport routes as of Europe-wide significance.
It is seeking to get the management and control of these ‘Trans European
Networks’ transferred to its administrative body, the European Commission,
and other committees. They would not be answerable to voters in the UK. · The EU wishes to introduce road pricing
across Europe. The reasons given are mostly environmental, although it would
also be to pay for its military Galileo satellites. The immediate focus is on
freight (lorries) and major routes. · Proposed European legislation has been
amended to include road pricing for cars as well as lorries.
The European Parliament is shortly to debate this. The UK government has been considering road pricing for
lorries. One reason given is that it might level the playing field with
foreign freight operators, who buy cheaper fuel abroad and don’t pay UK road
tax. However, using road pricing income to subsidise freight
operators that buy fuel in the UK might count as ‘discrimination’ and be
illegal under EU law. Making foreign operators buy a ‘Brit Disc’ to drive in
the UK has already been ruled illegal. There is also the possible drawback that charging lorries
more to use British roads might result in dearer goods in shops, as costs get
passed onto consumers. Road pricing is not exactly popular in the UK – in 2007,
1.8 million people signed an online petition against it. Apart from the cost,
there were objections to having personal movements tracked. The current UK
government has ruled it out for cars in this Parliament. However, as transport decisions in the EU are now made by
a form of majority voting, the UK government might be outvoted if other
countries wanted to pass a Directive, for instance, requiring road pricing
for cars or the take-up of particular tracking technology. As membership of
the EU does not allow powers transferred to the EU to be taken back, the UK
would either have to accept such a decision or leave the EU. On 2 August 2010, the UK Department for Transport website
announced a public consultation on the EU’s plans for major routes. The
consultation period is very short in the main summer holiday period – the
deadline was to be 10 September! For some reason, the consultation document does not
mention road pricing when discussing the in-vehicle technology (Intelligent
Transport Systems, ITS) that the EU wants to adopt, although it mentions
other uses, such as traffic management. It does, however, give extensive lists and maps of the
routes (air, sea and rail as well as roads) and ports that might become controlled
at EU level. All regions of the UK are affected. The DFT consultation document admits to uncertainty over
the power the European Commission is seeking through ‘Article 290’ of the EU
Treaty. This is potentially far-reaching. The Number Ten website talks of giving ‘power to the
public’. The UK government should have matched its words with a full and open
debate on this controversial topic. |
The consultation is over, but you can
check for updates: The ‘TEN-T Policy Review’ was carried out by EIBRD, the
European and International Division at the Department for Transport (address:
Zone 2/23, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR). Watch out for developments relating to the EU
White Paper on Transport (out 28.3.11), part of a set of documents that
threatens drastic measures. Also the ‘Eurovignette’ Directive proposals
(out 6.6.11). The latter concern lorries, but with an eye to charging for
‘all modes’ of road transport. NB: The various documents are written in
glowing language
and need to be read with a firm ‘spin warning’. Why not lobby your MP, at House of Commons, London SW1A
0AA? |
References: Department for Transport (UK) – Consultation Paper with lists and maps
of routes affected http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/DFT-2010-31/ EU Presidency and European Parliament looking at road pricing for
cars as well as lorries EU general blueprint for main routes, air, sea and land – is in several
documents, mainly Common Transport Policy, European Commission Consultation
on Trans European Network - Transport Policy. Useful starting point: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/transport/intermodality_transeuropean_networks/l24481_en.htm The road pricing (‘ITS’) technology blueprint is diversely covered in European Commission documents COM(2008) 436, 886, 887; SEC(2008) 304 covers the ‘EU right to act’ |
MANY THANKS FOR
YOUR SUPPORT |