Disputes over transport put Swiss accord in jeopardy

Date: 05/12/1996

By Mark Turner

PLANS to dismantle barriers between the Union and Switzerland are losing momentum because of continuing disputes between EU member states.

Many feel that if transport ministers do not accept a European Commission proposal on Swiss road pricing when they meet next week, the chances of reaching an overall deal by next March could be slim.

Although the Commission will push strongly for the political support it needs, Austria in particular may prove unwilling to give it while disagreements persist over land transport costs within the EU.

Negotiators are in the final stages of honing a seven-part agreement between Switzerland and the Union on issues ranging from the free movement of people to public procurement rules.

But land transport is fast becoming the bugbear issue, according to officials - more so even than a dispute over access to Switzerland for EU workers and their families.

Under present arrangements, due to remain in place until 2005, EU lorries are allowed freely into Switzerland as long as they weigh no more than 28 tonnes. The Union is pushing for a gradual decrease in restrictions, raising the weight limit first to 34 tonnes and then to 40 tonnes in the year 2005.

While Bern looks ready to accept that, fears of huge increases in traffic are strong in the fiercely-independent nation. The Swiss are therefore looking to impose road charges, on both EU and internal traffic, which would nominally take account of the environmental costs of coping with a growing number of vehicles. The new tariffs would be charged on a tonne/km basis, but the exact pricing structure is yet to be determined. Their aim would be to divert traffic on to two new Swiss rail links being built through the Alps.

But Austria has voiced fears that this would divert traffic on to its roads, which are already suffering from overuse.

None of this would matter if similar charges applied throughout the EU, say officials.

The Commission is currently attempting to revamp its transport rules in line with a recent Green Paper recommending more rigorous external accounting. But strong opposition from southern member states, who fear any measures that could push up the price of transport, makes any Union price increases unlikely in the short-term.

Vienna's Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel has consequently come down firmly against any Swiss accord which would give a non-member country a better deal than EU member states - a stand reinforced by anger in Austria over pending legal action by the Commission for the imposition of toll charges on the Brenner pass.

The showdown could threaten the entire EU-Swiss deal, since both sides are adamant that it should be agreed as a package or not at all. That would be a bitter blow for diplomats who have been working on the dossier for years.

Officials stress that agreement is very close on the other big transport issue - air traffic - pending a decision on the extent to which Swiss carriers should be allowed to operate between EU airports.

Talks on all other matters, while far from complete, have reached the final stages.

Most controversially, a consensus is gradually building on the free movement of people. This issue is particularly thorny for the EU, since large numbers of Portuguese and Spanish workers in Switzerland are not permitted to have their families with them. But the Swiss continue to argue that any relaxation of controls could result in waves of work-hungry Europeans flocking to take advantage of the country's prosperity.

All are agreed that there will be a gradual dismantling of quotas; the last major question is whether Bern should commit itself now to total freedom after five years or maintain the right to take a final decision when the time comes.

If the Swiss make concessions on free movement, they will expect to make gains on transport. But should Austria refuse to give ground at next Thursday's (12 December) meeting of transport ministers, the EU would have little room for flexibility.