EU to warn applicants over transport rules

Date: 28/10/1999

By Simon Taylor

EU GOVERNMENTS will insist next week that applicant countries must comply with the Union's road transport rules to stop their haulage firms getting an unfair advantage on Europe's roads.

At a negotiating session next Thursday (4 November), negotiators will tell the six enlargement front-runners that they must bring national laws into line with Union rules on safety and environmental standards by the time they join the EU.

Several of the leading applicants from central and eastern Europe have warned that they will not be able to comply with some aspects of Union legislation on road transport until after their 2002-3 target dates for EU accession.

The international truckers' federation insists it is essential for candidate countries to bring their laws into line with Union legislation (the acquis). “We are seeking a level playing field for companies in the east and the west, and guarantees the acquis will be implemented,” said Maarten Labberton, head of the EU's International Road Transport Union office.

But the applicant countries argue that the poor quality of their road infrastructure means that they cannot match EU standards which are designed for a more modern road network.

Poland, for example, is warning that trucks with an axle weight of up to 11.5 tonnes - the current Union limit - would damage their roads, while Hungary and Estonia are arguing for delays in bringing taxes on lorries up to EU levels.

The issue threatens to delay the applicants' bids to join the Union, because EU governments are insisting that membership depends on fully complying with single market legislation.

Competition in the road-haulage sector is becoming a very sensitive issue, especially in countries such as Austria and Germany which share borders with the accession candidates, because EU firms are being undercut by central and east European firms whose drivers get lower wages and social benefits.

Existing Union member states want to ensure that these firms do not get an added advantage by not having to meet costly environmental and social legislation, including rules on drivers' rest times.

The other main problem in the transport sector only applies to Cyprus. Nicosia is being asked to change its rules on registering foreign vessels to comply with EU legislation, but this could cause problems for the island because of the large number of boats operating under the Cypriot flag of convenience.