Hopes for EU road toll breakthrough

EU transport ministers will lock horns on Thursday over controversial road toll proposals, in the third attempt this year to clinch a deal.

The Dutch EU presidency are hoping to make headway over so-called "Eurovignette" plans derailed at the last two transport councils of ministers despite marathon attempts to break the deadlock.

A compromise text includes increasing possibilities for toll variations, limiting the mark-up to mountainous regions, and recognising the competence of governments in determining how national capitals spend the toll revenues.

But EU officials remain cautious about reaching an agreement at the Luxembourg meeting. "It is a very delicate dossier," one told EUpolitix.com.

"The positions are very far apart - it is difficult to see where a qualified majority might come from to agree on the compromise text."
 
Under the proposals, Brussels wants to align national toll and road charge systems for lorries using a 'polluter-pays' principle where drivers would pay for the infrastructure they use.

The outstanding issue on this dossier remains the earmarking of revenue collected from the tolls - and with 25 EU capitals split roughly fifty- fifty on the issue it has been impossible to reach an agreement.

Peripheral countries like Spain, Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus are concerned about haulage costs for industry if there is not sufficient toll harmonisation to stop transit countries like France and Germany hiking up the tolls.

And they are keen for the money to be spent on visible benefits for the truck industry and transport sector as a whole - like better roads and infrastructure.

But France, Germany, Britain and others are opposed to any EU fiscal policy that will make mandatory requirements about how governments spend the money collected from the tolls.

"The key is striking the right balance between the periphery and transit countries in the heart of Europe," said a presidency spokesman.

"We see this as our last go at the Eurovignette. It would be a nice farewell gift for De Palacio if we could reach an agreement".

Ministers will also try to thrash out an agreement on the introduction of a harmonised EU driving licence.

An EU wide plastic credit card sized permit is due to be introduced in 2010, and although there is still "a lot of work to do" on this 100 page proposal, EU officials expect that an agreement is possible.

The outstanding issues includes the question of mandatory renewal of existing driving licences, and the politically sensitive point of surrendering paper passports for the EU plastic card - an issue referred to as "emotional trauma" for some member states by one presidency spokesman.

Ministers will also need to agree an EU wide age for different types of driving licences, like cars, motorbikes and coaches and also harmonising of different categories of vehicle across member states.

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