By Henrietta Billings - 7th October 2004
A row over plans for harmonised EU lorry road tolls are set to rumble on into next year following the break up of talks in Luxembourg with no agreement.
The Dutch EU presidency had on Thursday hoped to clinch a Eurovignette deal as a "farewell gift" to out-going transport chief Loayola de Palacio.
But after marathon talks, Europe's transport ministers remained unable to reach an agreement.
Despite "exhaustive debate" the Dutch EU presidency concluded that the "differing views on some key aspects" of the compromise text meant that it was "impossible to reach an agreement".
The most sensitive aspect of the proposals remains how the money collected from the tolls should be spent - an issue pitching peripheral states like Spain, Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus against transit countries like France and Germany.
France, Spain and Italy and others also have concerns over how the new proposals might affect their existing and future contracts with third private road builders.
The plans will now go back to working-group level as all sides try to reach a compromise.
The Dutch EU presidency said they will await in-coming transport commissioner Jacques Barrot's position on the proposals before deciding to reschedule them for the December meeting of transport ministers.
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