Mixed reaction to EU-wide lorry charging plan

MEPs have endorsed possible plans to charge road freight transport for its 'negative' impact on the environment.

The proposal would allow member states to decide whether or not they wished to introduce a road charging scheme, known as Eurovignette.

However, European business organisations have hit out at the proposals, branding them "contradictory and very confusing."

Deputies meeting in Strasbourg adopted the proposal, which is non-binding, but means that in future HGVs could be taxed according to the amount of noise, air pollution and congestion they cause on motorways.

The plan, still to be discussed by national governments, was criticised by three leading business organisations, Eurochambres, EuroCommerce and UEAPME.

In a joint statement, they said, "The result is not satisfactory. Parliament seems to be leaving it completely free for member states to do what they want with respect to congestion fees."

"The cause of traffic jams on European roads is not heavy goods vehicles but lack of alternatives and insufficient road infrastructure."

MEPs, however, generally welcomed the outcome, with Belgian Socialist deputy Saïd El Khadraoui, saying, "This is the first step towards introducing the 'polluter pays' principle in road transport."

"This strategy is also in line with the commitments made by the EU to try to control global warming."

He went on, "Against the background of the economic crisis, the operational cost of these measures for the road transport sector is limited and shouldn't exceed 3 per cent throughout the EU as a whole."

UK deputy Brian Simpson, Labour's transport spokesman in parliament, also supports the measure.

He said, "There is no doubt that road transport does cause pollution and there is a strong belief amongst environmentalists that road haulage should pay more towards the cost of their infrastructure as well as contributing to improving the environment."

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