Schwabe, W.

Archive of European Integration

6 December 197 6 I :J /I I V"' • /_ English Edition European Communities EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Working Documents 1976-1977 DOCUMENT 454/76 Report drawn up on behalf of the Committee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning and Transport on the proposal from the Commission of the European Communities to the Council (Doc. 432/76) for a regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 3330/75 extending Regulation (EEC) No 1174/68 on the introduction of ,'ystem of bracket tariffs for the carriage of goods by road between Member States Rapporteur: Mr W. SCHWABE I' PE 46.715/fin. By letter of 22 November 1976, the President of the Council of the European Communities requested the European Parliament, pursuant to Article 75 of the EEC Treaty, to deliver an opinion on the proposal from the Commission of the European Communities to the Council (Doc. 432/76) for a regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No. 3330/75 extending Regulation (EEC) No. 1174/68 on the introduction of a system of bracket tariffs for the carriage of goods by road between the Member States. The President of the European Parliament referred this proposal to the Committee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning and Transport. On 24 November 1976 the Committee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning and Transport appointed Mr Schwabe rapporteur. It considered this proposal at its meeting of 24 November 1976 and unanimously adopted the motion for a resolution and the explanatory statement. The Committee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning and Transport decided to ask for the report to be taken without debate in the plenary sitting. Present: Mr Bvans, Chairman: Mr Nyberg and Mr McDon•ld, vice-chairmen, Mr Albers. Mr Brugge~, Mr Delmotte, Mr Ellis, Mr Fl~c~er, Mr Gerlach1, -Brllifrbere, Mre-Re·nec"f-Bowman, Mr Martinelli, Mr Mascagni, Lord Rirray ~--oravnend--(depit-iring---for-Mr---Hamilton), --Mr Murach-, Mr Noa and Mr Starke. 1neputizing for the rapporteur, Mr Schwabe. - 3 - PE 46.715/fin. C O N T E N T S A Motion for a resolution ••••••••••••••••••.••. 5 B Explanatory statement •••••••••••••••••••••••• 6 - 4 - PE 46.715/fin. A The Conunittee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning and Transport hereby submits to the European Parliament the following motion for a resolution, together with explanatory statement: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION embodying the opinion of the European Parliament on the proposal from the Commission of the European Communities to the Council for a regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No. 3330/75 extending Regulation (EEC) No. 1174/68 the introduction of a system of bracket tariffs for the carriage of goods by road between Member States The European Parliament, - having regard to the proposal from the Commission of the European Communities to the council (a)M(76) 605 final): - having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 75 of the EEC Treaty Doc. 432/76 ) ; having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning and Transport (Doc. 454/76): 1. Is disappointed with the present proposal the aim of which is again to prolong for a further year the system of bracket tariffs for the carriage of goods by road between Member States in spite of the difficulties of enforcement and monitoring which this system creates; 2. Regrets that the Council of Transport Ministers at its meeting of 4 November 1976 instructed the Permanent Representatives Committee to examine the proposed system of reference tariffs• on which the European Parliament has issued a favourable opinion 1 - with the result that the provisional and experimental tariff system introduced in 1968 can still not be replaced by a definitive tariff system; 3. Approves the Commission's proposal in order to avoid a vacuum in the field of transport tariffs but considers it essential that a definitive system of reference tariffs should come into effect as from 1 January 1978; 1oJ No. C 259, 4.4.1976, p. 40 - 5 - PE 46. 715 /fin. B EXPIANATORY STATEMENT 1. The European Parliament's committee for transport affairs has repeatedly urged that a definitive tariff system for the carriage of goods by road between Member States be introduced at the earliest opportunity. In fact the very first report (of an impressive series1) which Parliament drew up on this subject, advocated the introduction of 'another system of applying tariffs on the basis of costs• (Posthumus report, Doc. 36/64, 5.6.1964). 2. Pursuant to Article 17 of the Council Regulation of 30 July 1968 2, the term of validity of the system of bracket tariffs for the carriage of goods by road was to expire on 31 December 1971. The duration of this regulation, regarded as temporary and experimental, was to be extended automatically for a further period of one year if the Council has not taken a decision on a definitive arrangement before this date. This is what then happened. 3. In the course of 1972 the Commission suggested that the system of bracket tariffs should be retained until 31 December 1974 because con• siderable difficulties had arisen during bilateral negotiations between the Member States which meant that the last bilateral arrangements could not be put into effect before the end of 1971. It was therefore not possible to collect the necessary experience as planned since in fact the system had been in operation for ba~ely one year. On the basis of the report by Mr Durieux (Doc. 155/72), the European Parliament showed understanding for the difficulties which had arisen and agreed that the term of validity of this tariff system should be extended for a further two years. 1 See the reports by Mr PosthuI1Us (Doc. 36/64), Mr De Gryse (Doc. 115/65, 78/66, 150/69, 194/69) ,Mr Durieux (Doc. 155/72) and Mr Schwabe (Doc.19/74, 125/74, 349/75) concerning the introduction, adaptation and extension of the duration of the system of bracket tariffs for the carriage of goods between Member States. 2 OJ No. L 194, 6.8.1968, p. 1 PE 46. 715/fin. 4. In the first report by Mr Schwabe (Doc. 19/74) adopted by the European Parliament on 3 April 19741 , the then Committee on Regional Policy and Transport described briefly the aims and history of the basic regula-tion as amended by further regulations. 5. In the second report by Mr Schwabe (Doc. 125/74)~ your committee once again approved a proposal to extend the duration of the system of bracket tariffs for the carriage of goods by road between Member States by two years. It had meanwhile become apparent in late 1974 that the execution of the regulation in the new Member States was still at the preparatory stage and that therefore fundamental changes leading to the establishment of a definitive organization of the transport market could not be considered. In the explanatory statement attached to his resolution, your rapporteur quoted a Commission declaration that 'This proposal should not be considered to be a political option in favour of this tariff system and of continuing in this way•. 6. Against all expectation, the Council decided on 19 December 19743 to extend Regulation No. 1174/68 only until 31 December 1975 and this obliged the Commission to propose in October of last year that the present system should be extended until the end of this year. In his third report (Doc. 349/75) 4 , Mr Schwabe agreed to this without comment because there was no reason for any change in the position adopted in 1974. 7. As part of a new initiative on transport problems - as announced in the communication from the Commission to the Council on the development of the Common Transport Policy (Doc. 226/73) - the Commission proposed a system of reference tariffs in October 1975 for the carriage of goods by road and in January 1976 for the carriage of goods by inland waterway. 8. On 15 October 1976 the European Parliament adopted a resolution giving its approval to this proposal by the Commission of the European CommunitieJ 1 OJ No. C 48, 25.4.1974 2 OJ No. C 85, 18.7.1974 3 OJ No. L 349, 28.12.1974, 3 p. 4 OJ No. C 280, 0.12.1975 5 OJ No. C 259, 4.11.1976 PE 46. 715 /fin. On behalf of the Committee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning and Transport, Mr Schwabe in his report on reference tariffs (Doc. 299/76) also urged that the Commission should make proposals as soon as possible for a schedule of rates applicable to the transport of goods within the Member States and also further progress in the harmonization of costs. 9. The Council of Ministers of Transport, at its meeting of 4 November 1976, agreed 'in order to allow sufficient time for the detailed examina• tion of the implications and details of the planned system tinue the compulsory bracket tariff system for 1977 11• • • • to con• In addition, the Council instructed the Permanent Representatives Cotnmittee to examine the Commission's proposal bearing in mind the problem of monitoring capacities in the field of the carriage of goods. 10. Your committee has little choice but to approve the proposal to retain the present system until 31 December 1977 since it does not wish to run the risk of failure on the part of the Council to take a decision on 16 December next creating a vacuum in the field of transport tariffs. The Committee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning and Transport does however urge that the definitive system of reference tariffs for the carriage of goods by road between Member States should come into effect as from 1 January 1978. 1 See Notice to Members, PE 46.661, p.3 - 8 - PE 46.715/fin. 

Report
drawn up on behalf of the Committee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning and
Transport
on the proposal from the Commission of the European Communities to the
Council (Doc. 432/76) for a regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 3330/75
extending Regulation (EEC) No 1174/68 on the introduction of a system of
bracket tariffs for the carriage of goods by road between Member States. EP Working Documents 1976-77, Document 448/76, 6 December 1976

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