ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES 
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COM (85) 742 
 
 
 
Vol. 1985/0 254 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the openi ng to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Community and the European Atomic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this f ile is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 198 3 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 vom 27 .9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
C O M (85) 742 final
Brussels, 23 December 1985
COMMUNICATION BY THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL
INTRA-COMMUNITY ROAD HAULAGE
C O M (85) 742 fin a l

I.  INTRODUCTION
1. At its meeting on 14 November the Council agreed on the  
following policy orientation for international road  
haulage.
- the creation of a free transport market, without  
quantitative restrictions, by 1992 at the latest;
- the progressive adaptation, on a non~discriminatory  
basis, of bilateral quotas during the transition  
period and the simultaneous development of the  
Community quota;
- the elimination of distortions of competition during  
the transition phase.
The Council has invited COREPER to work on this basis  
and on the basis of Commission proposals, taking account  
of the views expressed at the Council.
2. This Communication sketches out the main lines of the  
proposals which the Commission will make within the  
framework of the above orientations.
The Commission notes in particular that the target date of 1992 
is the sam e as that which the European Council has set for the 
completion of the internal market. Its proposals should be seen 
in the context of this wider objective.
3. The Commission believes that the Community should
quickly define the final organisation of the market for  
intra-Community road haulage and a Commission proposal  
covering this is already on the Council table (Com (83) 
340 final). The proposal would replace the existing  
system of quotas by a number of qualitative criteria  
governing access to the market. It is essential that  
this proposal should now be discussed by the Council.

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II. THE TRANSITION TO A NEW MARKET ORGANISATION
4. The arrangements for the transition phase should have  
two objectives. They should enable the road haulage  
industry to adjust to a new market organisation without  
damaging economic or social consequences. They should  
also enable the Council within the reasonable period  
cited by the European Court in its judgment (case no.  
13/83) to fulfil its obligation to ensure the freedom to  
provide services in intra-Community road haulage. The  
Commission suggests a transition phase in two stages.
Stage 1: to be implemented by 31 December 1987
40% of existing bilateral licences would be  
immediately converted into Community licences. This  
will require the adoption of a formula for the  
conversion. This formula should seek to maintain the  
supply of transport authorised by the bilateral  
licences at the same overall level. It would also  
have to take account of particular problems for  
individual Member States, for example, existing  
arrangements under which no licences are necessary or  
under which few are granted. At the same time  
restrictions on transit operations should be removed;  
this is necessary to facilitate those operations still  
subject to bilateral arrangements.
Stage 2; to be implemented by 31 December 1988
Remaining bilateral licences would be converted into  
Community licences and any remaining discriminatory  
elements would be removed.

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5. Three further steps would be taken at the same time as  
the implementation of Stage 2.
- a Community mechanism would be introduced to deal with  
serious disturbances of the market or part of it, and  
problems such as bottlenecks due to the concentration  
of road haulage traffic on particular routes would be  
subject to a Community decision-making procedure  
designed to be used in exceptional circumstances#
- Further qualitative criteria would be introduced.
- The system of an automatic annual increase of 15% in
the Community quota (Regulation 3621/84) would, if  appropriate, 
applicable to the total Community quota and remain in  
force until 1991. This would allow for growth in  
demand and relax the constraints of the quota.
Qualitative criteria governing access to the market and  
the Community mechanism to deal with market disturbances  
would remain in force after 1992.
III. ELIMINATION OF DISTORTIONS OF COMPETITION
6. A number of measures aimed at eliminating distortions of  
competition have been discussed by the Council.
- Revisions to the existing regulations concerning  
drivers' hours were decided by the Council on  
14 November .

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- A Community regulation has been proposed by the Com­
mission on the weights and dimensions of vehicles and  
has been partly decided. The Council is still dis­
cussing the regulation concerning the weight of the  
drive axle.
7. An outstanding issue concerns the taxation o f c  vehicles and of 
petrol and diesel fuel.  TheCommission's objective for 25 years has been to
produce a harmonised system for charging infrastructure  
costs to the users. Although this is still a worthwhile  
objective, a more immediate problem is presented by  
disparities in the level of taxation relating to road  
vehicles and the related problem of road tolls. *
8. A distortion of competition arises from the combination  
of differences in the way that tolls are charged and in  
the levels of vehicle taxation. The Commission, there­
fore, believes it necessary to move towards an  
approximation of different charges imposed on vehicles.
This could also be a staged process and the Commission  
will shortly present a proposal.
9. The Commission sees merit in maintaining the  
possibility for applying road tolls in order to 
facilitate the use of private capital for infrastructure  
development. In order to take account of d iffe ring  practices in M em ber 
States the charging of road to lls  should, however, be carried on within 
a  com m on approach adopted by the Council.
IV. CONCLUSION
10. This Communication sketches out the main lines of the  
proposals which the Commission will make in order to  
meet the orientations for international road haulage  
agreed by the Council on 14 November. The Commission  
will present detailed proposals to the Council to this  
effect.