A4-0111/99

Resolution on the Commission White Paper entitled 'Fair Payment for Infrastructure Use: A phased approach to a common transport infrastructure charging framework in the EU' (COM(98)0466 - C4-0514/98)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission White Paper (COM(98)0466 - C4-0514/98),

- having regard to the Commission's Green Paper on the impact of transport on the environment - a strategy for sustainable mobility, the White Paper on the future development of the common transport policy and its resolutions thereon of 18 September 1992 ((OJ C 284, 2.11.1992, p. 164.)) and 18 January 1994 ((OJ C 44, 14.2.1994, p. 53.)),

- having regard to its Resolution of 6 June 1996 on the Commission communication to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the common transport policy - programme of action for 1995 - 2000 ((OJ C 181, 24.6.1996, p. 21.)),

- having regard to the Commission Green Paper entitled 'Towards fair and efficient pricing in transport - policy options for internalising the external costs of transport in the European Union and Parliament's resolution of 30 January 1997 on that White Paper ((OJ C 55, 24.2.1997, p. 41.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 13 January 1999 on the Commission's Green Paper on sea ports and maritime infrastructure ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 11(b).)),

- having regard to the Council resolutions of 11 March and 18 June 1997 on electronic charging in the EU,

- having regard to Resolution 98/1 of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) adopted on 26/27 May 1998 in Copenhagen on the internalisation of external costs in transport,

- having regard to the report by its Committee on Transport and Tourism (A4-0111/99),

A. whereas the Commission estimates that external costs throughout the Community amount to some EUR 250 billion (90% of which may be ascribed to road transport), about 4% of GDP (2 percentage points ascribed to congestion, 1.5 percentage points to accidents and 0.6 percentage point to air pollution and noise),

B. whereas the Commission estimates that the internalisation of external costs at Community level would save between EUR 28 and 78 billion a year by reducing waiting time in traffic jams, accident rates and noise and other nuisance and reducing CO2 emissions by about 12%,

C. whereas investment in the transport sector has reached its financial limits as witnessed by the 30% fall in expenditure on transport infrastructure measures in the OECD countries during the Eighties while GNP in those countries rose by an average of some 50% and public spending rose by about 35%,

D. whereas current arrangements for charging costs in the field of transport, with the different systems for the various modes of transport in the individual Member States, are leading to distortions of competition,

E. whereas the constant increase in traffic threatens a complete breakdown on heavily used roads, especially those crossing borders, and in all major towns in the Community,

F. whereas it is essential to reduce the pressure of traffic, to shift traffic to more environment-friendly modes of transport and to avoid unnecessary journeys,

G. whereas the increasing volume of traffic is increasingly harmful to the environment, reduces the quality of life, and has in many places already reached the limits of its capacity,

H. whereas fair competition between all modes of transport (road, rail, sea, inland waterways and air) must be the goal,

I. whereas a reasonable solution regarding the various charges in the individual Member States (motorway tolls, vignette systems) must be found, but whereas the Member States should not be prevented from introducing their own innovative systems of rules in this area,

J. whereas the technical basis now exists for introducing uniform charging systems, e.g. by using telematics, throughout the Community; whereas this opportunity should be taken as the technology offers openings for industry and employment prospects,

1. Welcomes the White Paper as a step towards the safeguarding and development of sustainable mobility by apportioning actual costs on the 'user pays' principle and in particular welcomes the Commission's plan to introduce a uniform charging system for all modes of transport based inter alia on marginal social cost; however, also calls on the Commission to examine the possibility of supplementing the marginal cost charging system by a multi-tier pricing system incorporating in particular taxes on emissions, energy and CO2;

2. Points out that it should be seen in conjunction with other elements of transport policy such as the Trans-European Networks, the promotion of intermodal transport and the use of telematics;

3. Stresses the importance of the work of the committee of government experts and its subcommittees and working parties, to be set up by the Commission in phase 1 of the implementation period, welcomes the Commission's inclusion in these committees of transport operators, users and relevant NGOs, and calls on the Commission to keep Parliament constantly informed of the deliberations of these committees;

4. Welcomes in principle the Commission's intention of implementing the White Paper in three phases, but with reservations, as a wealth of measures is planned which it may be impossible to coordinate properly, and therefore calls on the Commission to adopt an integrated approach to the early and effective elimination of distortions of competition between the Member States;

5. Calls on the Commission and the Council not to allow distortions of competition between the modes of transport to arise where measures implementing the White Paper are adopted at different times for different modes of transport (particularly road and rail) and calls on the Commission to adhere strictly to its own timetable for implementation, and at the end of the first and second phases, i.e. in 2000 and 2004 and during the third phase after 2004, regularly to report to Parliament indicating whether the timetable has been followed;

6. Calls on the institutions of the European Union to adopt as quickly as possible implementing measures for which the legislation is already pending (Eurovignette directive, railway infrastructure package);

7. Calls on the Commission to define the charge-calculating system more precisely, to set out in detail the cost elements it includes and also to include capital costs among these cost elements;

8. Calls on the Commission to ensure that direct performance comparisons between the individual means of transport are possible and the cheapest offer is easy to identify; in this connection, calls on the Commission to consider non-state forms of transport management;

9. Points out that, taking regional circumstances and regional economic development into account, costs should be calculated on the basis of the route followed, the level of pollution caused by the mode of transport (i.e. in relation to its efficiency), the timing of the journey and the mode of transport used, and that in sensitive regions higher charges should be imposed;

10. Points out that the implementation of the White Paper must not raise the costs of transport but must achieve a shift from 'fixed' to 'variable' costs;

11. Notes that the costs incurred by traffic have hitherto been borne not by the users but by the general public, that as a result of inefficient use these costs are in some cases very high and could therefore even perhaps be reduced;

12. Points out that the revenue which charges are expected to produce must be invested in transport infrastructure maintenance and construction in the interest of a sustainable transport policy and used to reduce external damage caused and to pay compensation to those affected;

13. Calls on the Commission to adopt measures to produce fair competition between the modes of transport by establishing comparable social conditions for those employed in the transport industry in the individual modes of transport;

14. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to ensure comprehensive monitoring of social provisions in road transport in particular, as no undertaking should be allowed to obtain a competitive advantage by ignoring these rules;

15. Calls on the Commission to take the following points into account in the directives it submits:

a) if possible to include car traffic in the charging system to avoid a distortion of competition between the individual modes of transport, to distribute costs fairly among all road users and to ensure the more efficient use of road infrastructure, while ensuring that socially disadvantaged and/or disabled people are not unreasonably penalised by charges, or are the subject of compensatory measures; if this cannot be achieved on the basis of the marginal social cost, the Commission should make new proposals for ways of including private car traffic (e.g. through mineral oil tax);

b) a charging system for all road users taking into account use of environment-friendly technology, encouraging the use in each case of the mode of transport with the least environmental impact, and promoting where possible the use of local public transport;

c) - in air transport: taxing kerosine within the framework of the international civil aviation agreements;

- in sea and air transport: taxing diesel and heating oil and using biofuels and bio-greases for pleasure boats;

- in both forms of transport: minimum quality standards for these fuels;

d) ensuring the provision of a basic level of mobility for all members of society, in particular in sparsely populated and peripheral regions;

16. Points out that the public has to be won over to charging and therefore calls on the Commission to submit the proposals for comprehensive measures to this effect;

17. Points out that the White Paper does not deal with the problems arising from enlargement and calls on the Commission, in all its proposals implementing the White Paper, to take account of the phased convergence of the applicant countries;

18. Should it become apparent that the implementation plan cannot be adhered to, and should excessive disparities still exist between the charging structures of the individual Member States, calls on the Commission to make uniform proposals for the European Union as a whole on the charging of external costs in all transport sectors;

19. Instructs its President to forward this Resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.