NoC19/42 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 25.1.93
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)onasystemofdistributionof
RightsofTransit(Ecopoints)forvehicleshavingaladenweightgreaterthan7,5tonnes
registeredinaMemberStatetransitingthroughtheRepublicofAustria
(93/C19/14)
On23September1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee
ontheabovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforTransportandCommunications ,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingthe
Committee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon18November1992.TheRapporteur
wasMrTukker.
Atits301stPlenarySession(meetingof24November1992)theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
Article5makesprovisionforacommitteetoassist
theCommission .Thiscommitteewillbesetupunder
Article4ofaCouncilDecisiontobeadoptedonthe
basisofCommissionproposalCOM(92)107final.1.Introduction
1.1.TheEEC'sroad-transitagreementwithAustria
stipulatesinArticles15-17thatenvironmental pollution
(NO)inAustriaistobereducedby60%between
1992and2003onthebasisof1991levelsandthat
combinedtransportistobeencouraged .
1.2.Forthispurpose,thepresentsystemoflicences
istobereplacedbyanEcopointssystemwhichoperates
asfollows:
a)ThetotalnumberofEcopointstobeavailableto
theEuropeanCommunityhasbeencalculatedon
thebasisofNOxemissionsin1991fromlorries
weighingmorethan7,5tonnes.Inthefirstyearthis
totalwillbeequivalentto1264000trips(laden
andempty)bybothcommercialandown-account
operators .
b)Therecanbea(non-cumulative )8%increaseinthe
1264000EcopointstotaleachyeariftheNOx
emissionsarereducedmorequickly(i.e.atarate
ofmorethan5%eachyear).Ifthe8%limitis
exceededinanyoneyear,themaximumincrease
permittedthefollowingyearwillbeonly4%
regardlessofthemarginbywhichthelimitwas
exceeded.
1.3.TheCommissionproposalCOM(92)343final
dealsonlywiththedistributionofEcopointsamong
MemberStates.3.Comments
3A.General
TheCommitteethinksthattheEcopointssystemis
extremelycomplicatedandmayposepracticalproblems
forthehaulageindustry.
ItthereforeurgestheCommissiontomonitorthe
schemecarefullyand,ifproblemsarise,toprovideEC
haulierswithsupportandback-up.
3B.Specific
1.TheCommitteeagreeswithArticle1.
2.ItalsoagreeswithArticle2(1).
However,asregardsArticle2(2),itwouldaskwhy
theEcopointsaretobedistributedtwiceayearand
notonceayearasinthecaseoftheroad-haulage
authorizations .Theindustrywouldpreferoncea
year.
3.Article3shouldapplyforthewholeoftheyearand
unusedEcopointsshouldnotbehandedbackuntil
theendoftheyear.
4.Article4specifiessomeofthecriteriatobeapplied
whenallocatingEcopointstotheMemberStates:
a)adisadvantageous startingposition;
b)problemswiththetechnicalupgradingofthe
vehiclefleetconcerningNOxemissions;
c)geographicalcircumstances ;
d)unforeseenoccurrences .2.Gistoftheproposal
Articles1-6oftheproposaldealwiththewayinwhich
EcopointsaretobedistributedbytheCommunity .
Article4dealswithunusedEcopointsandEcopoints
returnedbytheMemberStates.Thesetogetherconsti­
tutetheCommunityreserve.

25.1.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC19/43
TheCommitteehasthefollowingquestionsorcom­
mentstomakewithregardtothesecriteria:
Asregardsb):
TheCommitteethinksthatMemberStateswithmod­
ernizedfleetsofvehiclesshouldnotsufferfromother
MemberStates'failureorquasi-failuretohelpreduce
NOxemissions.
TheCommission shouldtakethisintoaccountwhen
distributingEcopointsandrewardgoodwill.
TheCommitteethinksthatencouragement shouldbe
giventothemodernization ofvehiclefleetsand
especiallyenginedesigns.
Asregardsc):
WhatdoestheCommissionmeanby'geographical
circumstances 'andhowdoesittranslatetheseintoEcopoints?DoestheCommissiontakesufficient
accountofthespecificproblemsofperipheralareas?
Asregardsd):
TheCommission refersinthisconnectiontothecol­
lapseofabridgeinAustriasomeyearsago.
TheCommitteethinksthatifsomethinglikethishap­
pensinAustria,theAustriangovernmentshouldadapt
orrescindtheEcopointssystemtemporarily .
IftransitthroughAustriaweretobeseriouslyimpeded
bysuchanobstructionelsewhere,theCommission
shouldholddirectconsultations withthecommittee
mentionedinArticle5.
5and6
TheCommitteeagreeswiththecontentofArticles5
and6.
DoneatBrussels,24November1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN