WRITTEN QUESTION No. 957/98 by Marjo MATIKAINEN-KALLSTRÖM , Kirsi PIHA , Raimo ILASKIVI , Jyrki OTILA to the Commission. Renewed imposition by Russia of charges on foreign trucks
Date: 1998-03-30
Institutions: European Parliament, ILASKIVI, MATIKAINEN-KALLSTROEM, OTILA, PIHA
Subjects: Russia, international road transport, radio telecommunications, ratification of an agreement, telecommunications equipment, trade licence, waveband













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91998E0957

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 957/98 by Marjo MATIKAINEN-KALLSTRÖM , Kirsi PIHA , Raimo ILASKIVI , Jyrki OTILA to the Commission. Renewed imposition by Russia of charges on foreign trucks  


Official Journal C 354 , 19/11/1998 P. 0046 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-0957/98 by Marjo Matikainen-Kallström (PPE), Kirsi Piha (PPE), Raimo Ilaskivi (PPE) and Jyrki Otila (PPE) to the Commission (30 March 1998)Subject: Renewed imposition by Russia of charges on foreign trucksFor more than a month, the Russian authorities have been harassing foreign truck drivers by compelling them to purchase GSM telephone and CB radio licences. If a driver does not have the required licence, his equipment is either broken or confiscated. The Finnish authorities know of several cases, inter alia in the Novgorod and Karelia regions. Licence problems have also arisen at the northern borders of Ukraine and Belarus.According to the Finnish authorities (Ministry of Transport), Russia participated in the negotiations on an international agreement (European Radio Communication Committee decision 1/12-95 on the free circulation of radio equipment in CEPT member countries (ERC/DEC/(95)01)), which permits mobile communication equipment to be taken across borders without any special payment. However, Russia has not ratified the agreement.What will the Commission do to ensure that Russia ratifies the agreement it has negotiated and ceases its arbitrary and entirely unilateral levying of charges on trucks from EU Member States?Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (13 May 1998)The recent difficulties experienced by road hauliers will be looked into more closely to see whether or not they conflict with the obligations which Russia accepted under the partnership and cooperation agreement. On this point, I would refer to a separate set of problems experienced by Community hauliers to do with implementation by Russia of the TIR convention on the international carriage of goods by road, which is now the subject of ongoing talks with the Russian authorities in an attempt to reach a satisfactory settlement.In any event, Russian businesses have already reached roaming agreements with European GSM operators and so it would be at odds for the Russian authorities to impose restrictions on the use of GSM terminals in their country.The Commission is fully behind moves towards the free movement of radiocommunications equipment in Europe as it is fully in line with the goals of the single market. The decision adopted on 1 December 1995 by the ECPT, the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (made up of 43 countries including the 15 EU Member States), to which the Honourable Member refers, is a significant step in this direction.Returning to the question in hand, it should be noted that ratification and implementation of the decision by the European Radiocommunications Committee (ERC) of 1 December 1995 on the free movement of radiocommunications equipment throughout the ECPT countries is a matter solely for national governments, including Russia.However, the Commission is willing to try to encourage the Russian government to ratify this decision in the relevant fora.