Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-12-17-Speech-3-171"
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"en.20031217.6.3-171"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would firstly like to thank Parliament and the Conciliation Committee for the work they have done on the proposed extension of the ecopoints system. I would like in particular to thank Mr Imbeni and the rapporteur, Mr Costa, as well as the Council, for the efforts they have made over all this time in order to find a solution to the problem, holding discussions with the Council in order to reach an agreement.
I would like to say very clearly, so that there may be no doubt, that the Commission supports this compromise. I know that the Austrian authorities and Members believe it to be insufficient, and I understand that there may be particular sensitivity, since it is true that we are talking about transit via Austria. But I would like to say once again, ladies and gentlemen, that this compromise improves the conditions for traffic via Austria, for the simple reason that Protocol 9 of the Act of Accession of Austria to the European Union lays down, in Article 11(5), that, at the end of a series of extensions – all of which have been completed – the Community acquis in its entirety will be applicable.
The last of these extensions has already been adopted and expires on the 31st of this month. Therefore, if this compromise is not approved, the principles of free movement would dictate that all the lorries which travel within the rest of the European Union would also be able to travel within Austria. We are all aware of the special sensitivity of this issue and we have all made an effort to achieve it.
I would insist once again that I believe that the Austrian authorities, Members of Parliament, and also, very possibly, citizens – since this is an issue which the whole of Austria is very sensitive to – would have liked even greater protection, but I believe that by means of this transitional system we are managing to maintain, despite everything, a situation of privilege – let us make this very clear – for the sake of Austria’s environmental protection. Effectively, we are prohibiting the transit of the most polluting lorries through that country; lorries which, nevertheless, can travel – and are going to continue to travel – throughout the rest of the European Union. In other words, we are diverting the most polluting lorries to other routes and only allowing the cleanest lorries to cross Austria.
I believe this is an example of European solidarity which, although it may seem to you insufficient, I would insist is a very important step, because we are continuing to maintain the system of points which, as well as removing the most polluting lorries, also restricts the traffic of lorries with an intermediate level of pollution, so that only the most modern and efficient lorries can travel freely through Austria. I would therefore insist that all the most polluting and least efficient lorries will be travelling throughout the rest of the European Union.
It is crucial that Parliament votes for it today, since the current system expires on 31 December. Nevertheless, operators will stop having ecopoints from 1 January 2004 and it is therefore necessary to adopt a decision with regard to the immediate application of the future provisional points system and allow the circulation of lorries in transit through Austria in a clear and decisive manner, with those limitations which, once again, I am pointing out. I am well aware that this is not the solution; that the solution must be sought by means of the extremely urgent adoption of the Eurovignette system.
Today we have adopted the system of electronic road tolls, which comprises the technical elements which will facilitate the establishment of a Eurovignette system and, if we all manage to agree and show flexibility, we could adopt the Eurovignette over the next three or four months, with this same Parliament and this same Commission, during the Irish Presidency.
We in the Commission are going to make every necessary effort to achieve this objective, and I hope that Mr Cocilovo and this Parliament will continue working as it has done up till now in order to achieve it."@en1
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