Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-11-17-Speech-5-062"
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"en.20001117.6.5-062"2
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"Mr President, I thank the Commissioner for his statement and the facts that he confirmed. It may be advantageous at this moment just to say what has actually been proposed by the UK government and also what they are proposing, bearing in mind the crisis in Britain and indeed throughout the whole of the European Union with regard to the road haulage industry.
It must be said at the outset that this is not just a specific British problem. The proposal was put forward by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in a pre-budget statement made six months before the full budget statement made in the spring of 2001. It contained a number of proposals, not just specifically this one on the vignette, which will effect the haulage industry.
I can assure my Irish colleagues that the vignette proposal is being made in full cognisance of the euro-vignette directive and is likely to be along similar lines to those already in place, as Commissioner Vitorino explained, in many of the present Member States of the European Union. It is worth pointing out that at the moment lorries from the United Kingdom are faced with vignette or toll charges on roads in other EU Member States but so far such levies have not been charged within the United Kingdom.
I am sure that the United Kingdom government will be responding to the Commission's request in discussions with the Commission as well as the haulage industry to explore ways in which the vignette scheme can operate within the present euro-vignette directive.
The details of our scheme have yet to be put in place. I understand Mr McCartin's concerns, but it seems to me that a lot of what is being said about the UK system is based not on fact but on rumour and things that are being said in the industry rather than things that have been proposed by the UK government.
I know that the UK government want to consult with hauliers and I also know that the UK government recognises the specific position of Ireland and I am sure that it will be talking to its counterparts in Dublin as well as in Belfast.
What we need to get clear today is that the UK is proposing what it is doing in full recognition that it must consult the European Union and in full recognition that there is EU legislation in place that it must abide by. It also recognises that if it charges the euro-vignette system then it will also have to charge similar amounts to its own UK hauliers. It recognises that whatever scheme it brings in must be non-discriminatory.
In conclusion, we are being premature in the European Parliament in holding this debate, but I welcome the fact and the statement from Commissioner Vitorino which clearly indicates that the UK government has the right to introduce a euro-vignette system provided it keeps within the rules and regulations already in place. I believe that is what the UK government wishes."@en1
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