Cabotage plan
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EURO MP's are trying to modify the EEC commissions draft proposals which would allow foreign lorries to operate national transport services within other EEC countries.
The scheme would reduce the wasteful empty running of vehicles which Brussels estimate is about 40 per cent on international journeys.
The original proposals by the commission permit foreign operators to undertake a maximum of two national journeys on their way home.
Now the European Parliament's transport committee, while welcoming the estalishment of "cabotage" as a step towards an EEC transport policy, points out that the proposal has been criticised by national hauliers.
This opposition is "hardly surprising" said the committee as differences in lorry weight, sizes and taxation fail to create a basis for fair competition.
So the committee proposes that cabotage should be phased in with foreign carriers limited to only one national journey per international trip.
However, the committee adds it should also be possible to pick up the national load on the outward journey and the directive should be extended to include own-account operators.
The committee recommends increasing the number of journeys to four as soon as there is an EEC agreement on lorry weights, sizes and taxation.
Discussion of the EEC proposals is now taking place between the Brussels Eurocrats and national officials with the West Germans, French and Italians generally opposing the scheme.