Fears over EU truck taxes

A NEW EU transport directive which could add significantly to the cost of exporting goods to the rest of Europe will have a “dramatic and drastic effect” on competitiveness and jobs in Ireland, business interests and MEPs have warned.

The proposed “Eurovignette” directive, which has already been endorsed by the European Parliament, is to come before Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey and his European colleagues at an EU Council of Ministers meeting on March 30th.

The directive aims to make hauliers pay a new toll of a few cent per kilometre for the “cost to society” of their operations. It refers to environmental costs and those arising from road crashes and congestion.

While the Department of Transport maintains that Ireland can decide not to impose the Eurovignette here, hauliers’ groups, Ibec, and MEPs have pointed out that Ireland cannot ensure other member states such as Britain, France and Germany opt out. This could have potentially “disastrous” consequences for goods travelling to the European market.

Irish MEP Jim Higgins called on Mr Dempsey to forge an alliance with ministers from peripheral countries such as the Nordic states, Spain, Portugal and Greece to defeat the Eurovignette at the next Council of Ministers meeting.

Paul Sweetman of Ibec said the body had “serious” concerns about the Eurovignette.