Cabotage caveat in EU transport strategy
April 1st 2011 Lifting cabotage restrictions in the EU would be disastrous for the UK, says the Freight Transport Association. A high profile white paper on the future of European transport has recommended that ‘the elimination of remaining restrictions on cabotage should be pursued’. The Transport 2050 paper is designed to be the basis for legislative changes the EU plans to introduce over the next decade.
Lifting cabotage restrictions would mean a level playing field across Europe for haulage operators, with the UK at a distinct disadvantage due to the relatively high levels of duty levied in this country.
Chris Yarsley, FTA’s EU affairs manager, explained: “While lifting cabotage may be a fine idea in a harmonised Europe, UK operators pay by far the highest fuel duty in Europe and doing so would present a massive competitive disadvantage to UK registered operators.”
The FTA broadly welcomed the general drift of the white paper, which outlined far-reaching ambitions to, for example, greatly cut carbon emissions from transport, wean Europe from its dependence on oil and shift a great deal of journeys from road to rail and waterborne transport.
UK strategy
A new paper has also been authored by Professor Alan Braithwaite, chairman of LCP Consulting entitled UK Freight Transport: setting a coherent strategy and direction for 2020 and beyond.
The report comes in the wake of the Transport Select Committee’s recent report (see HSS March 2011) calling on the Government to produce a white paper outlining how transport spending will deliver economic growth and development.
Braithwaite argues that freight transport policy requires urgent attention to address national growth and climate change agendas and will fail without radical changes.
“Freight transport policy needs to clearly define the strategic priorities and provide guidance on future operating practices, but the data and modelling used to develop and determine policy will need to be significantly upgraded to inform public debate on the difficult policy choices ahead,” he said.
“Future freight and logistics development is unlikely to meet the goals for carbon reduction and economic performance unless positive policy actions are taken. These will involve a combination of taxation to promote more efficient use of resources, regulation to drive more efficient, safe, clean and fair operations and planning processes enabling innovation and investment to deliver a step change.” More articles from Handling & Storage Solutions: | 
