31979A0461

COMMISSION OPINION of 3 May 1979 addressed to the French Government on a draft decree amending Decree No 49-1473 of 14 November 1949 on the coordination and harmonization of road and rail transport (79/461/EEC)

In accordance with Article 1 of the Council Decision of 21 March 1962 instituting a procedure for prior examination and consultation in respect of certain laws, regulations and administrative provisions concerning transport proposed in Member States (1), as amended by Decision 73/402/EEC (2), the French Government, under cover of a letter dated 21 February 1979 from the Office of its Permanent Representative to the European Communities, sent to the Commission the text of a draft decree amending Decree No 49-1473 of 14 November 1949 on the coordination and harmonization of road and rail transport.

The Commission received the letter from the Office of the French Permanent Representative on 27 February 1979 and, in accordance with Article 1 of the Decision referred to above, forwarded the text to the other Member States.

Under Article 2 (1) of the said Decision the Commission delivers the following opinion: 1. The Commission notes that the measures under consideration chiefly concern: - easing the road haulage quota system by eliminating the licences for short-haul and local transport operations ; these categories are to be merged and the licences replaced by a certificate of registration (which, in addition, will authorize transport operations in any short-haul zone). Only the long-haul zones will remain subject to quota,

- relaxing certain formalities, particularly for road haulage using light commercial vehicles (the present liberalization applicable to vehicles not exceeding 2 75 tonnes total laden weight is extended to vehicles not exceeding 3 75 tonnes total laden weight) and for removals and indivisible loads,

- repealing certain provisions which are obsolete or no longer applicable (mainly provisions which applied when the licences for short-haul zones were subject to quota).

2. The Commission finds that this opening up of access to the market for the carriage of goods by road is in principle in accordance with the objectives of the common transport policy. The Commission hopes that at a later stage France will introduce the same facilities with regard to access to the market for the long-haul carriage of goods by road.

3. The Commission has no objections to any of the articles of the draft decree.

4. The Commission did not consider it necessary to hold an information meeting with representatives of the French Government or to consult the other Member States as provided for in Article 2 (3) of the Decision of 21 March 1962.

5. The Commission is informing the other Member States of this opinion.

Done at Brussels, 3 May 1979.

For the Commission

Richard BURKE

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ No 23, 3.4.1962, p. 720/62. (2) OJ No 347, 17.12.1973, p. 48.