A3-0017/94

Resolution on freedom of movement within intra-Community transport networks

The European Parliament

-having regard to the motions for resolutions by:

(a)Mr Wijsenbeek on the border blockade between France and Spain and the difficulties regarding transit through the Alps (B3-1955/90),

(b)Mr Romera i Alcázar on the crisis in the Spanish road haulage sector (B3-1970/90),

(c)Mr Sapena Granell and Mr Coimbra Martins on freedom of movement on major intra-community highways (B3-1553/92),

-having regard to Article 7a of the EC Treaty,

-having regard to its resolutions of 9 July 1992 on the consequences of the road blockades in France and 15 July 1993 on the serious incidents which have occurred in the south of France,

-having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A3-17/94),

A.whereas attacks on vehicles and goods - usually agricultural goods - by interests that are very much in the minority, as a form of protest against the effects of free movement within the Community, are becoming more and more frequent,

B.whereas such actions are normally violent, involving the destruction of goods and the intimidation of individuals because of their place of origin,

C.whereas such acts of vandalism represent an outright attack on one of the four freedoms on which implementation of the Single Market is based, i.e., the free movement of goods,

D.whereas the European transport sector is already suffering from enough problems relating to its development without having to act as a scapegoat for commercial conflicts of interest produced by the abolition of internal borders,

E.whereas the relationship between freedom of movement, the common transport policy and the internal market cannot be questioned, as is clear from the literal meaning of Article 7a of the EC Treaty, since freedom of movement cannot be ensured within the Community unless a system of transport, unimpeded by unjustified and discriminatory attacks, is guaranteed in advance,

F.whereas in some countries the general public and road hauliers and producers, in particular, are becoming increasingly angry at what they consider to be the impunity boasted of by the aggressors in various Member States,

G.whereas in such circumstances the scale which such events may attain brings the risk of a spiral of reprisals that are unacceptable so far as implementation of the internal market is concerned and whereas this question has major repercussions for the European Union as a whole,

1.Calls on Member States affected by incidents of this kind to guarantee the free movement of goods within their territories in accordance with the provisions of the Treaties regarding the four freedoms;

2.Requests the governments of the European Union, in accordance with their internal constitutions which are, in any case, the guarantors of democratic rights and basic freedoms, actively to combat the feeling of impunity which usually accompanies such acts by adopting the required preventative measures;

3.Maintains that the economic losses caused by such acts require urgent and adequate compensation;

4.Calls on the Commission:

(a)on the basis of Article 169 of the EC Treaty in particular, to urge Member States to comply in the strictest manner with the obligations incumbent upon them with regard to freedom of movement under Article 7a of the EC Treaty, which deals with the actual establishment of the internal market;

(b)on the basis of Article 6 of the EC Treaty, to bring proceedings where there is any discrimination on grounds of nationality, bearing in mind that, in cases of this kind, discrimination takes place, in fact, by omission in that the national authorities do not act quickly enough when vehicles and/or goods of foreign origin are attacked;

(c)to propose a new Community measure to provide adequate compensation to offset the direct losses suffered by the victims of such discriminatory attacks; such a compensatory mechanism should be funded by the Community, the Member States and insurance companies;

5.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the governments of the Member States.