mr president the proposed directive might be the last straw to break the back of the british road haulage industry
the industry has been declining steadily over the last decade
drivers with operating licences have fallen by eight in the last three years
foreign lorries now control eighty of cross-channel business
in the last decade twenty of domestic business has been lost to foreign hauliers
there is a large and growing resident population of foreign hauliers using foreign vehicles and paying only their own countries modest vehicle charges who are taking more and more domestic business
it might appear that british hauliers are simply losing business as the result of competition a favourite word in the eu lexicon
however the competition is not fair competition
the british road fund licence is much greater and fuel tax exceeds that of other countries
foreign hauliers work in the uk on fuel brought with them in one zero litre tanks
whilst the proposed charges will apply to all vehicles the burden on the british industry could be fatal
this directive must be resisted
