mr president i will speak on the el khadraoui report
i would like to thank the rapporteur and his staff for all their hard work and for finding a compromise when at times it looked impossible
there are a number of points that need to be made in this debate
firstly this is the start of a process not the end and contained within the compromise is the right of member states to introduce congestion charging or not
i also want to remind honourable members particularly from the ppe-de group that this chamber has consistently demanded from the commission a proposal and strategy to internalise external costs in all modes of transport but in particular road transport and this has indeed been highlighted as our roads become more congested and global warming more severe
there is also a need to see a more balanced road sector that is not only economically sustainable but also environmentally sustainable and one that recognises that it has to pay a fair price for the costs it creates be these environmental or infrastructure costs
we cannot have a do-nothing attitude although i note that this phrase has become synonymous with the conservatives over recent months
i know the formulation of this report has been difficult some members believe it goes too far whilst others not far enough
however as a first stage i think that this compromise deserves support
i look forward in the future to other externalities being included and would stress my group's support that all revenue from eurovignettes should be earmarked for use in the transport sector so that transparency and public opinion can be brought closer together
this report is a serious attempt to deliver what parliament has called for over many years
it will be an important tool in combating congestion in improving the environment and in facilitating modal shift which is why it deserves our full support
and commissioner i would not worry too much about disagreeing with georg jarzembowski we in the socialist group have been doing that successfully for years
