Citation, commencement and revocation

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Goods Vehicles (Authorisation of International Journeys) (Fees) Regulations 2000 and shall come into force on 1st January 2001.

(2) The Goods Vehicles (Authorisation of International Journeys) (Fees) Regulations 1996(2) are hereby revoked.

Interpretation

2. In these Regulations-

"the ECMT Council" means the Council of Ministers of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport;

"ECMT licence" means a licence granted pursuant to the scheme adopted by Resolution No. 26 of the ECMT Council of 14th June 1973(3);

"Ecopoints" means Ecopoints issued pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3637/92(4) on a system of distribution of Rights of Transit (Ecopoints) for heavy goods vehicles with a laden weight of over 7.5 tonnes registered in a Member State transiting through Austria;

"journey permit" means a permit issued pursuant to an agreement or arrangement mentioned in column 1 of the Schedule to these Regulations under the provision or one of the provisions of the agreement or arrangement mentioned opposite thereto in column 2 of that Schedule and providing for the number of outward and inward journeys stated in the permit; and

"removals authorisation" means an authorisation for removals carriage carried out by undertakings having special staff and equipment for the purpose granted in accordance with Resolution No. 53 of the ECMT Council of 29th and 30th May 1985(5) amending Resolution No. 44 of that Council of 1st June 1978(6) concerning the regulations governing international transport by road and the liberalisation of certain types of such transport.

Fees

3.-(1) The fee payable on the issue of an ECMT licence shall be-

(a)£74 if it is valid for a period of one year; or

(b)if it is valid for a period of less than one year, a fee at the rate of £18.50 for each period for which it is valid being-

(i)a complete period of three months;

(ii)a period of less than three months following any complete period of three months covered by the licence; or

(iii)a period of less than three months which is not followed by a complete period of three months covered by the licence.

(2) The fee payable on the issue of Ecopoints covering one journey, whether outward or inward, in respect of which they are issued shall be £2.

(3) The fee payable on the issue of a journey permit shall be-

(a)£4 if the permit covers one outward and inward journey; or

(b)£8 if the permit covers 4 outward and inward journeys to Turkey; or

(c)£28 if the permit covers 15 outward and inward journeys to Morocco.

(4) The fee payable on the issue of a removals authorisation shall be £9.

(5) All fees received under these Regulations shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.

Regulation 2

SCHEDULE

In this Schedule, "Her Majesty's Government" means the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations replace the Goods Vehicles (Authorisation of International Journeys) (Fees) Regulations 1996 ("the 1996 Regulations").

The Regulations prescribe the fees to be paid for the issue of documents authorising the operation of goods vehicles on journeys-

(a)between the United Kingdom and other member countries of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport;

(b)between the United Kingdom and certain states with whom bilateral agreements or arrangements have been concluded;

(c)in transit through Austria ("Ecopoints").

The Regulations prescribe, in regulations 3(1), 3(2), 3(3)(a) and 3(4), for increases in the fees charged previously under the 1996 Regulations in relation to, respectively, the issue of an ECMT licence, Ecopoints, a journey permit for a single outward and inward journey, and a removals authorisation as follows:

The Ecopoints system was created by an Agreement concluded on 30th November 1992 and taking effect on 1st January 1993 between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Austria on the transit of goods by road and rail ("the Transit Agreement") (OJ No. L373, 21.12.1992, p. 6). Under the Transit Agreement the number of Ecopoints required by a road vehicle if it is to travel through Austria is determined according to the level of nitrogen oxide which it emits. The prescribed fee is payable for the issue of Ecopoints covering one journey through Austria, whether outward, inward or transit.

In relation to the issue of journey permits other than for a single (outward and inward) journey, the fee payable is no longer based on a rate per outward or inward journey (previously £1); instead regulation 3(b) and (c) prescribes rates for journey permits of 4 journeys to Turkey and 15 journeys to Morocco (£8 and £28 respectively).

Other changes made by the Regulations are the removal of any references to period permits or special permits and the addition, in the schedule, of references to the recent international agreements with the Government of Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia which require permits for the carriage of goods by road.

ECMT publications may be obtained from the OECD Publications Service, 2 Rue André Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16, France.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been carried out and a copy placed in the library of both Houses of Parliament. Copies can be obtained from the Road Haulage Regulation Division, Zone 2/22, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, Great Minister House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR (telephone 020 7944 2776).