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Commission reinterpretation on megatrucks is ‘undemocratic’ and ‘creates confusion’

EU rules governing the length and weight of lorries have been thrown into confusion by a unilateral ‘reinterpretation’ of an EU directive by the transport commissioner Siim Kallas. The commissioner’s move appears to abandon all length limits and opens the way for so-called ‘megatrucks’. A senior MEP has rejected the commissioner’s ‘reinterpretation’ and says the European Parliament is likely to challenge the decision, while T&E has described it as ‘undemocratic, confusing and incomprehensible’.
Submitted on June 25, 2012 - 12:15
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MEPs could be voting to make vehicles louder

Research carried out for T&E suggests there is a danger that new rules aimed at making vehicles quieter will in fact make them louder for the next 15 years.
Submitted on June 25, 2012 - 12:13
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Lorries set to become more aerodynamic

The EU has agreed to allow aerodynamic devices to be fitted to lorries that could cut fuel consumption and emissions of long-distance lorry journeys by 5-8%.
Submitted on June 25, 2012 - 12:10
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Lagarde calls for a ‘green economy’, and supports carbon charges for transport

The head of the International Monetary Fund has said the economic growth needed to get the world’s economies back to health must be ‘on a different track than before the crisis’. Christine Lagarde’s comments came just after a number of ex-finance ministers wrote to today’s European finance ministers, asking them to shift the burden from income tax and VAT on to carbon and energy taxes.
Submitted on June 25, 2012 - 12:09
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EU agrees to significant sulphur reduction in shipping fuels

Efforts to tackle air pollution from shipping have been boosted by an agreement that is expected to reduce by 85% the sulphur content of fuel used by ships in EU waters by 2020.
Submitted on June 25, 2012 - 11:05
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Diesel emissions cause cancer

The World Health Organisation says exposure to exhaust emissions from diesel engines definitely increases the possibility of tumours. The WHO has previously said diesel exhausts were ‘probably’ carcinogenic, but now a WHO body, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, says it is definitely a cause of lung and possibly of bladder tumours.
Submitted on June 20, 2012 - 16:55
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Hungary lorry charge

Environmental groups in Hungary fear a surge of lorries on country roads after the Hungarian government agreed a toll for trucks that is limited to motorways and a few main roads. The toll will be a distance- and pollution-based charge coming into effect in July 2013.
Submitted on June 20, 2012 - 16:46
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Ministers’ call for road funding defies CEF agreement

EU transport ministers have contradicted the Commission’s transport infrastructure funding proposals by calling for some of the money to be diverted to road projects. The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which replaces the fund for the trans-European transport networks (TEN-T), was put forward last year, with one of its main aims to help the EU achieve its target of reducing greenhouse gases by 60% between 1990 and 2050. For that reason, the Commission had proposed to concentrate funding on rail, intermodal and port projects.
Submitted on June 20, 2012 - 16:41
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Is growth the answer? Not if it’s old-fashioned growth

Opinion by Jos Dings - T&E Director
The air in Brussels is thick with talk about the need to boost economic growth. As if any proof were needed, the French and Greek elections have once again demonstrated that people don’t like austerity. So talking about growth is politically quite obvious.

Submitted on May 14, 2012 - 17:37
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Commission deals with tar sands problem by ordering impact study

The Commission is postponing a decision on how to assess the climatic impact of non-conventional sources of transport fuel such as tar sands and oil shale. A decision was expected in June, but Brussels has ordered an assessment of the impact of giving high-carbon sources a higher climate rating, which means no final judgement will be made until next year. The postponement came just days after T&E published a study saying reducing greenhouse gas emissions from petrol and diesel production will cost less to administer than the oil industry says.
Submitted on April 30, 2012 - 15:14
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