BERN Switzerland AP Four years of tough negotiations were concluded early Tuesday with a transport deal between the European Union and Switzerland clearing the way to a wider agreement covering areas like air transport and labor. The accord obliges the Swiss who long held out for environmental reasons to raise the weight limit on trucks to 40 tons from 28 tons by the year 2005. In return they will levy a tax of at least 325 Swiss francs dlrs 230 on trucks transiting through the Alpine nation. This will be used to help fund two massive mountain rail tunnels intended to take the pressure off the roads. The Swiss will be allowed to keep a controversial night-time ban but have pledged to speed up clearance for early morning traffic. EU spokeswoman Sarah Lambert described the accord as a ``major step forward.'' The notion of trucks paying taxes ``introduces for the first time in EU transport law the concept that ... the polluter pays'' she told reporters in Brussels. Wealthy Switzerland is not a member of the 15-nation EU but is surrounded by members Germany France Italy and Austria. Its tight restrictions on foreign trucks have for years infuriated neighboring countries because of the inconvenience of compliance. Lambert said the accord meant that European trucks would be able to avoid detours through Austria totalling 500000 kilometers per year thereby cutting transport costs between the North and South of Europe by at least 50 million European currency units dlrs 57.5 million. After an all-night bargaining session with Swiss Transport Minister Moritz Leuenberger EU ministers overcame Italian misgivings and gave their blessing to the transport agreement early Tuesday. Agreement by Swiss voters Sunday for a 30 billion Swiss franc dlrs 22 billion finance package to help modernize the Swiss rail network and connect it to the rest of Europe apparently helped the case. The Swiss government and business representatives reacted with overwhelming relief. The agreement was initially thrashed out with EU transport commissioner Neil Kinnock last January but then put on hold because of objections by various EU countries. Swiss Foreign Minister Flavio Cotti said he hoped that a wider package of bilateral agreements could now be wrapped up. In particular Switzerland hopes that its concessions on trucks will persuade the EU to give national flag carrier Swissair better access to European airports. This is due to be discussed at a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers next Monday. However with the EU preoccupied with its own plans for monetary union and eastward expansion the Swiss dossier is low on the list of priorities. In 1992 Swiss voters rejected plans to join a loose European free trade agreement . This forced the government into painstaking sectoral negotiations with Brussels to gain the access it needs to crucial export markets. The government has officially applied to join the EU but has not pressed ahead with its request fearing that the electorate might once again say ``no.'' UR; cn-gm APW19981201.1217.txt.body.html APW19981201.1201.txt.body.html