Today, the TRAN Committee of the European Parliament gave green light to their newly appointed rapporteurs to start negotiations with the Council of Transport Ministers, on the Mobility Package. Driving and rest time, cabotage, letter-box companies and posting of workers rules will all go through this process called “trilogue”, towards a final deal.
The ETF hopes the process will be fast and its outcome strong in safeguarding drivers’ better working and living conditions, and road safety on the European roads.
In the past two years, we have been working assiduously in finding good solutions for the Package. To this end, we welcome the sound basis offered by the Council position, adopted in December 2018, and the nearly perfect European Parliament agreement reached in plenary on 4 April 2019.
The ETF will use all its power to ensure that the final deal includes no changes to driving and rest time for drivers; that the driver return home is at home really, and not at the company’s seat; that posting of workers comes with as few exemptions as possible and with an early introduction of the ‘smart’ tachograph; that cabotage rules are clear and enforceable, and cabotage activities are allowed within stricter and well-controllable time limits; that a substantial part of vehicle activity takes place in the haulier’s country of establishment and with this, the letter-box companies see their well-deserved end.
Sound enforcement solutions must stay at the core of this massive revision of the EU legislation applicable to road transport workers and companies. To make roadside checks and company checks effective, we need a secure platform, accessible in real time by law enforcement agencies, and mandatory electronic evidence to document compliance with posting rules, driving and rest time, cabotage and access to occupation.
We see this negotiation process as THE chance for road transport in Europe to be safer for all road users and to offer better quality jobs and thus become more attractive for young drivers. And we will continue to offer all our support and expertise to the EU decision makers in reaching this goal.
For more details about the Council and the European Parliament positions ahead of the negotiation process, about its opportunities and risks and about the ETF focus points in the process, see the ETF brochure “The Mobility Package so far: A brief guide to the Council of Ministers’ and the European Parliament’s position”. The brochure is available in 10 languages under Downloads.
