European Parliament

In the lead up to the European Parliament’s plenary session on 8 July, maritime industry stakeholders call upon European leaders to show political leadership and commitment to the welfare of seafarers.

As the reality of COVID-19 sets in, it is time to start planning Europe's recovery. The keyword in this recovery plan? Solidarity.

Yesterday marked the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the EU Social Dialogue Committee for Road Transport between social partners IRU and ETF. ETF and IRU reminded the EU officials that driver shortage is alarmingly increasing in the EU, with 20% of unfilled drivers’ positions in passenger and goods transport in 2019.

The TRAN Committee of the European Parliament voted in favour of the trilogue result reached on 12 December. The Mobility Package is on its way to being adopted, the next steps are to be confirmed. In the meantime, ETF will continue to endeavour assiduously to close legal gaps, and offer our members and professional drivers across Europe real solutions.

The European Transport Workers’ Federation acknowledges that an agreement was reached on the Mobility Package between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament this morning, in trilogue. The agreement doesn’t include all elements the ETF has fought for but it does represent progress towards the declared goals and ambitions of the Package.

Thomas Cook may have collapsed in the UK, but it's a European story. Companies, travel agencies, and hotels all over Europe and beyond have been affected, and around 22.000 workers are suffering from the consequences. The ETF stands in solidarity with all Thomas Cook workers and we continue to defend their interests together with our affiliates.

One of the gemstones of the European Parliament agreement on the Mobility Package is this: all heavy goods vehicles shall perform at least one loading or one unloading of goods every four weeks in the Member States of establishment. This is so effective in combating letter-box companies, it has recently become subject to attacks as the Mobility Package enters now the critical stage of Institutional negotiations. So, what’s the real problem?

The ETF together with AK and ÖGB organised a workshop “European Transport Workers moving Europe forward” on 30 September 2019 in the European Parliament. The event was kindly hosted by MEP Ismail Ertug.

On 24 September, 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.