Brussels, 16/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - In contrast to the requests made by the international road transporters (IRU) and the European transport workers' federation (ETF), the European voice of freight logistics and customs services (CLECAT) considers the Commission should not give up its ambition to liberalise cabotage and to open up the transport market.
Siim Kallas, European Transport Commissioner, said earlier this week that his legislative proposals on this in the autumn would give priority to better implementation and simplification of cabotage regulations, but no more (see EUROPE 10844). CLECAT, however, continues to believe that harmonisation of the legislation is not incompatible with “gradual and flexible opening of the road cabotage market”. The association's director general, Nicolette van der Jagt, points out that “the restrictions to cabotage prevent an optimal matching of transport offer and demand”. She goes on to suggest to the Commission that it should provide a new approach to the “3 in 7” rule through the removal of the maximum number of cabotage operations (3) allowed in 7 days. She states in a press release that “revision of the provision that requires the full unloading of international carriage before a cabotage operation” is needed.
The International Road Transport Union (IRU), however, remains intransigent and is quite clear about not adopting new cabotage rules unless there is social and fiscal harmonisation and application of the rules on the road transport market. (MD/transl.jl)