Brussels, 22/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 17 April during one of the final plenary session debates, MEPs at the Parliamentary committee appealed to the European Commission to explain its intentions about rectifying the issue involving road transport “letter box” companies. They did this during the same week that the Commission presented a progress report on the internal road transport market, which emphasised the problems resulting from restrictions on cabotage but not those from the so-called “letter box” companies'. These have mainly been set up in eastern European countries and are subject to criticism in central European countries. There is a growing number of them in Germany, along the Danish border.
Regulation 1071/2009 entered into force two years ago and was supposed to tackle the issue of these “letterbox” companies and demanded that undertakings engaged in the occupation of road transport operator shall have an “effective and stable establishment” (an administrative system and operating centre for the undertaking's registered vehicles). MEPs wanted to know whether this regulation, as well as the one on professional driver driving and rest times, were being appropriately applied.
The Commission explained that these “letterbox” companies could not be set up and those that existed should be closed down. At the current time, the Commission is counting on member states to establish the number of those that have been closed down. The institution is currently analysing the national reports submitted last December. Countries that have not responded to the appeal could be subject to infringement procedures, explained the Commission. The first conclusions drawn will soon be the subject of a report. The conclusions explained that some of the provisions in the regulation are difficult to apply and that others are not sufficient. This is particularly the case with proof regarding effective and stable establishment that has to be provided every five years. The Commission now believes that this provision has to be strengthened. It has also been criticised in the context of member states that have still not revised their registers of transport undertakings in the European register. Seven infringement procedures have been opened on this basis. Other European projects seeking to harmonise the training of control authorities will also be set up, explained that Commission. The latter, however, was not forthcoming with regard to the question of applying social law in road transport and insisted on applying the rules by the member states themselves and cooperation between them in this respect. (MD)