Brussels, 16/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - MEPs are likely to reject the list of infringements to EU rules applicable to transport operators, as proposed by the European Commission. This is because this list does not include social dumping and unfair competition. During a debate at the European Parliament on Monday 15 December, European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, struggled to convince MEPs to accept this list.
The European Commission's delegated act was examined in committee procedure, which had already rejected the list in a resolution adopted during the EP's transport committee meeting on 2 December. EPP, S&D, Greens/EFA, ECR and ALDE MEPs are not expected to relent, despite the statements made by Bulc. MEPs consider that the list proposed by the Commission is both insufficient and complete, particularly with regard to social legislation. The socialists and environmentalist MEPs would like, above all, social dumping to be recognised as a serious offence and that the list be revised.
Commissioner Bulc pointed out that the Commission had been working over a two-year period to draw up this “balanced” list of offences, in an effort to harmonise European rules and explained that a rejection would subsequently have negative repercussions (legal uncertainties, unequal treatment of drivers and operators, a lack of sufficient data exchange). On the subject of socially related offences, the Commissioner was only willing to say, “We all know that the glass can be seen as half-full or half-empty”. The Parliament resolution is expected to be adopted on Thursday 18 December. (MD)