The debate on the mobility package highlighted differences among European transport ministers in Luxembourg on Thursday 8 June.
Presenting the recent legislative package on mobility (see EUROPE 11799), Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc stressed the need to enhance the competitiveness of the sector and also to pay particular attention to the social conditions of European road hauliers.
Most ministers hailed the Commission’s efforts, notably on the environmental dimension. But the issue of social dumping brought substantial disagreement among the member states.
“Alliance du routier” calls for worker protection. The new French minister, Élizabeth Borne, was first to speak. She expressed her concerns and those of nine member states (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden) which together form the “Alliance du routier” for which the principle of “equal pay for equal work” is crucial.
The above-mentioned ministers expressed their opposition to further liberalisation of road transport, in particular with regard to the sensitive issues of the posting of workers and cabotage.
It may be remembered that, in its proposal of 31 May, the Commission suggests limiting cabotage journeys to five days but allowing unlimited cabotage operations within that period of time.
A French diplomatic source told EUROPE that the French government is arguing for a waiting period between two cabotage periods, which would be a sine qua non for tackling complete liberalisation and unfair competition. This was also suggested at the meeting by Belgian minister François Bellot.
Luxembourg also insisted on the need for effective monitoring of hauliers’ practices.
Eastern Europe backs free mobility. While the countries of Western Europe put the emphasis on social issues, it was a completely different story from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Polish minister Andrzej Adamczyk was quite acrimonious towards the Commission’s proposals. He was insistent that, by virtue of the mobility that is in the nature of the profession, road hauliers could not be subject to the same posting of workers rules that apply to other workers.
In a joint statement, eight member states (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia) called for the principle of free mobility to be preferred over that of wage equality.
The Romanian minister agreed with the comments of his Polish opposite number, acknowledging that drivers had to be protected but that a “necessary balance” had also to be found.
Those countries that support liberalisation of transport reject the threshold (proposed by the Commission) of three days spent on an international operation in the same country beyond which hauliers would become subject to the posted workers directive.
Other points in the mobility package were swiftly discussed, such as the end of the vignette system. Negotiations promise, however, to be tough on the social issues, just like the discussions taking place on the revision of the posted workers directive (see EUROPE 11803 and 11800). Our French diplomatic source was keen to point out, however, that “care must be taken not to fragment Europe”. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)