MEPs at the transport and tourism committee held a debate on Monday 19 June with Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc on the subject of the mobility package. Questions regarding social dumping dominated the debate.
Bulc first of all presented the mobility package to the MEPs. After providing some general information on the raft of measures, she referred to the “really balanced proposal” and swiftly provided information on the measures in more detail. Although her presentation focused on the raft of proposals formulated by the Commission on 31 May (see EUROPE 11799), such as the revision of the Eurovignette directive and connected transport, the issues of cabotage and controls saw the debate becoming quite heated.
Simplifying legislation on cabotage. In her 15-minute explanation Bulc attempted to justify the proposal to restrict the number of days to five when cabotage operations are authorised in another member state but not to introduce restrictions on the number of operations in this period of time. In her view, the current rules are “much too complex” and it is therefore with this in mind that the Commission attempted to simplify the rules and make them more market appropriate.
The project to limit the number of operations provoked the wrath of MEPs from Eastern and Western Europe, as already demonstrated during the most recent Transport Council on 8 June (see EUROPE 11804).
Vim Van de Camp (EPP, Netherlands) asked whether such a measure was appropriate and if the commissioner really thought this was a viable solution. Peter Lundgren (EFDD, Sweden) was on the same wavelength and regretted that the solution could allow drivers to remain in the host member state after five days in order to repeat operations later and therefore subsequently distort competition.
The commissioner refused to back down when faced by these comments and pointed out that the directive on posted workers should apply from the very first cabotage operation and it would therefore not create any unfair competition.
Sensitive question of controls. Although the number of days created different interpretations among MEPs and the member states, it was indeed a question of controls that was at the heart of the discussions. Ways of checking the entry onto the territory of a member state, as well as the operations carried out by a heavy duty vehicle, are based on smart tachographs, as Bulc pointed out, in reply to Christine Revault D’Allonnes Bonnefoy (S&D, France) in a question regarding controls and fraud.
All new vehicles will be equipped with smart tachographs as from 2019 but they will not be obligatory for vehicles that have already been manufactured until 2034 under the terms of Regulation 165/2014. In her reply to questions put to her by Bonnefoy and Van de Camp on the period of the deadlines, Bulc simply explained that she wanted “an improved solution” but did not suggest that these deadlines could be amended, in an effort to fight fraud in the sector.
Opposition between Western and Eastern Europe again came to the fore during this debate, with MEPs from Western Europe calling for more protection against social dumping. Pavel Telička (ALDE, Czech Republic), however, what clear in his support for further developing the internal market. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)