Although the debates on Tuesday 15 May at the European Parliament's transport committee on compromise amendments on the social and market aspects of the first "mobility" package revealed still significant differences of opinion between MEPs, the negotiations did, nevertheless, rapidly reach an agreement.
Significant opposition between MEPs in Western Europe, who support a protection of social standards and those in Central, Eastern and peripheral Europe, who are calling for market liberalisation, unsurprisingly, provoked debates about lorry drivers’ rest and driving times and application of the systems on postings and cabotage. This is similar to what happened in previous meetings (see EUROPE 11985).
Shift to application of rules on light utility vehicle driving times rules.
Wim van de Camp (EPP, Netherlands), the MEP in charge of the report on the revision of regulations 561/2006 and 165/2014, speaking on these subjects, welcomed the conduct of the “negotiations on the right track” and the meeting of the rapporteur and shadow rapporteur that would be taking place on Wednesday 16 May.
Although certain points, such as the inclusion of light utility vehicles whose maximum permissible mass exceeds 2.4 tonnes in the regulation's scope on driving time appears to have been accepted, several questions still need to be resolved. They include exemptions to the application of this regulation, the duration of work after which a driver is obliged to return home and wether they take rest time in the lorry cabin or not. The question of the date for introducing a second-generation smart tachograph also needs to be clarified.
This text is controversial but it is perhaps the one that will create the fewest problems given the texts on postings and cabotage.
Move towards excluding international transport from posted workers regime. The revision of the 2006/22/EC directive on the application of the regime on posted lorry drivers is also expected to be the subject of an agreement between rapporteur, Merja Kyllönen (GUE/NGL, Finland) and the shadow rapporteurs on Wednesday 16 May.
The future agreement appears to be assuming a liberal hue, with the exclusion of international transport operations from the posted workers regime, contrary to the opinion delivered by Parliament’s employment committee on 26 April last (see EUROPE 12010). Although other points are also included in the negotiations, this is undoubtedly the major sensitive point in this text.
This position was received favourably by MEPs in central, eastern and peripheral Europe but was subject to sharp criticism from MEPs from Western Europe. Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France), the chairperson of Parliament's transport committee described this option as a “a serious mistake and a hard blow to Europe”.
Question of cabotage still pending.
There was also the question of the revision of regulations 1071/2009 and 1072/2009 on market access and cabotage during this discussion. It should be recalled that this dossier has been quite specific and the initial rapporteur on these texts, Jens Nilsson (S&D, Sweden), passed away suddenly last March (see EUROPE 11980). Ismail Ertug (S&D, Germany) took over the dossier and tried to remain loyal to the ideas advocated by Mr Nilsson, which were based on the positions of MEPs from Western Europe.
Although the points on market access (1071/2009) have already been the subject of an agreement, the final meeting between the rapporteur and the shadow rapporteurs, on 16 May will focus on cabotage rules.
These are clearly controversial subjects. Mr Ertug is suggesting that the authorised cabotage period, after an international transport operation, is set in 48 hours and includes a calling off period during which no operations can be carried out.
Votes planned for 4 June. MEPs at Parliament's transport committee will vote on these three texts on 4 June. EUROPE will return to the technical details of these particularly sensitive issues at a political level. At a ministerial level, it cannot be ruled out that no agreement cannot be achieved next month (see other article). (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)