While discussions in the Council of the European Union's ‘land transport’ working party on the social and market aspects of the first ‘mobility’ package took place on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 November on the basis of the Austrian Presidency's third draft compromises detailed in our columns (see EUROPE 12129), it would seem that the national delegations are in agreement with their position.
This is not very surprising, as the latest draft compromises are very similar to the first two presented in October (see EUROPE 12121, 12113).
While the positions of each party have therefore probably not changed on the vast majority of points, it would nevertheless appear that the Benelux States (Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands) have proposed an alternative to the cooling-off period for cabotage operations.
They would have suggested, according to our information, that this period should not apply after a vehicle used for this type of operation enters the State of establishment of the company carrying out such operations. However, this proposal has received only limited support from national representatives.
In addition, delegations discussed the ‘synchronisation clause’, put on the table by Vienna in the last text following a French proposal. This clause aims to align the date of entry into force of the revised provisions on the posting of hauliers and the date of introduction of second-generation smart tachographs on board all vehicles operating in the territory of other Member States, with Vienna suggesting 2024. This proposal has been received rather coolly by the delegations of Central, Eastern and peripheral Europe.
New draft compromises are expected to be submitted on Friday 9 or Monday 12 November for the meeting of Member States' ambassadors to the European Union ('Coreper') on 14 November. The ambassadors will try to reach agreement in order to reach a general approach for the Transport Council meeting on 3 December.
Finally, it should be noted that the ambassadors will also discuss the question of combined transport and, in particular, the issue of cabotage exemptions in international combined transport, a sensitive point in the text currently under negotiation (see EUROPE 12120). (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)