On Friday 25 October, the Member States' ambassadors to the European Union (Committee of Permanent Representatives - Coreper) approved the negotiating mandate for the second round of interinstitutional negotiations ('trilogue') on the social and market aspects of the 'mobility I' package (posting of drivers, driving and resting time, market access, cabotage and tachograph).
Notable feature of this meeting: the decision to approve the mandate - and thus continue the trilogues - was not opposed, while a group of six Member States (Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Poland, Hungary and Lithuania) recently criticised certain elements of the 'mobility I' package in a letter addressed to the High Representatives of the Union (see EUROPE 12357/4).
However, this can be explained by the fact that the second series of trilogues, scheduled for 4 and 5 November, should focus on technical aspects, leaving more political, and therefore more sensitive, issues, such as weekly rest time on board cabins or the return of vehicles, for the third trilogue. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)