Members of the European Parliament's Transport Committee (TRAN) on Tuesday 21 January approved the agreement reached in the inter-institutional negotiations ('trilogues') on the social and market aspects of the 'mobility package I' (see EUROPE 12389/7).
While the three texts making up the package - (1) posting of drivers ; (2) driving and resting times, tachographs; (3) cabotage and market access - were all given the green light by the TRAN Committee, none of them was approved by a very large majority (in order : 27 in favour, 22 against, 27 in favour, 17 against and 5 abstentions, 32 in favour and 17 against).
According to information gathered by EUROPE, the vast majority of MEPs who rejected the texts came from Eastern European Member States, proof that the differences between Member States on this issue (see EUROPE 12376/13) are reflected within Parliament.
With this vote, the first mobility package takes another step towards its final adoption. Nevertheless, several steps still need to be taken.
First of all, the EU Council must definitively and formally adopt its position, which should not pose a problem, given that the agreement had been confirmed by the representatives of the Member States to the European Union (Coreper) on 20 December (see EUROPE 12395/7).
However, on the Parliament side, further votes have to be taken in the TRAN Committee and in plenary, where many amendments could be tabled. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)