While the European Parliament is expected to seal the final adoption of the controversial 'Mobility I’ package soon, its critics have not given up making their voices heard.
In a letter sent to MEPs on Monday 29 June, the Foreign and European Affairs Ministers and Transport Ministers of nine Member States (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland and Romania) called on the European Parliament to fix the texts to be submitted to them on 8 July (see EUROPE 12502/3).
Eight of these States had already requested, last April, the suspension of work on this file (see EUROPE 12459/25).
In their new letter, the ministers regret that the numerous discussions between the co-legislating institutions have "substantially deviated" from some of the initial provisions of the legislative package and again cite the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 'mobility I' package "was prepared in a completely different reality" than the one that companies are currently experiencing, they point out.
Ministers are also concerned that the future legislation will have negative consequences for the EU's climate ambitions (see EUROPE 12484/2) and the European internal market.
They denounce increased protectionism and fear that some States, unable in practice to apply the provisions, may find themselves excluded from the Single Market. An impact assessment on this subject is still being carried out by the Commission, they point out.
MEPs are therefore urged to "carefully consider" certain measures, such as the obligation for trucks to return to the Member State of establishment every eight weeks and the four-day cooling-off period in cabotage operations.
For the record, when deciding on the 'Mobility I' package in June, the Committee on Transport (TRAN) followed the recommendations of the rapporteurs (see EUROPE 12477/18) and approved, without amendments, the provisional institutional agreement as adopted by the EU Council (see EUROPE 12463/31).
To consult the letter: https://bit.ly/3ghemHT (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)