The Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU forwarded to the delegations of the Member States, on Wednesday 17 February, a first compromise text on the revision of the Directive on the use of vehicles hired without drivers for the carriage of goods by road (2006/1 – see EUROPE 12656/8).
The text, of which EUROPE has obtained a copy, will be examined on Wednesday 24 February, at a further informal meeting of the Council’s Working Party on Land Transport.
It presents only one substantial change, relating to the use of transport vehicles rented by companies in the context of own-account operations (i.e., for the transport of their own goods). The legislation currently in force gives Member States the possibility to restrict, on their territory, the hiring of vehicles over 6 tonnes for this purpose.
The Commission, in revising Directive 2006/1, wanted to remove the possibility for Member States to restrict the use of leased vehicles for own-account transactions. This is to “to allow own account transport operations to be conducted more efficiently” the European institution states in the recitals.
However, this proposal does not appeal to the Member States, who are concerned about the “considerable” differences that still exist within the EU in terms of road transport taxation.
In order to “avoid potential fiscal issues”, the latest draft compromise, presented under the Croatian Presidency, therefore suggested that States could continue to prevent the hiring, on own account, of vehicles of less than 3.5 tonnes registered outside the Member State of establishment of the company using it.
The Portuguese Presidency’s draft compromise, which will be discussed this Wednesday, is further away from the Commission’s text. It suggests that States should continue to be able to prevent the hiring out, in the context of own-account operations, of any vehicle—irrespective of its weight—registered or put into circulation outside the Member State of establishment of the company using it. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)