Brussels, 20/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission should adopt a communication on the working conditions in road transport. As it announced at the Transport Council of 2 October, it will propose: 1) a new version of the working time directive for drivers that will exclude self-employed drivers from the directive's field of application. The aim is to break the deadlock which this issue has caused for over a year; 2) a new directive that will introduce an drivers' attestation, kind of passport for drivers setting out their conditions of employment. Limiting social dumping is one of the main aims of this directive (so-called "Willy Baertz", of the name of the German haulage company known to employ drivers from eastern countries under social conditions below European standards); 3) a new version of the directive harmonising the schedules for prohibiting weekend driving for heavy goods vehicles. The Commission will propose banning the circulation of HGVs between 22.000 hrs. on Saturday and 22.00 hrs. on Sunday during the year, and 7.00 hrs. on Saturday and 22.00 hrs. on Sunday in the summer period (from 15 June to 15 September).
The aim of the package is to facilitate a compromise in Council. At the last meeting of transport ministers, a majority of Member States made their agreement on the two first aspects of the package dependent on the harmonisation over the ban on driving. Germany, Austria and, to a lesser extent, France, are however very much against this last measure that would oblige them to widen the driving schedule throughout their territories. The Commission has to present proposals amending the directive on driving and rest times for hauliers, as well as vocational training and road checks.