Brussels, 30/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in Council on Monday 30 March, EU Transport Ministers reached a general approach on the draft directive on the organisation of the working time of persons performing mobile road transport activities. Ministers backed excluding self-employed workers from the scope of the directive. Germany, Austria and Greece, maintained their scrutiny reservations while France, unhappy that self-employed workers should enjoy rules that differ from those of employed workers, took note of the decision.
Under the Czech Presidency compromise on which ministers agreed, the European Commission will have to submit a report, four years after the final date for application of the directive, assessing the consequences of extending the scope of the directive to self-employed drivers and the impact of this extension to road safety, competition, the structure of the profession and social aspects. A possible review of the scope of the text should then be possible in the light of the report. The Council also introduced measures to enhance application of the arrangements of the directive, proposing inter alia setting up a monitoring and inspection system for transport companies, an access to information system and an assistance and advice system on rules governing working time and organisation of work. The draft directive will be debated by the European Parliament at the session on 4-5 May. On 2 March of this year, the EP social affairs committee, opposing the exclusion of self-employed drivers, rejected the text presented by the Commission. (A.By./transl.rt)