7 Eastern European countries against the Mobility Package. “Leave the Mobility Package 1 to the next EP”

We cannot accept proposals that have nothing to do with the expected fair, balanced and evidence-based approach. The current debates are going in a politicised, populist and even in a radical way ahead of the European elections without making an impact assessment of the proposed measures to be imposed on industries, consumers and EU Member States” – can be read in the letter signed yesterday.

These are the proposals called discriminatory

1. Regulation of posted workers for international drivers

Or the so-called lex specialis,  which means a package of detailed regulations on posting professional drivers in the EU. The general rules included in the Directive on Posting have already been established and will enter into force in 2020. The eastern haulier associates say international drivers must not be under the regulation as it causes a substantial administrative and financial burden for carriers as professional truck drivers spend short periods in many countries due to the nature of their work. If carriers must administer and pay different wages for the time truckers spend in different countries; their costs are going to grow so high that they lose their competitiveness. It is going to be especially difficult for small companies that do not have knowledgeable staff to fulfil these administrative requirements.

2. The ban of weekly rest spent in the cabin of the truck

Hauliers from Eastern Europe object the ban because of the lack of adequate parking infrastructure. Under this regulation, drivers would have to spend their weekly rest outside the cabin of the trucks, leaving their cargo unattended and at risk on the open road. Hauliers say they need significantly more parking areas for trucks and more secure parking areas. According to a study made by VEDA (which is the German Association of Highway Inn Managers), Germany needs 31 thousand parking spaces for trucks. And the situation is not much better in other countries.

3. Trucks must return home

Haulier would have to organise the drivers’ work schedules in such a way that they can return home at least every four weeks – or, if the driver chooses to take two reduced weekly rests, after three weeks on the road. However, the representatives of Eastern carrier companies claim that the further the home country of a company is, the more difficult and expensive the return is.

4. The regulation of cabotage

Concerning cabotage, the regulation would allow a maximum of 3 operations in 7 days. The should make monitoring of compliance more efficient and effective – according to the European Council. To prevent systematic cabotage, a ‘cooling off’ period of 5 days will be introduced before further cabotage operations can be carried out in the same country with the same vehicle. However, according to the associates of hauliers from the seven countries, cabotage would be over-restricted.

All of these are evident violations of the fundamental freedoms, the Single Market and the EU environmental policy.” – the claim of the international road transport hauliers states.