Violeta Bulc, European Commissioner for Transport, responded to the appeal of the Alliance for the Future of Transport on the Mobility Package. In the letter, the commissioner fully shares the concerns regarding the fragmentation of the common market in the EU, although at the same time emphasizes that the posting model, in the opinion of the European Commission, is applicable to the transport industry. Will it allow for a functional compromise?
Hungarian Federation of National Private Carriers NIT, the largest carrier organization in the country, which represents 4 thousand carriers, employing approx. 20 thousand employees in transport, wrote an official letter to Violetta Bulc, EU Transport Commissioner.
During the meeting of the NIT’s board on March 22 this year, combined with a press conference, the organization assessed the current work on the Mobility Package in the European Parliament. Present at the event were Andor Deli – MEP, member of the Committee on Transport in the European Parliament, Szabolcs Takács – secretary of state in the prime minister’s office, responsible for European affairs, and dr. Róbert Homolya – secretary of state in the Ministry of National Development, responsible for transport policy.
After the report was publicly presented by the secretaries of state and invited guests, the NIT Board adopted a resolution and forwarded its content to the Hungarian representatives in the European Parliament and Commissioner Violeta Bulc in the form of an official letter.
Violeta Bulc maintains her position on the Mobility Package
NIT called for the Mobility Package and the provisions on the posting of workers not to jeopardize the freedom of movement of employees, services, and goods. The organization also emphasized that the phenomenon of protectionism should be stopped, just like the polarization of the market, which threatens the existence of at least 120 thousand national jobs. NIT stressed that the provisions of the Mobility Package should be simple and easy to apply. They cannot increase the administrative obligations of carriers. NIT also expressed its opposition to include transport in the provisions on the posting of employees.
Commissioner Bulc’s official statement, however, does not bring a breakthrough. The European Commission maintains its position that the Mobility Package is a response to the increasing administrative burdens on carriers. She strongly emphasizes that the model of international drivers work adopted in the Mobility Package, based on delegation, is justified and binding.
Negotiations regarding the application of the provisions on posting in transport are still ongoing. Will there be a compromise that will not restrict trade in the EU?
Photo: European Union