Today at At 6:35 all-night work on the Mobility Package has been completed. An agreement has been reached between the EU Council and the European Parliament, says Karima Delli, chairwoman of the Transport Committee. Eastern European representatives criticize the compromise reached. – It is a pity that the interests of Western trade unions have won over common sense – comments Elżbieta Łukacijewska, a Polish MEP, member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism.
As we learned from Polish representatives in the European Parliament, now the text accepted during the night will be sent for a vote in the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. If it passes there, it will mean the end of work on regulations. However, Polish MEPs already assure that a table of amendments will be attached to this document.
Good morning! We have just reached a provisional agreement on the Mobility Package I with the @Europarl_EN. The agreement is still subject to @EUCouncil approval. #EU2019FI pic.twitter.com/56q4THy5Qs
— EU2019FI (@EU2019FI) December 12, 2019
After 10 hours of negotiations during the 4th trilogue meeting, a compromise was reached on the Mobility Package . However, this is still not the optimal solution from the point of view of carriers from Central and Eastern Europe. It also contradicts the assumptions of the New Green Deal, because it will result in an increase in the number of empty runs, and thus an increase in CO2 emissions from transport, ” comments Kosma Złotowski, MEP sent in Trans.INFO.
The MEP adds, however, that he is pleased because several essential elements have been significantly softened despite the very unfavourable views of many representatives.
The demands for greater flexibility and an additional period for implementing the new provisions have been included in the final agreement. Of course, we will examine the entire text after publishing its final version and decide on the next steps in the EP forum. The negotiated text will have to be approved by the EP and Council, which will also create the possibility of tabling amendments – emphasizes Kosma Złotowski.
He is followed by Elżbieta Łukacijewska.
After almost 10 hours of negotiations, the EP and Council agreed on the text of the Mobility Package . I fought to the end so that the records were balanced. The reference to Rome I was blocked. It is a pity that the interests of Western trade unions won over common sense, „he says on Twitter.
Pros and cons of the Mobility Package
The industry is positive about blocking the Rome I Regulation.
It posed a threat that individual Member States would be able to demand the employment of drivers ruled by their own national law. So it would go further than posting – writes on Facebook the Transport and Logistics Poland association.
According to the Polish MEP Kosma Złotowski, Eastern countries, including Poland, can be satisfied with the following changes:
– greater flexibility in the collection of short rests by drivers,
– the freedom to choose the place where the driver will be able to spend a regular rest,
– 7 years for the installation of tachographs in light commercial vehicles with DMC. 2.5 tons,
– maintaining the current cabotage system – 3 operations within 7 days,
– a new article stating the need to regulate the status of carriers from third countries via international agreements so that they do not constitute unfair competition,
– an additional option to extend the driver’s working time to reach the country of registration in the event of e.g. traffic disruptions,
– an additional commitment of the European Commission to prepare detailed guidelines and specifications for the construction of new secure parking lots in the Member States,
– 18 months to implement the provisions on cabotage and posting from the time they are adopted.
However, the Polish MEP sharply criticizes the followings:
– no additional exemptions from the delegation of cross-trade operations (original text, i.e. 1 + 1 operation carried out as part of bilateral transport),
– the obligation to return the vehicle to the country of registration at least every 8 weeks (there is progress here, as the original proposal stated 4 weeks)
– the obligation to equip all heavy goods vehicles with intelligent tachographs until 2024 and retrofitting type 1 tachographs until 2025,
– maintaining the so-called cooling-off period (however, there is progress in shortening this period from 5 to 4 days),
– some retention of the reference to the Rome I Regulation (but in a relaxed version).
Photo: Twitter/@EU2019FI