Eastern Europeans are celebrating success after yesterday’s vote in the European Parliament. The MEPs were dealing with three crucial issues which are the basis of the Mobility Package: regulations on driver’s rest and working time, posting in transport and access to the profession. The TRAN Committee also updated the EU rules on illegal practices in road transport.
According to the document approved by the Transport Committee, the „equal pay for equal work” principle will apply to cabotage deliveries. MEPs also extended the time of cabotage operations from 5 to 7 days instead of current limit based on the number of deliveries.
The issue of letterbox companies was also raised. According to the press release, the MEPs decided that in order to end the abuses, the „businesses will be obliged to have substantial business activities in the member state where they are registered.”
To ensure better working conditions for European drivers, MEPs introduced more flexible timetables. Now drivers will be able to adjust their schedules so that once in every three weeks they will have the right to choose a location for the weekly rest.
Success! Transit and international transport exempt from the rules of posting „- reported on Twitter MEP Elżbieta Łukacijewska while voting on the Mobility Package on the Transport Committee in the European Parliament.
A so-called compromise 6 has been voted for, which excludes transit and international transport from the rules of posting employees. However, this is not the end of the process. The MEPs will now have to negotiate with the European Council.
Of course, it is not known when the work will end. There is a risk that the process will be prolonged until Austria takes over the presidency – he noted, adding that at that time further works on the Mobility Package could certainly be more difficult. Austria is a country that is closer to the French position on transport than to the interests of Central and Eastern European countries.
The main criticism was the use of the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive voted by the entire European Parliament last week. According to its provisions, road transport should also be covered, but the details will be regulated in the Mobility Package.