Industry urges EP Transport experts to keep international drivers out of posting regime
EP TRAN'S LAST CHANCE TO SAVE THE INTERNAL MARKET FOR TRANSPORT
The under-signed represent the shippers, freight forwarders and express carriers whose customers strongly depend on an effective, seamless and reliable road transport sector in Europe. Rules need to be simple, uniform, clear and easily enforceable, so that they facilitate transport operations, protect the workers employed in this industry and ensure a fair competitive environment.
Therefore, signatories urge the Members of the European Parliament’s TRAN committee, who have a sound understanding of the complexities of international transport, to vote in favour of compromise amendment 6 and exempt international drivers from posting of workers rules.
A lex specialis for road transport which subjects drivers to posting of workers rules goes against all EU internal market achievements and adversely impacts the transport and logistics industry because
- it goes against the transnational character of road transport activities.
- is a measure which is difficult to enforce by national authorities.
- does not address the issue of ‘nomadic driving’. The requirement for the driver and the vehicle to return to their place of employment within a number of weeks will be included in MEP van de Camp report (proposal COM(2017)277 on maximum daily and weekly driving times).
- does not bring clear benefits to transport operators – as they would be faced with a disproportionate administrative burden on the large intra-EU trade, especially SMEs.
- will diminish growth in the EU as it will increase costs of international transport and will negatively impacts the end-consumer who will pay the bill for unenforceable and disproportionate legislation.
Signatories therefore call on MEPs to vote in favour of compromise amendment 6 which aims to totally exclude international transport from posting rules.
The statement is available here in pdf format.
CLECAT - European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services
EEA - European Express Association
FIATA - International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations