Much of the controversial Mobility Package has been rejected by the European Parliament. The comprehensive package of measures was supposed to counter unfair competition in the European transport sector. Many parties were critical of the package in recent weeks.
On Thursday morning, the European Parliament's Trans Committee met to vote on the Mobility Package. The committee decided not to adopt the plans as they stood. Only one measure was adopted though. That concerns the revised regulations on cabotage in Europe.
This means that the current rules for European transport will be maintained for the time being. After the elections, next May 23, the new European Commission will work on a new proposal.
Cabotage and driving and rest periods
Among other things, the package stated that cabotage should fall under the posting rules. International freight traffic was exempted from this, but would be strictly enforced via the tachograph to prevent a vehicle quickly crossing the border only to be able to cabotage again and again in the same Member State immediately afterwards.
A change in driving and rest times was also planned. Currently, drivers are allowed to drive up to 90 hours every fortnight. That was to change to a maximum of 56 hours per week. 17 MEPs voted in favour of this change, 28 voted against.
TLN and trade unions critical of Mobility Package
Transport and Logistics Netherlands (TLN) and trade unions such as FNV reacted in a divided way to the planned measures in recent days. FNV spoke of "deteriorations that are the death knell for European transport".
TLN called for assessment per measure. Director Jan Boeve: "To either vote down all these measures or support all of them is very strange. It concerns so many different topics, from further liberalisation of the sector to whether or not to spend the long rest period in the cab of the truck. All of them important issues, which the EU should therefore assess one by one, we think."
