On the 20th of December 2019, the Council’s Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER 2) approved a set of proposals – known as the Mobility Package – on drivers’ working conditions, special posting rules for drivers in international transport, access to the haulage market, and improved enforcement.
The new rules are designed to ensure a balance between improved working conditions for drivers and the freedom to provide cross-border services for operators, and will also contribute to road safety. In addition, they will provide much-needed clarity for the sector and put an end to uneven application of these rules between Member States.
A provisional agreement was reached between the Council presidency and the European Parliament on the 11th of December. Further steps include a formal approval by a Council of Ministers Meeting and a formal approval by the European Parliament that is most likely to happen in the first quarter of 2020.
The European Commission has already indicated its intention to undertake an impact assessment of certain elements of the agreement to verify their compatibility with the new European Green Deal policy which was also adopted by the European Commission on the 11th of December 2019. Notably, this concerns the obligatory “return home” of the vehicle every eight weeks and the restrictions for the first and last road leg of a combined transport operation.
For more information, please see the Council Press Release.