Lithuanian national carriers’ association (LINAVA) together with Lithuanian MEP Bronis Ropė held a breakfast discussion called “Mobility Package 1: social Europe or Europe of walls” on 5 December. The event was marked by insightful interventions of MEP B. Ropė, representatives of Lithuanian and Danish Hauliers, Brussels-based organisations as well as of German freight forwarders, logistics and industry.
The speakers expressed their disappointment with the Council’s General Approach adopted on 3-4 December. The European Parliament was advised not to follow most of the provisions of the Council’s position and, therefore, exclude international road transport operations from the Posting of Workers Directive and reject cooling-off period for cabotage. These rules cannot be enforced effectively in hyper mobile international road transport sector which requires tailor-made approach not restricting market access and allowing drivers to benefit on an equal footing.
The regular return home of trucks was also one of the key topics urging MEPS to discard it since an obligatory return of trucks to a country of establishment is against social, economic and environmental logic. It is also a considerably unfair measure hitting transport companies in outer edges of the EU the hardest and in a discriminative way.
The European Parliament was called upon for a balanced and evidence based decisions. Otherwise, the logistics and industry in East and West parts of the EU would face negative consequences with the most damaging outcomes for SMEs and peripheral EU Member States. Finally, prices of services and goods for consumers will go up increasing the cost of living for all Europeans.
