The Commission tabled in August 2003 a proposal for a Directive on minimum conditions for the implementation of Directive 2002/15/EC, (which came into force in March 2005) and Council Regulations (EEC) Nos 3820/85 and 3821/85 concerning working time and social legislation relating to road transport activities. This Directive only covers commercial traffic.
The European Parliament’s Transport Committee modified the proposal on 15 March 2005. MEPs disagreed with the Council’s common position on a number of points.
Key issues were rest times and driving hours, penalties for violations of the new rules, roadside checks and inspections of transport firms, the minimum age of drivers, courrier and express services and the deadline for the introduction of digital tachographs.
The Transport Committee demanded, among other things, that drivers of commercial vehicles that carry passengers should be at least 21 years old.
Vehicles used by courrier and express services should not come under the new Regulation, and the compulsory fitting of new lorries with a digital tachograph should be postponed to 5 August 2006. The Council had set a deadline of 5 August 2005.
The European Parliament voted on the issue on 13 April during its plenary session. It adopted a resolution drafted by Helmuth Markov (GUE/NGL, D), the rapporteur, and made several amendments to the Council’s common position. The EP incorporated Directive 2002/15/EC, which the Council had rejected, made provisions for a stronger coordinating enforcement body, and made specifications for checks to be made and how to deal with infringements. The proposal is now waiting for its second reading in the Council and may possibly have to go through the conciliation procedure.
