Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-02-04-Speech-1-086"
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"en.20020204.7.1-086"2
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". – Mr President, I am under the impression that Parliament would like me to make a statement on the case of the road haulage driver stuck in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. If that is the case, then I should like to say the following.
Based on the information at the Commission's disposal, the Luxembourg authorities conducted a search on behalf of an inquiry led by the Tribunal of Munich in Germany of the premises in Luxembourg of an Austrian-based transport operator Kralowetz. This company has been active in Luxembourg since 1986 and was an international one established in eight different European countries. The technical manager, Mr Karl Kralowetz, was arrested on 22 January, and since 26 January approximately 150 lorries belonging to the Kralowetz company from different countries have assembled in Luxembourg on a parking bay of a customs centre and the drivers have complained that they have not been paid for more than three months. The majority of them may be considered as illegally employed. The Luxembourg authorities are in the process of organising the return of the drivers by plane to their country of origin and each driver will receive EUR 1,000 by way of compensation.
The real problem is the unscrupulous behaviour of the transport operator concerned. He had used illegal labour – i.e. without social security status – with a salary which is not in conformity with national law or collective agreements and without a work permit. For several months the judicial authorities and rogatory committees of several Member States have been conducting investigations and enquiries and drawing up reports. All those actions have resulted in further searches, the arrest of some of those responsible and the confiscation of documents and equipment.
The Commission welcomes the action of the judicial and administrative authorities but, nevertheless, regrets that such an affair could ever have been possible at all. This proves the need for a correct application of national laws, as well as the following Community rules in the field of international road transport operations. Firstly, the rules on admission to the occupation of road-transport operator, namely the three criteria of good repute, financial standing and professional competence; secondly, the rules on driving times and rest periods, for which the Commission has recently made a proposal for new, simplified and updated EU legislation.
In addition, the following upcoming legal instruments are also relevant; firstly, the rules on working time, on which an agreement between the European Parliament and the Council is very much to be welcomed, and on which you will vote tomorrow. I should mention here the Commission's particular thanks to Mr Hughes. Secondly, the rules on a uniform driver attestation, for which Mr van Dam was your rapporteur, and for which the European Parliament gave its approval on 17 January. That regulation will put to an end the illegal employment of non-EU drivers in the Community, through checks on the legal employment status of such drivers.
In conclusion, Community instruments exist or are in the process of being adopted. They need to be correctly applied by Member States, and this example should serve as a lesson to avoid any further repetition of such unscrupulous behaviour by cowboy operators."@en1
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