Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-02-04-Speech-1-089"
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"en.20020204.7.1-089"2
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"Mr President, the Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party welcomes the agreement reached in conciliation between Parliament and the Council on the directive on the organisation of the working time in the road transport sector and on the directive on information and consultation of employees.
Given the delicate nature of the latter problem and the difficulties encountered in reaching an agreement, we believe that the adoption of the text under the conciliation procedure is a good solution.
The directive on working time in the road transport sector aims to do away with situations where unfair competition and social dumping exist in the single market. Rules are also needed in order to guarantee suitable working conditions for drivers and thus prevent a decline in safety.
Parliament asked for self-employed drivers to be included within the scope of the directive and demonstrated the need to treat all drivers equally, whether or not they are salaried employees. The inclusion of self-employed drivers is now provided for, seven years after the directive enters into force.
After the Commission has looked into the matter, it can, of course, decide to re-submit the inclusion of self-employed drivers to the co-decision procedure, especially because the definition of a self-employed worker prevents the creation of new forms of false self-employed drivers. I agree that this is a good thing, Mr Hughes, but even so, I still feel that there is something lacking.
The case of the lorry drivers stuck in Luxembourg – and I would also add, Mr Bolkestein, that they returned home last Friday with their earnings of EUR 1 000 – illustrates the kind of situation that can arise due to a lack of adequate Community legislation.
As we have seen, there are unscrupulous and fearless transport entrepreneurs who have no hesitation in exploiting the gaps between, on the one hand, national laws and, on the other hand, national and Community legislation, who even go as far as breaking these laws and, most probably, rely on the lack of effective checks.
Some governments are aware of this situation. Therefore, in 1999, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Ireland and Luxembourg reached an administrative arrangement known as Eurocontrol Route, designed to improve and strengthen cooperation between the control services. But in order to ensure the competition conditions of road transporters are equal in the single market, we firstly need Community legislation, and then the Member States must strictly implement a system for monitoring and imposing fines."@en1
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