Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-05-17-Speech-1-194"
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"en.20100517.20.1-194"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I would firstly like to thank all the members of the committee for their constructive cooperation. This report concerns an important matter. It affects everyone who travels on Europe’s roads. It concerns compliance with driving hours and rest periods in goods transport, which needs to be considerably improved.
Our discussions in committee – along with the many discussions held with a wide range of stakeholders from all sides, as well as discussions with representatives of Member States – showed that it is imperative that the implementation of the rules on driving hours and rest periods is urgently improved.
The rules on tachographs also need to be improved. In May 2009, the Commission submitted a report analysing the implementation of the social rules relating to road transport in the Member States. It has to be said that the results were sobering. The penalty for the same offence in different Member States varied from EUR 500 to EUR 5 000. In consequence, as far as is possible – which is mainly in border areas – drivers naturally flee to states where the penalties are lower. This situation cannot continue. Differences in the frequency of checks also result in great uncertainty among drivers and undertakings.
Not only are there differences in the level of fines, but there is also wide variation in the types of sanctions available and in how individual offences are categorised. This situation cannot continue, because the aim of such rules is not just road safety and the protection of employees, but also – and this should not be forgotten – fair competition. In times of crisis, undertakings come under increasing pressure. There is pressure on prices. The safety of all those on the roads and, of course, not least of those drivers directly involved, must therefore be absolutely ensured.
As we are all aware, this can only be achieved if we have an effective penal system. The penalties must be clear, transparent and, above all, comparable. If we want the regulation on driving hours and rest periods to be successful, then the regulations also have to be sensibly transposed in the Member States – and that is the most important point in this report. In any event, we need more frequent and better controls as well as information on the rules, not just for drivers from our Member States but also for drivers from third countries. Naturally, they are not always familiar with our systems.
It is therefore essential to bring about an exchange of information, and this be based in the Commission. An agency with general competence for road transport could be responsible for this. In this context, I consider it irrelevant which office deals with bringing together checks and results. One thing is clear, however: such an office must exist. Article 83(2) of the Treaty of Lisbon allows us to intervene in the rules of the individual Member States and to check whether the legal provisions are being harmonised accordingly. There was no question in the committee – it was entirely undisputed – that it is in all our interests, and the interests of our safety, to utilise this possibility.
There is one further significant factor to mention before I conclude my comments. If we want drivers to comply with rest periods, then we must provide them with the necessary infrastructure. In many Member States, there are not really sufficient safe parking areas. It is up to the Member States to provide these, because only then can the rules genuinely have the desired effect.
I very much hope that the Commission will continue to take this problem seriously and I am convinced that Parliament must and indeed will go along with this. This report must not be the end of this work. Perhaps it is only the beginning. It is a matter of genuinely joining forces to achieve better control and harmonisation, and I expect the Commission to submit a report within the coming year on the possible harmonisation measures, including those under the new rule in the Treaty of Lisbon."@en1
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