site.btaNegotiations of Rules for International Road Haulage to Continue in Coming Months

Brussels/Luxembourg, June 7 (BTA corr. Nikolay Jeliazkov) - The European Commission and the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Transport) noted Thursday that there has not been a breakthrough in the negotiations on the new rules for international road transport, said Bulgarian Transport, IT and Communications Minister Ivailo Moskovsky who chaired the meeting. Moskovsky said that given the still big differences in the positions of the EU member states, it proved impossible to reach agreement during the Bulgarian EU Presidency which ends in June.

Moskovsky said that the Bulgarian EU Presidency, the EC and the member states made extremely big efforts to achieve progress. The changes that are discussed impact directly the price of haulage and also the European market. He noted that the wording of the proposals was improved during the Bulgarian EU Presidency so as the future efforts could focus on finding solutions to the outstanding questions.

European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said the topic is extremely difficult, that two presidencies have been dealing with it, and that political solutions are needed.

Bulc listed the open questions: cabotage (the national carriage of goods for hire or reward carried out by non-resident hauliers on a temporary basis in a host member state), the weekly rest of drivers in truck cabins, return of drivers in their home country, having digital tachometers in all trucks for international haulage, posting of road hauliers.