site.btaPM Borissov Sends Letter to Five European Counterparts Thanking Them for Support in Mobility Package 1 Talks

104 ECONOMY-ROAD HAULIERS-GRIEVANCES

PM Borissov Sends Letter to Five
European Counterparts Thanking Them for Support
in Mobility Package 1 Talks


Sofia, January 12 (BTA) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has sent letters of thanks to his counterparts in Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, and Spain: Viorica Dancila, Mateusz Morawiecki, Saulius Skvernelis, Viktor Orban, and Pedro Sanchez, for the support and cooperation during the negotiations on the Mobility Package 1, the government's information service said on Saturday.

On Thursday the EP's Transport Committee approved only one of three reports concerning the rules of international road haulage.

In the letters Borissov expresses regret the initial goals of the Mobility Package have been lost in the process of discussions and that national interests overran the common European approach. According to Borissov, the rules in the controversial proposals for road haulage do not correspond to the social agenda of the EU, have a negative impact on the goals regarding the environment and will be to the detriment of the European economy as a whole.

Borissov also notes that the European road haulage business, trade unions and all economic sectors dependant on efficient road haulage services have recently voiced similar reservations. He also argues that on the eve of elections for a new European Parliament it will be difficult to reach a balanced solution regarding the mobility package, and that the road haulage issues are too critical for the European economy to be solved in an emergency. Rather, the responsibility for this should be left for the next European Parliament and Commission.

Borissov concludes that he relies on his counterparts to continue the joint efforts in all EU institutions so as to achieve a better solution and prevent the passage of protectionist measures in the road haulage sector.

After discussing the situation with the Mobility Package I with European Parliament President Antonio Tajani in a phone call on Friday, Borissov is sending Bulgaria's Transport, IT and Communications Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov to Brussels on Monday to set forth all Bulgarian arguments on the issue at a meeting with Tajani. LY/ZH//