A European road haulage control agency

23.4.2014

Question for written answer E-005433-14
to the Commission
Rule 117
Marc Tarabella (S&D) , Jean Louis Cottigny (S&D)

Road haulage legislation is being circumvented through cabotage which has been authorised since 2009 and allows a European carrier to deliver goods in another country providing such trips, which are tightly restricted, are an extension of a national delivery operation.

Originally planned as a way of cutting the number of empty journeys, this arrangement is open to various kinds of abuse, due to differences in wages and social and tax laws in individual Member States. Thus some companies create subsidiaries in Poland and Romania, for example, so as to be able to employ truck drivers at low cost.

1. Does the Commission agree with this finding?2. Would the Commission agree to the creation of a European road haulage control agency? Such European agencies exist for transport by air or rail, but not for road transport.

OJ C 413, 19/11/2014