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The devil's in the detail
Page 22
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EU legislation on drivers' hours has been hanging around for years, but we should see some action soon. Chris Tindall ex
The clock has started ticking, according to Freight Transport Association policy manager Joan Williams. But when considering changes to European Union rules governing drivers' hours in road transport, you'd be forgiven for thinking the clock has been ticking for some years now.
The difference is that the proposed legislation governing how much rest drivers get, how it is enforced and the digital smartcard tachograph fiasco is now in its latter stages.The EU rules could finally be ready this year.
Last week the rules passed their second reading at the European Parliament; all that is now left is for the Council of Ministers to go through parliament's amend ments (some of the main ones are outlined below). Theoretically, it could then be signed off and made law, but a smooth route to legislation is tinlikely.
Will to agree
"There's a political will to get agreement," says Williams. "[But] it's very, very difficult to do so.The Council [of Transport Ministers] will have to view the parliament's position and if they don't match up then it will go to conciliation."
It is generally expected that a conciliation procedure will now be set in motion. Whatever comes out of that will go back to the European Parliament to be signed off. If it is not, it will fail.
So far the MEPs have made more than 75 amendments, which the Council of Ministers will now consider.The original proposals on working conditions were drafted by the EC; its aim was to simplify existing legislation and make it easy to enforce.
But in doing this, a lot of flexibility was removed, and this is where the problems began. •