Ministers’ opposition
The EU’s latest transport measures – aka the mobility package I – represent an overdue reform of Europe’s transport industry for some. Others consider it protectionism against Central / Eastern Europe hauliers, with questionable ecological / economics consequences.
On 8 July 2020 the EU’s mobility package I passed a vote in the European parliament and entered into force. Bulgaria, located in the Balkan Peninsula, has put a two-pronged plan to oppose it in place. One prong consists of the government teaming up with the national transport industry to launch a case against the package in the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The country has additionally called on the European Commission to present an environmental impact assessment report on the package’s regulations and guidelines.
Bulgarian transport minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said after the vote in parliament that the aim is to “have some parts of the mobility package I annulled.” He believes, above all, that the requirement for lorries to return to their country of registration every eight weeks, and drivers every four weeks, contradicts the Commission’s ‘European Green Deal’ policy initiative. His argument is that the extra empty runs prompted by this regulation will cause additional pollutants to be emitted and thus endanger the EU’s efforts to protect the environment. Other regulations and guidelines he opposes include measures concerning additional cabotage restrictions, the requirement to pay drivers according to the tariffs prevailing in the countries that they pass through, maximum work and minimum rest times for drivers, as well as a rule prohibiting drivers from spending nights in their cabins.
Zhelyazkov expects other EU member states to join Bulgaria’s ECJ court case. The transport ministers of Estonia, Malta, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary Romania and Cyprus also voted against the mobility package I in the European Council, after all. The further Balkan Peninsula countries of Greece, Croatia and Slovenia voted in favour.
