17.2.76 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL41/11
II
(Actswhosepublicationisnotobligatory)
COMMISSION
COMMISSION DECISION
of22December 1975
authorizingtheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIrelandtotake
protectivemeasuresinrespectofCouncilRegulation (EEC)No543/69of25
March1969ontheharmonization ofcertainsociallegislationrelatingtoroad
transport
(OnlytheEnglishtextisauthentic)
(76/208/EEC)
THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,Whereas,accordingtoinformationsuppliedbythe
UnitedKingdomGovernment ,thefreightindustryis
suffering,undertheeffectsofthecurrentrecession,
severeeconomicdifficultieswith60%oftheindustry
makinglessthanabasicreturnof15%oncapital;
Whereasthepercentageofindividualbankruptcies
hasalmostdoubledoflate;whereasnewgoods
vehicleregistrationshavedeclinedto29802between
AprilandSeptember1975from37901inthesame
periodin1973;whereasamajorundertakingrepre­
senting10%oftheindustryreportsadeclineinbusi­
nesshandledof15%comparedwith1974;whereas
reductionindrivingtimeattendantontheRegulation
wouldrequireincreasesinthenumberofdriversand
vehiclesandresultinreducedproductivityandlower
capitalutilization;whereasadditionalcostswouldbe
imposedbytheneedtorenegotiatelocalwagesagree­
mentsandworkingschedules;HavingregardtotheActconcerningtheconditionsof
accessionandtheadjustmentstotheTreaties,andin
particularArticle135thereof,
Whereas,byvirtueofArticle133oftheActofAcces­
sionandparagraph 1ofTableIIIofAnnexVIItothe
Act,theapplicationofCouncilRegulation (EEC)No
543/69of25March1969ontheharmonization of
certainsociallegislationrelatingtonationaltransport
operationsinthenewMemberStatesispostponed
until1January1976;
WhereastheGovernmentoftheUnitedKingdomof
GreatBritainandNorthernIrelandhasrequestedby
letterdated15December1975authorization under
Article135oftheActofAccessionforthetakingof
protectivemeasuresintheroadtransportsector,and
inparticularforthesuspensionuntil31December
1977oftheapplicationofRegulation (EEC)No
543/69(exceptArticle5)tonationaltraffic;
WhereastheroadtransportindustryintheUnited
Kingdomismadeuplargelyofverysmallenterprises
—?^70000outof13Q000operatorsofgoodsvehicles
over3-5tonsgrosspermittedweighthavingonlyone
vehicleandonly13%havingmorethan5vehicles;Whereas,accordingtoinformationsuppliedbythe
UnitedKingdom,theroadpassengertransportsector
isalsoinaweakeconomicstate;whereasthepublicly
ownedpartisnotmakingaprofitoverall;whereasthe
plannedGovernmentsubsidyforfactorsotherthan
theeffectsoftheapplicationoftheRegulationis
£157000000inthenextfinancialyear;whereasthe
elasticityofdemandasrevealedbyarecentstudy
showsthattheindustry'sabilitytorecoverincreased
costsbyfareincreasesislow;whereastheUnited

NoL41/12 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 17.2.76
Whereassuchauthorization foraderogationshould
notleadtoanyloweringoftheexistingsocialcondi­
tionsenjoyedbyroadtransportworkers;
WhereastheUnitedKingdomshouldreportonthe
developmentofthesituationinthesectorconcerned
inordertoenabletheCommission toreviewitsdeci­
sion,
HASADOPTEDTHISDECISION :Kingdomstatesthatthereislittlescopeforincreasing
efficiencyandthatthereisanationwideshortageof
busdrivers;whereas,theapplicationoftheRegula­
tionwouldaggravatethatsituation;
WhereastheapplicationofRegulation(EEC)No
543/69wouldaddtotheseriousandpersistentdiffi­
cultiesintheroadtransportindustry;whereasthe
UnitedKingdomestimatesallltheadditionalcostsof
theRegulationtobeatleast£100000000perannum
forthefreightsectoralone;whereasinthepresent
badeconomicsituationtheburdenofsuchadditional
costontheroadtransportindustryintheUnited
Kingdomisnowrelativelylargerthanwasthecasein
thesixoriginalMemberStateswhenRegulation(EEC)
No543/69enteredintoforceundermorefavourable
conditions ;
Whereasitappearsunlikelythatemployeesinthe
industrywouldbewillingtoacceptareductionin
earningsproportionate totheenforcedreductionin
drivingtimesconsequentonapplicationoftheRegula­
tion;whereasalikelyresultofthatwouldbean
increaseinratesofpayinexcessofthatpermitted
undertheUnitedKingdom'swagespolicy;whereas,a
breachofthatpolicyinvolving750000driverscould
havewidespreadinfluenceonthewillingnessof
otherstoadheretothatpolicy;whereas,thiscould
addfurthertothedifficultiesoftheindustry;
WhereasapplicationoftheRegulationwouldbeparti­
cularlyseriousinremote,ruralareaswherethe
distancesbetweencentresofindustryandpopulation
aremuchgreaterthanintherestoftheUnited
Kingdom,andwheretheroadsaregenerallyinferior
andmoreliabletobeadverselyaffectedbysevere
winterweatherconditions ;Article1
1.TheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainand
NorthernIrelandisauthorized totakenational
measureswithrespecttonationaltransportoperations
foraperioduntil30June1976derogatingfromarti­
cles6to12,14and15ofCouncilRegulation (EEC)
No543/69of25March1969ontheharmonization of
certainsociallegislationrelatingtoroadtransport.
2.Thesenationalmeasuresshallbeatleastas
favourabletotransportworkersastheexisting
nationallegislation,butmayincludemeasureswhich
progressivelyimplementtherulescontainedinRegu­
lation(EEC)No543/69.
Article2
1.TheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainand
NorthernIrelandshallnotifytheCommissionimme­
diatelyofthemeasurestakeninapplicationof
Article1.
2.TheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainand
NorthernIrelandshallinformtheCommission ofthe
developmentofthesituationinthesectorconcerned
andshallforwardtotheCommissionbefore1April
1976astatementofthemeasureswhicharebeing
takentoimplementRegulation (EEC)No543/69.Whereasatpresentthepermitteddailydrivingtime
inNorthernIrelandisonehourlongerthaninGreat
Britainandthereductionconsequentonapplication
oftheRegulationwouldbegreaterinthatprovince
thanintherestoftheUnitedKingdom;whereasthe
alreadyserioussituationinNorthernIrelandwouldbe
aggravatedthereby;
WhereasthesedifficultiesfacedbytheUnited
Kingdomroadtransportindustryareofsuchanature
astorenderinsufficienttheperiodbetweenaccession
andapplicationoftheRegulationprovidedforinthe
ActofAccession;whereasaperiodofsixmonthswill
givetheUnitedKingdomtheopportunitytocontinue
torectifythesituationandadjustthesectorconcerned
totheeconomyofthecommonmarket;whereasa
derogationfromArticles6to12,14and15issuffi­
cienttoachievetheobjectivesofArticle135ofthe
TreatyofAccession;Article3
1.TheCommission shallreviewthisDecisionnot
laterthan30April1976.
2.Withoutprejudicetothereviewprovidedforin
theprecedingparagraph,theCommission may
modifyorrevokethepresentDecisionifitdetermines
thattheconditionswhichhaveledtoitsadoption

17.2.76 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL41/13
havechangedorthatitseffectsprovetobemore
extensivethanitspurposerequires.
Article4
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheUnitedKingdomof
GreatBritainandNorthernIreland.DoneatBrussels,22December1975.
FortheCommission
ThePresident
François-Xavier ORTOLI