WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3795/97 by José GARCÍA-MARGALLO Y MARFIL to the Commission. French road blockades: speeding up compensation
Date: 1997-11-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: France, civil liability proceedings, damage, free movement of goods, indemnification, labour dispute, legal system, road transport, strike

C 187/56

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 6. 98

Hitherto, the French authorities have not intervened to put an end to any of the blockades carried out by French
lorry drivers, which are regularly accompanied by violent attacks on lorries transporting fruit and vegetables
from Spain. But they did promise that they would in any case pay damages to those affected.

Despite this promise, only 737 (26.8%) of the 2 749 British, Spanish, German Portuguese and Belgian claims
submitted since last September have been processed, and only 124 of them accepted (4.51%). Of the 500 claims
made in the French courts by Spanish citizens, only 1 has been accepted.

The French authorities claim that the slowness with which these court decisions are reached reflects the fact that
the French legal system only allows courts to accept claims for damages when there is documentary proof of
damage to vehicles or their cargoes, and such proofs are difficult to provide. This means that there is no real
possibility of calculating the enormous cost of cargoes being blocked at the frontier, even when the cargoes have
not suffered from physical violence.

Does the Commission intend to put in hand an assessment system which would provide an objective evaluation
of the damages suffered and allow the parties concerned to be effectively compensated?

(98/C 187/88)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3794/97

by Jose· Garc(cid:14)·a-Margallo y Marfil (PPE) to the Commission

(26 November 1997)

Subject: French road blockades: examining the damages

The road blockades set up by French lorry drivers are starting to turn into a regular event, which contravenes the
Community rules on competition by preventing the freedom of movement of goods within the European Union.
The  damage  done  to  intra-European  trade  is  very  considerable,  and  has  led  to  protests  from  Spain,  the  UK,
Germany and the Netherlands. In concrete terms, Spanish hauliers(cid:146) organizations calculate that every day of the
blockade cost Spanish road-haulage undertakings over PTA 2 500 million.

Hitherto, the French authorities have not intervened to put an end to any of the blockades carried out by French
lorry drivers, which are regularly accompanied by violent attacks on lorries transporting fruit and vegetables
from Spain. But they did promise that they would in any case pay damages to those affected.

Despite this promise, only 737 (26.8%) of the 2 749 British, Spanish, German Portuguese and Belgian claims
submitted since last September have been processed, and only 124 of them accepted (4.51%). Of the 500 claims
made in the French courts by Spanish citizens, only 1 has been accepted.

The French authorities claim that the slowness with which these court decisions are reached reflects the fact that
the French legal system only allows courts to accept claims for damages when there is documentary proof of
damage to vehicles or their cargoes, and such proofs are difficult to provide. This means that there is no real
possibility of calculating the enormous cost of cargoes being blocked at the frontier, even when the cargoes have
not suffered from physical violence.

Does the Commission intend to undertake any in-depth examination of the cost to European economies which by
these road blockades represent?

(98/C 187/89)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3795/97

by Jose· Garc(cid:14)·a-Margallo y Marfil (PPE) to the Commission

(26 November 1997)

Subject: French road blockades: speeding up compensation

The road blockades set up by French lorry drivers are starting to turn into a regular event, which contravenes the
Community rules on competition by preventing the freedom of movement of goods within the European Union.
The  damage  done  to  intra-European  trade  is  very  considerable,  and  has  led  to  protests  from  Spain,  the  UK,
Germany and the Netherlands. In concrete terms, Spanish hauliers(cid:146) organizations calculate that every day of the
blockade cost Spanish road-haulage undertakings over PTA 2 500 million.