WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1025/98 by Georg JARZEMBOWSKI to the Commission. Number of inspections in the road haulage industry
Date: 1998-04-06
Institutions: European Parliament, JARZEMBOWSKI
Subjects: carriage of goods, competition policy, disclosure of information, road transport, single market, transport policy, transport regulations













EUR-Lex - 91998E1025 - EN






Avis juridique important




|



91998E1025

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1025/98 by Georg JARZEMBOWSKI to the Commission. Number of inspections in the road haulage industry  


Official Journal C 402 , 22/12/1998 P. 0060 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1025/98by Georg Jarzembowski (PPE) to the Commission(6 April 1998)Subject: Number of inspections in the road haulage industrySince 1988 the European Union has laid down a minimum number of inspections for the road haulage industry in the Member States both at roadside and in the form of visits to premises. The Commission's latest report on inspections concerning the application of social provisions in the road transport sector reveals that the actual number of inspections in the EU Member States differs very widely. For example, in Sweden and Portugal only 13 % and 15 % respectively of the minimum number of inspections is achieved. No statistical data at all is available on inspections from Italy, Austria and Greece. Conversely, four times as many inspections are carried out in Germany as are required under Community law, including a high percentage of visits to premises.The Commission:1. What action is it taking against the failure to comply with the minimum number of inspections and the absence of statistical data on inspections in the above Member States?2. Does it share the view that the continuing wide variation in the number of inspections leads to distortions of competition on the internal market?3. What action is it proposing in order to bring the number of inspections in the Member States into line with the share of the national road haulage industry in the European-wide carriage?Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission(29 May 1998)The Commission's 18th Report on the implementation in 1993-1994 of Regulation (EEC) 3820/85 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport(1)indicates which countries did not meet the stipulated proportion of annual checks required, and also sets out the reasons why the standard does not appear to have been attained.Austria, Sweden and Finland had just become part of the European Economic Area in 1994 and were in the process of adjusting their enforcement agencies to apply this part of the common transport policy. The Commission is therefore prepared to recognise that a short period of adjustment is necessary.Both Belgium and Portugal returned incomplete statistics, which made it difficult to assess accurately to what extent they had complied with the minimum percentage of checks required. The Commission has invited both Member States to provide more comprehensive data as their current statistics may not give a true picture of enforcement efforts. It has strongly recommended that a lead ministry be nominated to co-ordinate the presentation of these statistics. The Commission has opened infringement proceedings against Greece and Italy for not providing the required information.The Commission is not in favour of linking the mandatory minimum fixed percentage of checks for each Member State to the extent to which their transport industry engages in international transport since the Regulation also covers domestic transport. Therefore, that approach would not constitute a sound basis for the enforcement effort required.(1) COM(97) 698 final.