The “Common Office” in Brussels of FNTR (France), BGL (Germany) and NLA (Nordics) welcomes the report as it illustrates the market situation with figures and reconfirms an important element of the mobility package.
Today the European Commission has published its study on the return obligation for trucks to Member State of establishment every 8 weeks. The study shows that trucks of many Eastern European companies only return once or twice a year to the country of establishment. In some countries, 80% or 62% of their fleet is permanently operating outside the country of establishment without any economic connection to the country of establishment but exploiting their remuneration advantages in Western Europe.
Florence Berthelot (CEO of FNTR): “The return of the truck is related to the provisions given in the regulation on driving and rest times for the return of the driver. We believe that this makes sense and gives shape to the Mobility package as a whole. The study’s findings show that strengthening the establishment criteria goes in the right direction, this notably leading to better working conditions for the drivers”.
Erik Østergaard (Chairman of NLA and CEO of DTL): “The study clearly confirms the problem with letterbox companies and highlights that we have a massive problem with nomadic drivers. The return of vehicle rule was introduced to address precisely that. Now we strongly encourage the legislators to not ‘rock the boat’, but to stick to the compromises and significant results achieved with the Mobility Package 1.”
Prof. Dr. Dirk Engelhardt, (CEO of BGL):” Within eight weeks before returning home to the country of establishment, a truck can drive easily up to 22.000 km and serve any destination in the EU within a EU round trip. If Eastern European companies operate almost exclusively in Western Europe, they are letterbox companies which is unacceptable in the road haulage market.”
About:
FNTR is the leading association of road haulage in France with 5.000 member companies.
BGL is the leading association of road haulage, logistics and disposal in Germany with 7.000 affiliated member companies.
NLA is the joint Brussels representation of the leading road haulage associations in the Nordics representing around 17.000 member companies in Sweden; Swedish Association of Road Transport Companies (SÅ), Denmark; Danish Transport and Logistics Association (DTL), and Norway; The Norwegian Road Transport Association (NLF) in close cooperation with its associated member Finnish Transport and Logistics (SKAL).
