Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the use of vehicles hired without drivers for the carriage of goods by road’

(COM(2003) 559 final - 2003/0221 (COD))

(2004/C 108/09)

On 3 October 2003 the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under Article 71 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 8 January 2004. The rapporteur was Mr Simons.

At its 405th plenary session of 28 and 29 January 2004 (meeting of 28 January) the European Economic and Social Committee unanimously adopted the following opinion:

In the context of a people's Europe, the clarity and transparency of Community law are an important element. The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have therefore stressed the need to codify frequently amended legislative acts and have agreed on a rapid procedure. No changes of substance may be made to legislative acts in the process of codification.

This Commission proposal complies with this intention and the EESC therefore has no objections.