91997E1756

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1756/97 by José Valverde López (PPE) to the Commission (27 May 1997)

Subject: Proposals for the road haulage sector

The crises created by the transport sector some months ago in France and in Spain in February have led Commissioner Kinnock to express concern, and the 'International Road Hauliers Union' (IRU) has called for the immediate application of compensation arrangements and the 'immediate restoration of normal traffic conditions'.

What proposals is the Commission drawing up with a view to avoiding similar situations arising in the future? Has the IRU put forward proposals and does it agree to take responsibility for responsible behaviour on the part of its members?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1756/97 and P-1959/97 given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (18 June 1997)

The Commission has no effective legal right or ability to intervene in a national dispute between employers and employees unless a Member State can be shown to be negligent in its duty to comply with its obligations under the EC Treaty. One such duty is, of course to uphold the right to freedom of movement of goods and people.

The Commission can urge Member States to take all measures necessary to guarantee this freedom and has done so frequently at times when the conduct of disputes has impeded the freedom of movement.

Compensation for losses incurred by operators is a matter for Member States. When governments have established schemes the Commission however repeatedly emphasises that Member States should act quickly to ensure that operators receive appropriate compensation without delay.

The Commission has not received any proposals from the IRU (International road transport union) on this subject. However the Commission understands that this organisation also intervened to help to put an end to the road blockages, and to try to obtain compensation for its member companies.

In the recent period, the Commission drew the attention of the French Minister of Transport to the fact that a very large number of complaints has been received and that this called into question the effectiveness of the current compensation arrangements. The Commission has, therefore, asked the French authorities for an urgent report on all the compensation claims submitted, to include details of the number of claims received, what stage they are at and those cases where compensation has been paid. No response has so far been received.