2024-10-05 04:31:11
The repeal of the provision to return the vehicle every eight weeks to the country of establishment is a step in the right direction that will reduce the number of empty courses and the level of harmful CO2 emissions, the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTS) said of the Court’s decision of the EU, which today ruled on the cases to repeal part of the provisions of the Mobility I package
They were filed on 23 October 2020 by Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Malta and Cyprus, with Estonia and Latvia joining as assisting countries.
The department points out that European legislation should allow the adaptation of road heavy goods transport to the goals of environmental sustainability.
The Bulgarian side and like-minded countries have repeatedly presented and reasonedly defended the position that the return of the vehicles leads to an increase in the number of empty courses and an unjustified increase in harmful emissions, which is contrary to the goals set in the Green Deal, the MTSP recalls. A study was carried out by KPMG, which showed that the mandatory return of lorries would lead to an increase in harmful emissions from the Bulgarian car fleet alone by 0.8%, daily border traffic would double, with a subsequent transit time corresponding to an average at 33 hours per truck, the ministry notes.
The Bulgarian side welcomes the legal clarity and certainty brought about the provision for the return of the driver every four weeks by place of residence, with which drivers will have the right to choose the place of use of their weekly rest, and employers will be obliged to organize the work process in a way that allows return to the country of establishment. Bulgaria will continue to work towards improving the working conditions of drivers, as well as ensuring non-discriminatory and proportional rules for the provision of freight transport services in the EU, the Ministry of Transport states, BTA cites.