Several measures falling under the EU's Mobility Package were voted and rejected in last week’s European Parliament Plenary and referred back to the Transport Committee to be revised. Included within the measures were the posting of transport workers in other EU countries for non-resident hauliers, known as cabotage, and also the maximum driving and resting times for truck drivers.

"I find disappointing that the Parliament failed today to secure a compromise on the mobility package. We had an opportunity to take a step towards a European solution but without a positive outcome the EU is left with the current unsatisfactory situation in the road market where Member States can take unfortunate and market distorting national measures," said Pavel Telička MEP, ALDE member of the Transport Committee.

"We have supported the exclusion of international transport operations form the report, but also the inclusion of it from day eleven, banning mailbox companies and social dumping, a fair cabotage from the first day, reducing bureaucracy and the removal form the market of non-compliant companies. We also support a new revision of this report in the transport committee," commented Izaskun Bilbao MEP.

Gesine Meissner MEP, ALDE Coordinator for the Transport Committee, concluded: "Nowadays every EU Member State has its own rules as to whether the regular weekly rest time can be spent in the cabin or not, leading to confusion on the road. It is essential that we find a European solution for that question. It is also of major importance that we introduce the smart tachograph as fast as possible, also for existing fleets. That would allow better control and enforcement of the rules."