COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 19 June 1995

on social harmonization in road freight transport in the Internal Market

(95/C 169/03)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to its resolution of 24 October 1994 on road freight transport in the Single European Market (1);

Considering the prospects for liberalizing the internal market and the intensification of relations with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which mean that better harmonization of conditions of competition must be ensured;

In view of the need to improve road safety and to improve social conditions, which are sources of stability and efficiency in road transport undertakings;

1. NOTES the consideration, in the current proceedings of the Joint Committee on Road Transport, of questions relating to working time and vocational training in the road transport sector;

2. NOTES that the Joint Committee on Road Transport is pressing ahead with its proceedings on those questions, on the basis of the surveys scheduled in the next few months:

- on the one hand, on how account is taken, in legislation in force in the Member States, of the working time of long-distance drivers of heavy goods vehicles other than the time spent driving or resting,

- on the other hand, of the provisions in force in the Member States relating to the initial vocational training and continuing vocational training of such drivers, whether or not such training is compulsory;

3. CALLS UPON the Commission to continue its cooperation with the Joint Committee on Road Transport in order to ensure that such surveys are actually carried out and that the summaries drawn up on the basis of those surveys enable the Committee to launch genuine discussions between the representatives of employers' professional organizations and the representatives of employees' professional organizations on the provisions to be adopted, taking account of questions concerning their practical effects and their supervision;

4. EXPRESSES THE WISH that the proceedings of the Joint Committee on Road Transport thus initiated should lead, as quickly as possible, to concrete and common conclusions;

5. POINTS OUT that it invited the Commission, in its resolution of 24 October 1994, to produce in particular a report on regulations in force in the Member States relating to the training of long-distance drivers of heavy goods vehicles, including drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous substances, and to formulate, where appropriate, proposals for compulsory initial training and appropriate continuing training;

6. NOTES THAT the Commission, having considered the conclusions emerging from the discussions of the Joint Committee on Road Transport, intends to follow up as quickly as possible its communication of 20 March 1992 concerning the introduction of the concept of working time into Regulations (EEC) No 3820/85 and (EEC) No 3821/85 on driving time and rest periods in the road transport sector.

(1) OJ No C 309, 5. 11. 1994, p. 4.