Wegvervoer: Commissie verzoekt Italië en Luxemburg om de Europese regels op het gebied van verkeersveiligheid en sociale normen toe te passen (en)

The European Commission has decided to request Italy to implement a Directive on the control of driving times and rest periods (2009/4/EC). The Commission has also requested both Italy and Luxembourg to notify the Commission of measures taken to implement a Directive on the categorisation of infringements of road transport social legislation (2009/5/EC). Both Directives are important measures to ensure both road safety and a level playing field between road haulage operators. These requests take the form of reasoned opinions under EU infringement rules. If Italy and Luxembourg fail to comply with the requests within two months, the Commission may refer the cases to the EU Court of Justice.

The EU rules

Directive 2009/4/EC aims at improving enforcement of social rules in road transport. It requires Member States to develop dedicated equipment and software that can be used to analyse data from digital tachographs and to check, where appropriate, the tachograph in order to detect manipulations.

Directive 2009/5/EC introduces guidelines on the categorisation of the most common infringements of EU social legislation in the road transport sector.

The reasons for these formal requests

Italy has so far not notified the imlementation into national law of Directive 2009/4/EC regarding the control of driving times and rest periods.

Italy and Luxembourg have failed to notify the Commission about the measures taken to implement Directive 2009/5/EC regarding the categorisation of infringements to social rules.

Both Directives should have been implemented by 31 December 2009.

The practical effect of non-implementation

Lack of compliance with these two Directives could endanger road safety and fair competition, and weaken social conditions for drivers.

The latest information on infringement proceedings concerning all Member States can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/index_en.htm