The European Commission (EC) aims to reduce road transport costs across the European Union (EU) through the implementation of a number of measures that will improve the road transport standards applicable to the sector, the drivers and the environment.
Almost a quarter of all trucks circulating on European roads are empty on any given day, either while going back to their points of origin or between two shipments. According to a report accessed by the EC, the opening of the domestic road transport markets to more competitors, would reduce the number of empty runs and improve the sector's efficiency.
Siim Kallas, EC Vice-President and Commissioner for Transport, has called for a simplification and clarification of the EU rules regarding the transport of goods by road. Kallas made these comments after publication on Monday 14 April, of a report about the integration of the internal road transport market. The report concludes that while some progress has been made, the abolition of some remaining restrictions would help in the improvement of Europe's economy and the environment.
According to Kallas, "the current rules are uneconomical for European companies, affect all road users and are harmful to the environment. We need clear rules for the sector and at the same time, we need good working conditions for truck drivers. Hopefully, the next Commission will follow this path."
Cabotage
The lifting of cabotage restrictions, with costs amounting to about 50 million Euro per year, would reduce the number of empty runs by facilitating the possibility of carrying mixed cargo and using round trips.
It would also help in optimising fleet management, thereby increasing the overall efficiency of logistics in the EU and helping maintain its attractiveness as a place for production and trade.
Some figures
Road transport accounts for almost three quarters (72%) of the EU's inland freight transport; its annual turnover amounts to 300,000 million Euro, which represents about 2 percent of the EU's GDP.
Ground transportation is the only form of logistics with decreasing labour productivity, with a -0.2% decline since 2001.
Domestic transport represents around 67% of all road transport in the EU. However, access of foreign carriers to domestic markets remains very limited.
Source: hortoinfo.es