Eastern European hauliers discussing “unfair competition”

On 20 April, leaders of most important road transport associations from the Visegrad Group of countries will meet in Budapest to discuss about transport regulations which distort competition in European Union markets. The representatives of ZMPD from Poland, CESMAD Bohemia from the Czech Republic, CESMAD Slovakia and the host Hungarian Road Transport Association (MKFE) from Hungary are going to consider the negative consequences Eastern European hauliers experience from the extension of the existing EU directive on the posting of workers to the road transport industry.

There are several hundred thousand trucks operating in the Visegrad Group of countries. This capacity is essential in maintaining supply chains in the European Union. Supplying production plants located in Eastern Europe with raw materials and forwarding the finished products from to the markets are done almost exclusively by Eastern European haulers. Restrictions on these services would lead to a surge in prices in the whole of the Community, and jeopardize hundreds of thousands of jobs in its Eastern regions.

The organizations participating in the Budapest talks are also expected to express their opinion on whether the unrealistic German, French, and, most recently, Austrian administrative burden on goods and passenger transport operations is posing a technical barrier on the freedom to provide services.

The participants are planning to form their common position on the accusation of “social dumping and unfair competition” made by the Western European countries in their “road transport association”. Eastern European haulers operate legally and in full compliance with EU and local legislation, they announce.

www.mkfe.hu/en

 

 

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