Written by Damiano Scordamaglia (6th edition, updated on 07.07.2020),

Road transport
© Ivan Kruk / Fotolia

The EU has established a range of social measures applicable to the road transport sector, which aim at improving drivers’ working conditions, road safety and competition. To give real substance to these measures, compliance is key. The 2006 Enforcement Directive was therefore adopted to effectively implement the social provisions of the Driving Time Regulation. The present proposal, published in the context of the European Commission’s 2017 ‘Europe on the move’ initiative, seeks to remedy some shortcomings of the Enforcement Directive, such as non-uniform implementation. Additionally, it puts forward specific rules on the posting of workers in the road sector, to respond to concerns raised regarding the inadequacy of the Posting of Workers Directive, when applied to the road transport sector.

The European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) adopted its report in June 2018. After further debates and procedural developments, the Parliament adopted its first-reading position on 4 April 2019. The Council agreed a general approach in December 2018, under the Austrian Presidency. After four rounds of negotiations, Parliament and Council reached provisional agreement on the proposal on 12 December 2019, subsequently approved by Coreper on 20 December. The Council formally adopted its first-reading position on 7 April 2020, and on 8 June the TRAN committee recommended Parliament approve it at second reading. The agreed text thus returns to plenary in July for a final vote at second reading. Its adoption would put an end to three years of debate on a complex and controversial proposal.

Interactive PDF

Road transport: Enforcement and special provisions for posted workers

Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2006/22/EC as regards enforcement requirements and laying down specific rules with respect to Directive 96/71/EC and Directive 2014/67/EU for posting drivers in the road transport sector.
Committee responsible: Transport and Tourism (TRAN) COM(2017) 278 of 31.5.2017

procedure ref.: 2017/0121(COD)

Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’)
Rapporteur: Kateřina Konečná (GUE/NGL, Czechia)
Shadow rapporteurs: Andor Deli (EPP, Hungary), Petar Vitanov (S&D, Bulgaria), Izaskun Bilbao Barandica (Renew, Spain), Paolo Borchia (ID, Italy), Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France), Kosma Złotowski (ECR, Poland)
Next steps expected: Second-reading vote in plenary

Listen to podcast ‘Road transport: Enforcement and special provisions for posted workers‘.

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