23.3.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L 80/35 DIRECTIVE 2002/15/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 March 2002 on the organisation of the working time of persons performing mobile road transport activities THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 71 and Article 137(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Following consultation of the Committee of the Regions, Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (), and in the light of the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee on 16 January 2002, Whereas: (1)  Council Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 of 20 December 1985 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport () laid down common rules on driving times and rest periods for drivers; that Regu- lation does not cover other aspects of working time for road transport. (2)  Council Directive 93/104/EC of 23 November 1993 concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time (°) makes it possible to adopt more specific requirements for the organisation of working time. Bearing in mind the sectoral nature of this Directive, the provisions thereof take precedence over Directive 93/104/EC by virtue of Article 14 thereof. (3)  Despite intensive negotiations between the social part- ners, it has not been possible to reach agreement on the subject of mobile workers in road transport. (4) It is therefore necessary to lay down a series of more specific provisions concerning the hours of work in road transport intended to ensure the safety of transport and the health and safety of the persons involved. (5)  Since the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore, by reason of the scale and effects of the proposed action, be better achieved at Community level, () O] C 43, 17.2.1999, p. 4. () O] C 138, 18.5.1999, p. 33. (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 14 April 1999 (O] C 219, 30.7.1999, p. 235), as confirmed on 6 May 1999 (O] C 279, 1.10.1999, p. 270), Council Common Position of 23 March 2001 (O] C 142, 15.5.2001, p. 24) and Decision of the European Parlia- ment of 14 June 2001 (not yet published in the Official Journal). Decision of the European Parliament of 5 February 2002 and Council Decision of 18 February 2002. () O] L 370, 31.12.1985, p. 1. () OJ L 307, 13.12.1993, p. 18. Directive as last amended by Direc- tive 2000/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (O] L 195, 1.8.2000, p. 41). ®) (10) (11) the Community may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Directive does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives. The scope of this Directive covers only mobile workers employed by transport undertakings established in a Member State participating in mobile road transport activities covered by Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 or, failing that, by the European agreement concerning the work of crews of vehicles engaged in international road transport (AETR). It should be made clear that mobile workers excluded from the scope of this Directive, other than self- employed drivers, benefit from the basic protection provided for in Directive 93/104/EC. That basic protec- tion includes the existing rules on adequate rest, the maximum average working week, annual leave and certain basic provisions for night workers including health assessment. As self-employed drivers are included within the scope of Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 but excluded from that of Directive 93/104/EC, they should be excluded temporarily from the scope of this Directive in accord- ance with the provisions of Article 2(1). The definitions used in this Directive are not to consti- tute a precedent for other Community regulations on working time. In order to improve road safety, prevent the distortion of competition and guarantee the safety and health of the mobile workers covered by this Directive, the latter should know exactly which periods devoted to road transport activities constitute working time and which do not and are thus deemed to be break times, rest times or periods of availability. These workers should be granted minimum daily and weekly periods of rest, and adequate breaks. It is also necessary to place a maximum limit on the number of weekly working hours. Research has shown that the human body is more sensi- tive at night to environmental disturbances and also to certain burdensome forms of organisation and that long periods of night work can be detrimental to the health of workers and can endanger their safety and also road safety in general.