WRITTEN QUESTION P-0131/00 by Theodorus Bouwman (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Employment of third-country drivers.
C 330 E/88 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 Following a call for tenders, the Commission has signed a contract with an NGO for the removal of its own old computers. This enables this NGO to recycle these computers inside and outside the Community in the course of its activities. Further the Commission cooperates on request with this NGO in the preparation of computers for schools and associations in the community and for projects in third countries. 3. and 4. information of the kind requested. In the performance of its duties under the Treaties, the Commission does not acquire (2000/C 330 E/097) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0131/00 by Theodorus Bouwman (Verts/ALE) to the Commission Subject: Employment of áthird-countryí drivers (18 January 2000) The Belgian/Netherlands Transport Newsletter (NT) for 4 January 2000 carries a detailed report revealing that illegal employment within the EU of drivers from non-EU countries ü in particular Eastern Europe ü in the sense that work permits are not applied for and is increasing sharply. The activity is áillegalí employment contracts are not issued. The situation amounts to an inadmissible distortion of competition and evasion of collective labour agreements. Is the Commission alert to this phenomenon, and if so how widespread is it? Can the Commission 1. provide an overview? 2. Major companies like Willy Betz operate a scam posing negligible risk of detection. They arrange, for example, for East European drivers to drive in all EU Member States except the one in which the goods vehicle concerned is registered. That, after all, is the only country in which any checks are likely to be made on work permits. Is the Commission aware of this and other scams, and if so what action is it taking to extend and harmonise the necessary checks? Can the Commission provide an overview of its activities in this connection in arranging consulta- 3. tions with Member States and drawing up directives and other relevant measures? Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (29 February 2000) The Commission is aware of the increasing number of drivers from outside the Community who are 1. employed by haulage firms in the Community. It is likely that in many cases the employment conditions of these drivers are contrary to the national rules of the Member States where the haulier is established. The Commission is concerned about the distorting effects of this practice on road haulage competition within the Community but has no data about the exact size of the problem. 2. The Commission considers the difficult control of the álegalí employment status of drivers to be a very pressing problem within the national and international road haulage industry. Indeed, for this reason the Commission has already written to the Member States in order to raise awareness of the problem. In order to grasp the extent of the problem of the often illegal use of third country drivers, the 3. Commission has asked the Member States to provide an overview of the diverse social, labour and transport rules they apply in this area. A meeting with government experts will be organised shortly in order to explore possible ways to address this issue. Industry will also be consulted. Once it has gained an overview of the relevant rules and details determining current practice and has explored possible measures, the Commission will consider what precise action must be taken. The Commission intends to adopt a communication on this matter in the course of this year