Common ECFD and UPEI position paper on the Driving Times Regulation revision
The safety of European roads is among the highest priority of both ECFD and UPEI . In that respect, Regulation N°561/2006 on the harmonization of certain social legislation relating to road transport 1 plays a major role as it provide s professional drivers with the assurance that their daily activities will not be hampered by a dangerous environment nor by degraded working conditions. The benefits of this regulation are not to be considered only through a social perspective. Guaranteeing reasonable driving times as well as regular breaks and rest periods for drivers are essential prerequisites to secure European ro ads from easily avoidable accident s linked to tiredness and reduced attention span.
Given the impact of the regulation on its members, ECFD and UPEI welcomed last summer the revised proposal of the European Commission. A closer examination however showed that the institution fell short in seizing this opportunity to adjust the regulation’s provisions to particular sectorial needs, especially those of the off – grid heating fuel distributors . This is even more regrettable that both impact assessments and ex – post evaluation 2 conducted in view of the revision had clearly identified them , although the Commission obviously preferred to overlook them.
