The context
The aim of the European Union's land transport policy is to promote a mobility that is efficient, safe, secure and environmentally friendly.
The EU policy objectives for road transport are therefore to promote efficient road freight and passengers transport services, to create fair conditions for competition, to promote and harmonize safer and more environmentally friendly technical standards, to ensure a degree of fiscal and social harmonization, and to guarantee that road transport rules are applied effectively and without discrimination.
Among the existing legislation applying to road transport services, Directive 2003/59/EC is part of this overall effort to increase the safety on European roads. The purpose of the Directive is to raise the standard of new drivers and to maintain and enhance the professionalism of existing truck and bus drivers throughout the EU through a continuous update of their capacities.
Data show that trainings have been effective and continue to enhance road safety. The training of professional drivers, together with the other measures set at European, national and local level, contributed to a 37% reduction of road fatalities involving trucks between 2003 and 2010, despite a 15% increase of the circulating fleet.
The European Commission published on 12th July a report of 12th July 2012 on the implemented measures taken by Member States in order to require professional drivers to undergo dedicated training.
According to this report, despite the national differences among Member States in the application of the Directive, the homogeneity of the national training systems is guaranteed by a set of standard training criteria. Member States are allowed to implement the periodic training with regards to drivers holding "acquired rights" by 2015 for bus drivers, and by 2016 for truck drivers. In addition, the report suggests a few specific issues which can improve the application of the Directive.
The CIECA workshop
At the beginning of this year 2013, at the request of several of its Members, CIECA had launched a query to have a better knowledge about the impact of the directive 2003/59, in particular on the labour market of professional drivers.
Moreover, as quoted above, differences still exist in the systems set up by Member States, and questions remain pending. Finally, improvements seem to be brought to the current measures.
The CIECA workshop will take place on 13 November 2013 in Mechelen (near Brussels) at the headquarters of our member the Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde (VSV) that has kindly offered the use of a meeting room. The event aims to give members who are interested by this specific topic the opportunity to take stock of the situation in their country, to inform participants of the main difficulties which they have observed but also to make proposals in order to improve the situation (CPC certification, training, training centres, test …).
As for the previous workshops on the implementation of the 3rd Directive on driving licences (2012-2103), a final report will be published in order to be presented to European Commission.
- Agenda
- Fee: This members' only event is free-of-charge
- Location: Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde (VSV), Mechelen (Belgium). See information for participants.
- Accommodation: NH Hotel Mechelen (Belgium). Please download the hotel reservation form. The deadline for hotel bookings is Tuesday 29 October 2013.
- Deadline: The registration deadline for the workshop is Thursday 31 October 2013.
- Working language: English