A common position against measures restricting competition on the market of the European Union was adopted in Budapest by leaders of the largest business federations of road haulage and passenger transport companies operating in the Visegrad Four countries. Their proposals were summed up in a declaration signed on 21 April in front of representatives of the press.
This was the first instance that experts and top officials of ZMPD of Poland, Cesmad Bohemia of Czechia, Cesmad Slovakia and MKFE, the Association of Hungarian Road Haulers hosting the meeting, sat down to the negotiating table. The four business federations represent 9,800 member companies operating 172,500 trucks and trailers in the Visegrad countries.
The haulage capacity represented by these organisations is indispensable in maintaining the supply chain of the European Union. Eastern European carriers have an almost exclusive share in the supply of base materials to production facilities in Eastern Europe and the delivery of their finished products to the market.
Among other issues, the delegates arrived at a common position concerning “social dumping and unfair competition” charges raised against Eastern European road haulers by their Western European counterparts having formed an alliance in road transportation. The above allegations have been made “in spite of the fact that the said haulers have operated in full compliance with Community and national legislation”.
The participants concluded that the implementation of protectionist measures adopted by various Western European countries in order to restrict competition by Eastern European transport operators would result in a significant price increase in Community member states, putting hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk across the eastern part of the Community.
Participants firmly request a moratorium on already adopted national legislation, encouraging the adoption of a common legislation that may be incorporated into the road package, creating reasonably acceptable conditions for all transport operators across the European Union.
The document was signed on Friday in the presence of representatives of the press, by Jan Buczek, Chairman of ZMPD of Poland, György Wáberer, President of the Association of Hungarian Road Hauliers and Commissioner appointed by the Prime Minister, Josef Melzer, Vice President of Cesmad Bohemia of the Czech Republic and Pavol Hudák, Vice Chairman of Cesmad Slovakia.
