After an unusually long and complex procedure, the European construction industry, represented by the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) and the European Builders Confederation (EBC), is glad to see that the outcomes of the European Parliament’s vote of 4 April recognise the fact that construction enterprises are no road transport companies.
During the long-lasting discussions on the dossier, the construction industry strongly emphasised that construction enterprises and related crafts are no road transport companiesand should thus be excluded from the scope of the legislation. In fact, although construction enterprises use lorries and cars to transport material, equipment or workers within a geographically limited area for the purpose of a specific construction site or household on a daily basis, this is just an auxiliary activity on construction sites and should not implicate the burden to install costly tachographs.
Even though FIEC and EBC vigorously oppose the extension of the legislation to light commercial vehicles involved in international transport operations (from 2.4 tonnes) both highly appreciate that the specificities of construction enterprises and related crafts have been taken into account in the agreement.
The following exceptions are foreseen in the regulations from which construction enterprises and crafts benefit:
- An exemption for light commercial vehicles used for the transport of goods (where the transport is not effected for hire or reward, but on the own account of the company or the driver), which especially alleviates the effects of the increased scope for construction enterprises operating in border regions;
- An extension of the existing exemption for vehicles with a maximum permissible mass not exceeding 7.5 tonnes from a 100 km to a 150 km radius, which facilitates the work of construction enterprises and related crafts, especially in rural area;
- The possibility for national exemption of vehicles up to 44 tonnes used by construction enterprises up to a 100 km radius, which alleviates burdens for construction enterprises when heavy vehicles are needed on the construction site.
FIEC and EBC look forward to further cooperate with the institutions on the forthcoming interinstitutional negotiations and call upon them to ensure that the specificities of the construction sector continue to be recognised.