Regulation (EU) 2024/1258

What it is

PURPOSE: to ensure fair competition and improve working conditions and road safety by harmonising the rules on breaks and rest periods for drivers engaged in occasional road passenger services. PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: this proposal concerns a revision of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council. That Regulation sets maximum daily and weekly driving times, minimum break periods, and minimum daily and weekly rest periods for drivers in the commercial transport sector. Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 applies to road-transport operators and their drivers: (i) regardless of whether they are involved in the carriage of passengers or goods; or (ii) regardless of whether, when carrying passengers, the transport is regular or occasional. The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report by Henna VIRKKUNEN (EPP, FI) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 as regards minimum requirements on minimum breaks and daily and weekly rest periods in the occasional passenger transport sector. The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows: More flexibility in the scheduling of breaks for drivers engaged in occasional road passenger transport services should not cause in any way more fatigue or stress for the drivers and it should be ensured that they take breaks of the minimum duration necessary to enable them to rest properly and sufficiently. Therefore, the report sets a minimum duration for each break. Therefore, drivers engaged in occasional road passenger transport services should be allowed to split their obligatory break into two breaks of at least 15 minutes each (as opposed to three in the Commission proposal) while respecting the total required minimum rest time of 45 minutes. More flexibility in the scheduling of these breaks, however, should not prevent drivers from having breaks longer than the required minimum duration or having additional breaks. Provided that road safety and the working conditions of the driver are not thereby jeopardised, a driver engaged in a single occasional passenger service accompanied by one journey form, with a duration of at least 6 days may derogate by postponing the daily rest period by at most 1 hour , provided that the total accumulated driving time for that day has not exceeded 7 hours and the maximum daily working time under the applicable law is respected. In order to ensure effective and efficient enforcement, improved control measures and requirements should be established taking full advantage of digital tools. To allow for checks on the derogation to postpone the daily rest period and the possibility to postpone the weekly rest period for up to 12 consecutive 24 hour periods, a digital journey form should be electronically registered prior to the…

Official title: Regulation (EU) 2024/1258 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 amending Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 as regards minimum requirements on minimum breaks and daily and weekly rest periods in the occasional passenger transport sector and as regards Member States’ power to impose penalties for infringements of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 committed in another Member State or in a third country