From 11 to 12 November 2015, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Economic and Social Council of the Grand Duchy will be holding a conference entitled "Road Transport: Social Dumping and Integration of Cross-Border Infrastructure".
The conference will focus on two themes: social dumping, or the process of using cheaper labour or production areas, in road transport; and probelms related to cross-border infrastructure in this same sector.
The conference will contribute to the debate on the package of the European Commission relating to road transport, which is scheduled for publication next year, due to the presentation of the recently adopted EESC opinion on 'The Internal Market of the International Road Transport of Goods: Social Dumping and Cabotage'. According to the EESC, social dumping corresponds to practices aiming to circumvent social rules or those related to market access, or practices in violation of these which look to gain a competitive advantage. Data has shown that social dumping represents a risk to the internal market and workers' rights and the EESC will therefore be seeking to address the issue and promote more active measures such as the transposition and implementation of existing directives and the deployment of the European register of road transport undertakings.
The EESC believes that althought it is necessary to fight against social dumping, unilateral national measures aimed at combatting such abusive practices could present a risk of fragmentation of the internal market in road transport, with a need instead for action at the EU level.
Speakers at the conference will include François Bausch, Luxembourg Minister of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure; Melanie Schultz van Haefen, Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment (to be confirmed); Stefan Back, rapporteur and memeber of the specialised section 'Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society' (TEN) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC); Raymond Hencks, rapporteur and member of the specialised TEN section of the EESC; Jutta Steinruck, MEP, Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs; Eddy Liegois, Head of the 'Overland Transport' unit, DG MOVE, European Commission.
Simultaneous translation will be provided in English, French and German. For more information, click here or for late registrations click here. The event will take place at the European Court of Auditors at 5 Rue Erasme, L-1615, Luxembourg, from 13:30 to 19:00 on 11 November 2015, and from 09:00 to 13:00 on 12 November 2015.
Photo by EESC
