Carriage of goods by road: statistical returns. Recast

The European Parliament adopted by 607 votes to 15 with 9 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on statistical returns in respect of the carriage of goods by road (recast).

Parliament adopted its position in first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure bearing in mind the recommendation of the Consultative Working Party of the legal services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission.

The amendments adopted in plenary are the result of a compromise negotiated between Parliament and Council. The Commission proposal is amended as follows:  

Scope: the Regulation shall not apply to Malta, so long as the number of Maltese-registered goods road transport vehicles licensed to engage in the international carriage of goods by road does not exceed 400 vehicles. For that purpose, Malta shall submit annually to Eurostat the number of goods road transport vehicles licensed to engage in the international carriage of goods by road at the latest by the end of March following the year to which the number of goods road transport vehicles relates.

Delegated acts: in order to take account of economic and technical developments, the Commission will be empowered to adopt delegated acts in respect of updating Part 1 of Annex I, except for any modifications to the optional nature of the required information, and adapting Annexes II to VII.

In exercising its power pursuant to this paragraph, the Commission shall ensure that any delegated acts adopted do not impose significant additional administrative burdens on the Member States and on the respondents.

The power to adopt delegated acts shall be conferred on the Commission for a period of five years from the date of entry into force of the Regulation (tacitly extended for periods of an identical duration, unless the European Parliament or the Council opposes such extension).

A delegated act shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or the Council within a period of two months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council (extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or of the Council).

Implementing acts: several amendments aim to adjust provisions on implementing acts to Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 on the exercise of implementing powers which entered into force on 1 March 2011.

Dissemination of statistical results: statistical results in respect of the carriage of goods by road shall be disseminated no later than 12 months after the end of the period to which the results relate.

Report: by 31 December 2014 and every three years thereafter, the Commission shall submit a report on the implementation of this Regulation to the European Parliament and to the Council. That report shall evaluate in particular the quality of the statistical data transmitted, the data collection methods as well as the administrative burdens on the Member States and on the respondents. It will, if appropriate, be accompanied by proposals for modifying the list of variables, taking into account the findings of related projects, in particular those on air pollution emissions caused by the carriage of goods by road.