Rossen Jeliazkov: Market study on the impact of the Mobility Package I confirms concerns about negative effects on business and the environment

The impact analysis of the Mobility Package I confirmed our concerns about the negative impact on the transport sector and the environment. This was stated by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Rossen Jeliazkov, in the frames of the presentation of the market research and the impact assessment of the current version of the Mobility Package I on the Bulgarian international freight transport by land.

"We have a serious market study commissioned by the transport industry, which is essentially evaluative and undoubtedly shows the implications of implementing the texts so written in the Mobility Package I. The analysis data will be provided to both our MEPs and the various formats in the EC, as well as during the interinstitutional talks," announced Minister Rossen Jeliazkov. According to him, the data shows a serious discrepancy between the announced and the real European policy, and what the end result will be.

"The survey shows that fuel-only costs will increase by around EUR 155 million on an annual basis due to the mandatory return of empty trucks to the country of establishment. This will lead to an increase in carbon emissions, while at the same time reducing pollution is being discussed in the EU. 50% of empty courses do not benefit either the "social rights of… trucks" or the environment in Europe,"said Minister Jeliazkov. He was adamant that like-minded countries should not hesitate to unite themselves by outlining permissible and inadmissible approaches under the Mobility Package I.

"We were surprised as well by the volume of losses we would suffer from the introduction of an unbalanced Mobility Package I. We are not against the Package, but such serious reforms cannot be proposed without the EU assessing the impact of how these new proposals would affect the transportation business," commented Yordan Arabadzhiev, of the Union of International Carriers.

The impact study of the Mobility Package I was carried out by KPMG on behalf of the branch organizations in the field of international road transport. KPMG said their survey showed that companies owning 36% of the trucks would either cease or relocate their business, and nearly 14,000 people directly involved in freight transport across the EU would lose their jobs.