Road transport: training of professional drivers for the carriage of goods or passengers

The committee adopted the report by Matthieu GROSCH (EPP-ED, B) amending the Council's common position under the 2nd reading of the codecision procedure. The key amendments were as follows: - a new requirement was introduced into the Annex on minimum qualification and training requirements under section 1, heading 3 ("Health, road and environmental safety, service, logistics"), namely, that lorry drivers should be instructed not only in preventing trafficking in illegal immigrants but also in preventing crime. MEPs argued that organised crime was affecting the European road transport industry more and more and that drivers could make a valuable contribution to combating it; - as the common position stipulated that the practical driving test for lorry drivers may be supplemented by a third test taking place on a top-of-the range simulator, the committee said that such simulators should also be permitted in compulsory periodic training courses to update drivers. The committee also sought to ensure that the Commission's assessment of the implementation of the directive included monitoring the level of qualification achieved. Lastly, it wanted the directive to apply to new drivers entering the profession (for both passenger and freight transport) two years after its entry into force, rather than the longer transitional periods proposed by the Council (between 3 and 6 years).�