Transport Policy

Access to the market Admission to the occupation   Road haulage General rules Cabotage Driver attestation Hired vehicles   Passenger transport General rules Cabotage

Non-EU countries General Land transport agreement with Switzerland EEA Agreement Interbus agreement

Road charging Infrastructure charging Vehicle & fuel taxes Tolls & user charges for vehicles (including Eurovignette)

Social provisions Driving time & rest periods Tachograph [List of Workshops] Working time Enforcement Form of attestation of activities

Social provisions

Driving time and rest periods

Regulation (EC) 561/2006 provides a common set of Community rules for maximum daily and fortnightly driving times as well as daily and weekly minimum rest periods for all drivers of road haulage and passenger transport vehicles, subject to specified exceptions and derogations. The scope of operations regulated is tremendously diverse - it includes passenger transport and road haulage operations, both international and national, long and short distance, drivers for own account and for hire and reward, employees and self-employed.  The aim of the Regulation is to avoid distortion of competition, improve road safety and driver working conditions within the Community.

The daily driving period shall not exceed 9 hours, with an exemption of twice a week when it may be 10 hours. There can be six driving periods per week. The total weekly driving time may not exceed 56 hours and the total fortnightly driving time may not exceed 90 hours. The daily rest period shall be at least 11 hours, with an exception of going down to 9 hours three times a week. There is provision for a split rest of 3 hours followed by 9 hour rests to make a total of 12 hours rest per day. Weekly rest is 45 continuous hours, which can be reduced to 24 hours. Compensation arrangements apply for reduced weekly rest periods. Breaks of at least 45 minutes (separable into 15 minutes followed by 30 minutes) should be taken after 4 ½ hours at the latest.

The implementation of this Regulation is the subject to a biennial report, which indicates the level of checks undertaken and offences detected, based on information provided in a common format by Member States.

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION:

	The Article 16 of Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 requires that the Commission produces a report every two years on the implementation of this Regulation by Member States and developments in the fields in question. The report is based on information and data submitted by Member States to the Commission. This report covers the period of 2003-2004. The previous reports can be found at the web page of Eur-lex
	Report from the Commission on the implementation in 2003-2004 of Regulation (EEC) 3820/85 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport COM (2007) 622
	Annex Commission Staff Working Document
	The standard reporting form that Member States have to use when submitting the necessary information has been reviewed by Commission Decision of 22 September 2008 Commission Decision of 22.IX.2008 drawing up the standard reporting form referred to in Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 (C(2008)5123)
	NATIONAL EXCEPTIONS FROM DRIVERS’ HOURS RULES Article 13 (1) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 sets out a list of possible national derogations from application of provisions on driving times, breaks and rest periods (Articles 5 to 9 of the Regulation). It is within the competency of each Member States to decide whether any of the listed possible national derogations will be granted or not.
	The table presents an overview of national derogations granted by several Member States 26/11/2008

GUIDANCE NOTES on the implementation of Community rules on driving times and rest periods of professional drivers.

In accordance with Article 22 (4) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 the Commission shall support dialogue between Member States concerning national interpretation and application of the Regulation. Therefore, the Commission has established a Legal Working Group on the harmonized application of social rules in road transport under the auspices of the Committee on social rules in road transport.

The following guidance notes have been drafted by the Commission with the assistance of experts from enforcement bodies, employees organisations and industry. They provide comments on certain provisions of the Regulation with the aim to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the enforcement of these rules.

GUIDANCE NOTE 1 - Exceptional deviation to find a suitable stopping place
 

GUIDANCE NOTE 2 - Recording driver's travelling time
 

GUIDANCE NOTE 3 - Interrupting driver's break or rest in emergencies
 

GUIDANCE NOTE 4 - Driving time recorded in frequent-stop multi-drop operations
 

GUIDANCE NOTE 5 - Attestation of activities