The European Parliament has given protectionism the go-ahead after adopting Mobility Package I determining long-term rules for the European transport sector, some of the provisions of which are contrary not only to basic freedoms relating to the single market, but also to the European Green Deal laying down the objective of climate neutrality, Justice Minister Judit Varga posted on Facebook on Thursday.

The Minister wrote the package imposes disproportionate burdens on the road transport sector, reduces the competitiveness of the European Union as a whole, and favours the transport operators of third countries instead of those of Central and Eastern Europe.

There were lengthy negotiations about the proposal package which resulted in serious political divisions. One third of EU Member States, including Hungary and even representatives of the industry continuously objected to the introduction of the protectionist rules which result in excessive administrative burdens and are perfectly unfit for practical application.

“Therefore, at the end of June, together with the Ministers of nine Member States, I turned to Members of the European Parliament in a joint letter, asking them to remove the rules which are contrary to the spirit of the single market,” she wrote. She added that, regrettably, after the decision of the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, too, is expected to give the new rules – which distort the single market – the go-ahead based on a majority vote.

(Ministry of Justice / MTI)