The report presented by a High Level Group recommends a gradual opening of EU road haulage market. The High Level Group considers that allowing a step-by-step opening of the market will increase the flexibility of operations and competition in national markets, whilst ensuring fair competition and maintaining adequate social norms.

The European Commission published the conclusions of the report made by a High Level Group of academics on the situation of the EU road haulage market. According to such conclusions, the gradual opening of domestic road transport markets should be considered as a key step towards completing the Single European Transport Area. The Commission will take into consideration these conclusions in its own report on the situation of the EU road haulage market, to be published in 2013. The Transport Committee at the European Parliament  discussed the new proposals on the Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area in September 2011.

The opening of national road transport markets should be flanked by measures to ensure that sufficient labour forces are available, says the report, rules are applied fairly and innovation can be promoted. These recommendations include to restore the attractiveness of the job of drivers, to ensure fair conditions of competition through clear and efficient enforcement, to open up cabotage gradually, to oblige drivers carrying out cabotage activities not linked with an international transport to apply the same labour law of their local competitor under the same principles as the ones of the Posting of Workers' Directive, and to promote innovation in road transport to help achieve the objective of a more efficient and sustainable road freight transport.

Commission's Vice-President Siim Kallas stressed that the report serves as a very useful basis for reflection and will feed into the Commission's on-going work on the analysis of the situation of the EU road transport market. The report of the High Level Group will feed into the report which the Commission has to publish on the situation of the EU road haulage market by 2013.