On the 5th of June 2008, the European Commission lodged proceedings against the United Kingdom for failure to comply with European employment legislation relating to road transport activities. The commission is also taking measures to act against the United Kingdom concerning the failure to adopt as agreed national legislation on the mutual recognition of seafarers' certificates issued by the Member States.

Infringing EU employment rules on road transport

The United Kingdom has not communicated all its national measures transposing Commission Directive on the implementation of European employment legislation relating to road transport activities. Member States had to adopt the necessary legislation before 1st April 2007.

Proper transposition of the Directive provides that the number of checks on compliance with rules on driving time and rest periods progressively increases from currently 1% of the total days worked to 2% in 2008 and to 3% in 2010. Moreover, it requires a minimum of six joint checks between enforcement authorities of different Member States each year, a better coordination and cooperation between enforcement authorities, joint training programmes, standard equipment levels and the establishment of electronic information exchange systems.

Training of seafarers

The European Commission  on the 5th of June 2008, sent reasoned opinions to the United Kingdom along with Cyprus and Czech Republic for failure to adopt as agreed national legislation on the mutual recognition of seafarers' certificates issued by the Member States. Sending a reasoned opinion is the last step before lodging a formal complaint to the Court of Justice.

The Commission has decided to act against Cyprus, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom for failure to transpose fully into national law a 2005 Directive. The Directive aims to improve the image of European shipping and to attract young people to the seafaring profession. It fosters professional mobility of seafarers within the European Union, with particular emphasis on recognition procedures for seafarers' certificates of competency, while ensuring thorough compliance with the requirements of relevant International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Conventions.

Under the agreement reached when the European Parliament and the Council adopted the Directive, Member States had until 20th October 2007 to write it into national law.