Non-EU drivers: the European Commission prepares common recruitment rules
The European Commission wants to harmonise hiring rules for non-EU drivers. SDM4EU involves 11 countries, including Poland, Germany and France.
Hauliers across Europe are short of workers. Until now, recruiting drivers from outside the Union has relied mainly on private initiatives and national legislation. The European Commission wants to change that and create regulations that apply across the whole EU.
What the IRU report examines
An IRU report commissioned by the European Commission analyses:
- legal barriers to hiring people from 'third countries',
- projects that speed up recruitment and are meant to streamline the whole process,
- protection mechanisms that will ensure decent conditions for new workers.
The SDM4EU project: where the drivers will come from
One of the key elements is the SDM4EU project. It involves 11 countries, including Poland, Germany and France. The plan is to recruit drivers systematically from countries such as:
- Egypt and Morocco,
- Bangladesh and Pakistan,
- Tunisia.
The first pilot activities are due to start in the second half of this year.
Why the Union is turning to such solutions
"The shortage of professional drivers in the European Union is said to have reached as many as 500,000 workers."
The main causes of the crisis are an ageing workforce and a lack of interest in the profession among young Europeans. The report, however, focuses on external recruitment and often overlooks improving the working environment itself, from safe parking to modern sanitary facilities.
Is bringing in drivers from other continents the only way to save European transport? Or should the Union first make sure the profession becomes attractive again to people living in Europe?