Effective simplification of transport legislation while maintaining high social standards

Background

With this exploratory opinion, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is dealing with EU transport legislation. Its focus is on reducing administrative burdens and streamlining reporting obligations while maintaining high social standards.

According to the European Commission’s cross-cutting priority, the EESC is identifying potential areas for simplification. Key aspects include improving enforcement of social rules, using digital tools such as smart tachographs, and ensuring legal certainty without compromising workers’ protection.

The EESC’s contribution will make sure that the views of employers, workers and civil society organisations are reflected in the early stages of the simplification agenda. This will offer timely and valuable guidance to the Commission’s ongoing work.

Key points

The EESC:

• recognises the important transport acquis and emphasises that a transparent and predictable transport regulatory framework is key to EU competitiveness, while guaranteeing high standards for workers, customers and social rights. These obligations must also apply to non-EU entities operating in the single market. Competitiveness, social rights and environmental protection must remain central to the European model;
• favours digitalisation and interoperability to modernise documentary requirements in passenger and freight transport. Secure, tamper-proof digital tools can simplify administration, support enforcement and enhance the safety and rights of workers, employers and passengers, while simplifying administrative tasks and respecting data privacy;
• believes that simplification should promote digital, smart and intelligence-led application of existing rules, particularly on working and rest times and workers' cross-border mobility, making the sector more attractive to underrepresented groups and helping address labour shortages. The highly mobile working environment in transport requires tailor-made social legislation;
• stresses the importance of social dialogue, as social partners are best placed to identify unnecessary and disproportionate rules and propose practical simplifications within structured sectoral dialogue, while safeguarding business operations and social standards.

Additional information

Section: Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN)

Opinion number: TEN/881

Opinion type: Exploratory opinion Commission

Rapporteur: Marco Wagener (Group II - Luxembourg)

Date of adoption by section: 26 May 2026

Result of the vote: 78 in favour, 1 against, 6 abstentions

Date of adoption in plenary: 17-18 June 2026

Result of the vote: 161 in favour, 17 against, 8 abstentions

Contact

Marco Pezzani

Press Officer

Tel.: +32 2 546 9793 | Mob: +32 470 881 903

E-mail: marco.pezzani@eesc.europa.eu 

Aleksandra Sarman Grilc

Administrator

Tel.: +32 546 8333

E-mail: aleksandra.sarmangrilc@eesc.europa.eu