Activities of Bernadette VERGNAUD related to 2013/2043(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on an integrated parcel delivery market for the growth of e-commerce in the EU
Amendments (20)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses the need to maintainonitor compliance with the prescribed driving and resting times and the working hours permitted by law, to reckon all tasks connected with the activity as working time and to monitor compliance with European standards on the protection of health and safety at work, including conditions in vehicles, for all people involved in making deliveries;-{}- irrespective of whether their employment status is self-employed, subcontractor, temporary staff member or contract worker; monitoring should take place by means of digital monitoring devices installed in the vehicle;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to simplifying cross-border parcel delivery for consumers and undertakings by enhancing the transparency of the delivery process, enabling tracking and setting quality standards to create a common European delivery market;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Considers ensuring reasonable employment conditions in the parcel distribution sector to be a prerequisite for the provision of high-quality delivery services, and essential to the social aspects of an integrated parcel delivery market, and therefore calls on the Member States to guarantee fair and decent working conditions and wages in this sector in order to prevent undeclared work and abuse and hence improve social rights and ensure fair competition between operators;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Stresses that companies operating in the parcel delivery sector often sub-contract, which can, for no justifiable reason, lead to an increase in competitive pressure, not least by swelling numbers of self-employed workers for cost-cutting motives, to the detriment of safety, social security cover and, ultimately, quality of service;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Stresses that the parcel delivery sector is one in which working conditions are often typified by precarious contracts, long working hours, excessive workloads and low wages;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Believes that the development of cross-border online trade also depends on customer confidence, and that the creation of a European network of national problem-solving centres like Solvit would help reassure consumers, as would an alert system like RAPEX, which could warn consumers of sites found to be using fraudulent practices;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that the key to appropriate transformation and adaptation measures lies in employee training; regards it as the employer’s task to acquaint employees properly with new technologies such as IT and tracking applications and GPS systems, which can offer support as online delivery becomes more widespread and complex; in the case of temporary contracts, the agency supplying the staff must give them adequate preparation and training;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the limited cross-border development of e-commerce by SMEs; encourages collaboration between SMEs to introduce shared online platforms and negotiate more advantageous delivery prices;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the e-retailer places the order with the deliverer, and should therefore take responsibility for information on the conditions for parcel delivery and their tracea, based on the various options it offers, including as regards price, average delivery times, delivery guarantees and tracking and returns possibilityies;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is critical of the extremely high amount of outsourcing which delivery firms undertake outside the regular postal service and the frequently accompanying evasion of legal and remuneration requirements with regard to conditions of work and employment; highlights in this context the long-term social implications of precarious employment for the continued existence of the Member States' health and welfare systems;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes that consumers like to have a choice between different delivery options, and that online retailers should therefore endeavour to offer a variety of options, including in the case of cross-border sales, and that delivery companies and postal operators should strive to offer as wide as possible a range of services and price rates for deliveries within the EU, including tracking and returns options, and different point of delivery possibilities;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls as a matter of principle, where parcel service operators deliver parcels themselves, for this to take place in accordance with working conditions agreed by collective bargaining or, where delivery is sub-contracted, in accordance with the principle of equal pay for equal work; calls on the Member States to introduce and strengthen laws on total corporate liability;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets the fragmentation of the European postal sector into national networks with poor interoperability; calls on the Commission to introduce common labelling and traceability standards; consider drawing up mandates for standardisation, particularly in respect of labelling and traceability, based where appropriate on the work done by the various operators in the sector;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Stresses also that the slowdown in the growth of cross-border online trading cannot be blamed solely on shortcomings in delivery but is rather the result of uncertainties about consumer rights and rights protection in cross-border online trade; therefore calls on the Commission to take action in the field of consumer protection so as to further facilitate online trade;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 a. stresses the need to create an European e-Commerce Trustmark ensuring quality, reliability, environmental and social sustainability and adequate working conditions for integrated delivery services that could help improve consumer confidence in e- commerce, stimulate e-retailers and parcel firms to take more responsibility in the delivery chain, boost transparency as well as legal certainty for both consumers and businesses and increase competitive advantage of business, especially SMES, therefore contributing to sound economic growth and employment creation;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Encourages the development of labels and certificates for delivery services that can be recognised at European level and issued by the competent authorities, thus encouraging companies to improve their performance and giving consumers confidence in the reliabiquality of the services offered, not least as regards their reliability, environmental and social sustainability and the working conditions right along the distribution chain, including among sub-contractors;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Believes that the development of these labels will increase consumers’ confidence in online commerce, induce them to choose more sustainable methods of delivery and encourage online traders and delivery companies to take a responsible and sustainable approach to their distribution chains, thereby stimulating economic growth and job creation;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Believes that the relevance of a revision of Directive 2008/6/EC to meet the present challenges can only be assessed after analysis of the evaluation report on its implementation and in light of the efforts made by stakeholders., and calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure the correct transposition and implementation of the existing regulatory framework, including Community competition law, Directive 2013/11/EU on alternative dispute resolutions and Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Member States to comply with the drivers working times and rest times laid down in law, with the legislation establishing working times in the road haulage sector and with the need to enforce EU standards in the field of health and safety at work, including behind the wheel, for all delivery workers;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on the Commission to hold discussions with the interested parties on the issue of the ‘last mile’ in urban areas, taking into account factors relating to the environment, methods of transport, town planning, quality and choice of services and competition rules.