The Treaty of Liège enters into force today, part of the fight against social dumping in the transport sector and an effort to harmonise regulations on rest periods, loading and transport of dangerous substances, etc., for the benefit of industry.
As a result, Dutch, Belgian and Luxembourg inspectors may, inter alia, carry out joint inspections of trucks and buses in the three countries.
This treaty was signed in 2014 in Liège by the three countries prior to ratification by all three signatories.
In the meantime, on the basis of a transitional regime and pending the entry into force of the Treaty, several major Benelux road transport inspections have already taken place. Under this transition regime, inspectors from neighbouring countries could only act as observers. Now they can exercise all of their skills.
Co-operation on the basis of this Benelux Treaty leads to a more uniform control of road transport, cost reductions, more honest competition between transport companies and better working conditions for drivers. In addition, this cooperation strengthens general road safety in the three countries.
The Benelux Treaty seeks to intensify co-operation by improving the existing situation through intensive harmonisation of controls, exchange of equipment and training of personnel in order to reduce costs and by allowing inspectors of a country to participate in Inspections in another Benelux country by exercising all their powers, which in particular enables the expertise of the specialists in each country to be obtained.
In so doing, they are fully committed to road safety for citizens and create a level playing field, so that entrepreneurs inside and outside the Benelux must comply with the same rules of control. All these elements contribute to the strengthening of the fight against social dumping in the transport sector, one of the main wishes expressed by the Prime Ministers of the three countries at one of the Benelux summits.
Under a transitional regime, eight major Benelux inspections have already taken place on 543 vehicles. During these inspections, 218 infringements were found. Inspectors from other countries were present at the check-points. Other control measures are already foreseen in the Benelux.
The application of the Treaty of Liège allows the three Benelux countries to play the role of forerunners in Europe. In addition, the treaty expressly provides for the possibility of accession of other countries.
