The International Road Transport Union (IRU) has just adopted a Memorandum on controls in road transport in Europe.

The IRU has identified the main problem areas - such as the multiple market access regimes, different formalities and control documents, varying national technical and safety rules, lengthy and uncoordinated road side checks, passengers' identity controls, including inside the Schengen area - and suggested practical solutions to national, international and EU competent and control authorities.

The IRU proposes the creation of a multi-stakeholder Europe-wide forum to deal with issues related to enforcement and control, with the objective of preparing the ground for a European Strategy on these issues and improve road safety and market functioning.

The IRU has emphasised the fact that the current mid-term review of the White Paper on EU Transport Policy provides an excellent opportunity to launch the idea and establish the framework for such public-private partnership.

Hubert Linssen, IRU General Delegate to the EU, said: "Whilst remarkable progress has been achieved in establishing a common regulatory framework for road transport in Europe and in particular the EU, enforcement and controls have largely remained outside this facilitation and harmonisation mainstream, mainly because of the prevailing national competence in this area. As a result, even in the EU the transport and travel market is segmented in many country-specific enforcement and control areas, thus undermining the efficiency of business, market and legislation."

For the IRU, the main problem lies first and foremost in the lack of political recognition of collective transport by bus and coach. Therefore, recognising the role and contribution of bus and coach transport to the economy, safe mobility and the environment is the first step EU policy decision-makers should make when revising the White Paper on EU Transport Policy.