The European Commission is not expected to decide until this autumn whether to pursue its infringement case against Germany over the imposition of the German minimum wage on hauliers from other nations, an EC spokesman has revealed.
The EC launched its infringement procedure with a letter of formal notice in May after it emerged that Germany had sought to apply its minimum wage of €8.50 (just over £6) an hour to all visiting transport operations in a move the EC said “restricts the freedom to provide services and the free movement of goods in a disproportionate manner”.
A spokesman for the EC confirmed to Motortransport.co.uk today that Germany had issued a response to the launching of the infringement procedure within the two-month period required but declined to say more, suggesting its response was “confidential”.
“There are assessments [taking place] right now and the Commission plans to take a decision in the course of the autumn,” he added.
If the EC decides to pursue its case further, the next stage will be for it to issue a so-called ‘reasoned opinion’ - essentially a statement of why it believes EU law has been breached that calls on Germany to comply within two months. If the matter were not resolved to the EC’s satisfaction at that point, the case could ultimately end up being referred to the Court of Justice, he confirmed.
