“Question of the month”

In November, CE asked respondents what they thought about the possibility of a harmonised European licensing system for construction equipment operators. The response to the idea was overwhelmingly positive, with 79% of respondents saying it was a good idea. Only 5% of respondents said it was a bad idea, while 16% registered 'no opinion“.

The largest slice, 42%, gave it unequivocal support, but a significant proportion, -37%, said that while it was a good idea, such a project would be too difficult to implement on a European scale.

Another concern was that easing the movement of labour in this way would lead to regionalised skills shortages in some parts of Europe. One respondent wrote, “Construction companies located in Eastern Europe, which already face a chronic lack of qualified operators, will be even more threaten by staff deficiency. Of course, there is no doubt that all operators will be advantaged by a European licence, which will permit them to find better paid jobs around Europe.”