(2) Council Directive 96/26/EC of 29 April 1996 on admission to the occupation of road haulage operator and road passenger transport operator and mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications intended to facilitate for these operators the right to freedom of establishment in national and international transport operations laid down minimum conditions governing admission to the occupation of road transport operator and the mutual recognition of the documents required in this connection.

"the occupation of road transport operator" shall mean the occupation of road passenger transport operator or the occupation of road haulage operator;

31996 L 0026: Council Directive 96/26/EC of 29 April 1996 on admission to the occupation of road haulage operator and road passenger transport operator and mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications intended to facilitate for these operators the right to freedom of establishment in national and international transport operations (OJ L 124, 23.5.1996, p. 1), as last amended by:

(8) This Directive applies irrespective of Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991 on driving licences , as last amended by Commission Directive 2000/56/EC , Council Directive 94/55/EC of 21 November 1994 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States with regard to the transport of dangerous goods by road , as last amended by Directive 2000/61/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council , and Council Directive 96/26/EC of 29 April 1996 on admission to the occupation of road haulage operator and road passenger transport operator and mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications ...[+++]intended to facilitate for those operators the right to freedom of establishment in national and international transport operations , as amended by Council Directive 98/76/EC .

Whereas Council Directive 74/561/EEC of 12 November 1974 on admission to the occupation of road haulage operator in national and international transport operations (4), Council Directive 74/562/EEC of 12 November 1974 on admission to the occupation of road passenger transport operator in national and international transport operations (5) and Council Directive 77/796/EEC of 12 December 1977 aiming at the mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications for goods haulage operators and road passenger transport operators, including measures intended to encourage these operators effectively to exercise ...[+++] their right to freedom of establishment (6) have been substantially amended on a number of occasions; whereas, for reasons of rationality and clarity, the said Directives should be consolidated in a single text;

This Directive consolidates existing legislation in the sense that it merely replaces Council Directive 74/561/EEC on admission to the occupation of road haulage operators and road passenger transport operator respectively in national and international transport operations, which has repeatedly been amended, and Council Directive 77/796/EEC concerning the mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications for goods haulage operators and road passenger transport operators, which has likewise been a ...[+++]mended on several occasions.