Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Greece, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Romania and Sweden have received letters of formal notice.
The Commission announced the action on 15 July 2026. The countries now have two months to respond and report the measures adopted to fully transpose the rules into national law. If their replies are considered unsatisfactory, the Commission may move to the next stage of the infringement procedure and issue reasoned opinions.
Updated checklist and infringement categories
The proceedings concern Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2025/1801, which updates the procedures used during roadside checks of dangerous-goods transport. According to the Commission, the directive replaces the uniform checklist used to inspect vehicles carrying dangerous goods and updates the list of possible infringements and their corresponding risk categories.
The changes are intended to bring inspection procedures into line with scientific and technical progress.
Member States had until 23 June 2026 to transpose the directive into their national laws. The Commission said the 14 countries had not communicated measures showing that the transposition had been completed by that deadline.
The updated inspection framework covers areas such as transport documents, driver qualifications, vehicle approvals, dangerous-goods markings, safety equipment, load securing and the condition of tanks or packages.
It also retains the classification of breaches according to their seriousness. The most serious infringements may require immediate corrective action and can lead to the vehicle being immobilised.
Roadside checks continue
The infringement proceedings do not mean that dangerous-goods inspections have been suspended in the countries concerned. Existing ADR obligations and national enforcement rules remain applicable. The Commission’s action concerns whether the revised EU inspection checklist and updated infringement classifications have been completely incorporated into national law and formally notified.
The letter of formal notice is the first stage of the EU infringement process. No court ruling or financial penalty has been imposed at this point.
