EU Rules
New Tariff of Penalties
EU Member States have until 14 February 2025 to implement EU rules on transport infringements into national law. Commission Directive (EU) 2024/846 amends the table of infringements, introducing new offences in categories such as rest periods, work organisation, and submission of information, alongside changes to offence levels.
Examples of new violations include:
- “Employer does not pay any out-of-vehicle accommodation costs” – categorised as a serious violation.
- “Incorrect use or failure to use ferry/train signage” – categorised as a serious violation.
- “Records do not include symbols of countries whose borders the driver has crossed during the daily working period” – categorised as a serious infringement.
- “Records do not contain symbols of the countries where the driver’s daily work period started and ended” – categorised as a serious infringement.
Other notable changes:
- Raising offence levels for certain infringements, such as postponing a rest period for a maximum of 12 consecutive 24-hour periods.
- Adding weekly rest in the vehicle as a very serious infringement. Failure to ensure drivers return home or to the carrier’s base has also been categorised as a very serious infringement.
- A requirement to provide records for the last 56 days preceding an inspection (effective 31 December 2024).
Replacement of Tachographs
The Mobility Package mandates further upgrades to tachographs in trucks used for international transport within the EU:
- By 18 August 2025, G2V1 tachographs (installed in vehicles between 15 June 2019 and 20 August 2023) must be replaced with newer versions.
- For vehicles registered before 14 June 2019, a transitional period for replacing first-generation analogue or digital tachographs extends until 28 February 2025. EU Member States agreed that enforcement during this period will focus on education and awareness, rather than penalties during roadside checks.
New Import Control System (ICS2)
In December 2024, new customs regulations came into effect, imposing additional obligations on transport and forwarding companies. The next phase of the Import Control System 2 (ICS2) implementation began for maritime carriers on 4 December 2024, with transitional periods for other transport sectors:
- 1 April 2025: Start of implementation for freight forwarders and HBL issuers.
- 1 September 2025: Start of implementation for road and rail transport.
Under ICS2, all goods entering the EU from third countries must be declared to border customs authorities to assess potential risks. Carriers must provide data to create an entry summary declaration (ENS) before goods arrive at the Union’s external borders.
Required information for the ENS declaration includes:
- Detailed description of the consignment (e.g., nature of the goods, materials, intended use).
- Precise details of parties involved (seller, buyer, transport organiser, performing carrier).
- HS code for goods classification.
- EORI number, assigned by customs (more details available on the European Commission website).
Incomplete or incorrect ENS declarations may lead to:
- Detention of goods at the EU border.
- Rejection of customs clearance.
- Additional checks and potential financial penalties.
ADR: Updated Dangerous Goods Regulations
The regulations for transporting dangerous goods are updated biennially to align with evolving safety standards. From 1 January 2025, updated rules for road (ADR), rail (RID), and inland waterway (ADN) transport came into force, with a six-month transition period until 30 June 2025 (except for air transport, where most rules are effective from 1 January 2025).
Key changes in 2025 include:
- New UN numbers for identifying dangerous goods.
- Enhanced packaging, labelling, and documentation requirements for transporting lithium and sodium batteries, which pose significant fire risks.
- Revised designs and guidelines for transporting electric vehicles.
The Netherlands
Zero Emission Zones
On 1 January 2025, zero-emission zones (ZES) were introduced in 14 municipalities. For the first four months, these municipalities are applying a transitional period, during which non-compliance will not result in penalties. Entrepreneurs will only receive reminders until the end of April.
The cities that implemented zero-emission zones on 1 January 2025 are:
Amersfoort, Amsterdam, Assen, The Hague, Delft, Eindhoven, Gouda, Leiden, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Tilburg, Utrecht, and Zwolle.
Additional cities will follow suit later in the year:
- Den Bosch (1 March)
- Groningen (1 April)
- Haarlem (1 June)
- Enschede (1 July)
Furthermore, 12 other cities have confirmed plans to introduce zero-emission zones after 2025. A map of ZES locations is available on the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management website.
Vehicles with an emission class lower than Euro 5 are not allowed to enter these zones. However, a transitional period has been established:
- Euro 5 vans are permitted until 2027, and Euro 6 vans until 2028.
- Euro 6 trucks (up to 5 years old as of 1 January 2025) and Euro 6 tractors (up to 8 years old as of the same date) can enter the zones until 1 January 2030.
Romania
RO e-Transport System
The transitional period for complying with the provision of vehicle location data in the RO e-Transport system ends on 31 March 2025. Although fines for non-compliance were initially planned to take effect earlier, this deadline was postponed.
By 1 April 2025, hauliers must equip vehicles with suitable GPS systems to transmit data to the RO e-Transport system.
United Kingdom
Customs Changes and Phytosanitary Controls
New customs regulations for imports from the EU to the UK were originally set to take effect at the end of October 2024. These include provisions for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls and new customs rules. However, the deadline for requiring an ENS declaration for goods imported from the EU has been extended to 31 January 2025.
From this date:
- Importers must register with S&S GB (for the UK) or ICS NI (for Northern Ireland) to submit customs declarations.
- Declarations must be complete, accurate, and submitted prior to the vehicle’s arrival at the border. Changes can still be made until the vehicle reaches the UK border.
Goods exempt from the ENS declaration include:
- Electricity
- Goods transported via pipelines
- Letters, postcards, and printed materials (including those on electronic media)
- Personal luggage items
- Goods declared orally to customs
Specific declaration deadlines depend on the transport type. A detailed table is available in a related article.
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
From 2 April 2025, almost all travellers to the UK who do not require a visa must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) prior to arrival.
Currently, as of 8 January 2025, this requirement only applies to citizens of non-European countries. From 2 April, it will extend to citizens of European Union countries, including Poland. Applications can be submitted from 5 March via the UK ETA app or online.
Key details about the ETA:
- Cost: £10 (approx. £51)
- Processing time: Up to three working days
- Validity: Two years (or until passport expiry)
- Permitted visits: Multiple trips or single stays of up to six months for tourism, family visits, business, or short-term study.
Direct Vision Standard (DVS)
Transport for London (TfL) will implement new Direct Vision Standard (DVS) and Progressive Safer System (PSS) rules for HGVs in 2025. These updates will require costly upgrades for certain trucks.
Although stricter truck standards were initially scheduled for 28 October 2024, their implementation has been delayed until 4 May 2025.
As a reminder:
- The DVS safety permit applies to HGVs over 12 tonnes entering or operating in Greater London.
- Vehicles are assigned a star rating based on the level of direct vision from the cab. Lower-rated vehicles may operate in London with a special permit.
The new requirements include additional safety technology:
1. Blind Spot Monitoring System (BSIS):
o Detects pedestrians and cyclists in blind spots.
o Provides audible warnings only when there is an imminent risk of collision.
2. Monitoring of the Front Area (MOIS):
o Detects pedestrians and cyclists in front of the vehicle.
o Alerts the driver before moving off, with audible warnings reserved for immediate collision risks.