The Mobility Package adopted by the European Parliament this week will introduce a number of new requirements for international road freight transport. Politicians in Brussels have also paid special attention to transport with vehicles up to 3.5 t when drafting the new regulations.
On 9 July, the three reports of the Mobility Package, on which work has been going on for over 3 years, were adopted by a clear majority. All amendments were rejected during Thursday’s vote, so the new rules will soon enter into force.
The Package will introduce a number of new obligations and requirements for companies carrying out international road transport with light vehicles (up to 3.5 t), which may constitute a serious barrier for many operators.
The most important changes are listed by Paweł Łazarewicz, Legal Advisor from the Transcash.eu law firm.
Carriers managing the so-called light fleet will need an authorisation to pursue the occupation of carrier in order to continue their transport activities. Until now, no permits and licenses have been required for vans up to 3.5 tonnes,” explains the lawyer.
This is not the only change for this group of carriers.
It will also be necessary to obtain a Community licence and have a certain financial capacity. The European Commission requires collateral of €1,800 for the first vehicle in the fleet and €900 for each additional vehicle,” adds the legal advisor from Transcash.eu.
In addition, the control of driving time will also apply to carriers with light commercial vehicle fleets.
Drivers driving vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes will have to record their driving time using tachographs, in the same way as those driving heavy vehicles. From July 2026 all carriers will be required to have tachographs installed,” explains Paweł Łazarewicz.
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