Known as CountEmissionsEU, the regulation will set out common rules for how emissions from road, rail, air and maritime transport are measured and reported. The goal is to make emission data more transparent and comparable throughout the EU, enabling businesses and customers to better assess the environmental impact of transport services.
According to the European Council, the new system will be based on the ISO 14083:2023 standard, which defines calculation methods for greenhouse gas emissions from freight and passenger transport chains.
The European Parliament explained that the new rules will apply around four and a half years after the regulation’s entry into force. The system will be voluntary, meaning transport operators will not be obliged to report their emissions. However, those who choose to do so will need to follow the EU-wide method to ensure results are reliable and comparable.
What does this mean for hauliers?
For road transport companies, the new framework provides a unified way to calculate and communicate emissions from their operations: whether for internal use or to meet customer requirements.
At this stage, hauliers do not need to take any immediate action. The regulation has only been provisionally agreed, and its detailed implementation timeline will become clear after the formal adoption process and publication in the EU’s Official Journal.
However, in the coming years, hauliers, especially those working with large logistics providers, shippers or public procurement contracts, may see increasing demand for standardised emission reporting. Larger companies already offering CO₂ calculations to customers will likely adapt first, as the ISO 14083 framework is already familiar to many international operators.
For small and medium-sized hauliers, the CountEmissionsEU system could help them align with larger supply-chain partners and demonstrate environmental performance on equal terms. The European Commission also expects the harmonised method to reduce administrative burdens by replacing multiple national or private schemes with a single EU standard.
Industry welcomes clarity but notes challenges for smaller hauliers
Initial reactions from the transport sector suggest broad support for the EU’s move toward a harmonised emissions methodology, though some voices have warned about practical challenges for smaller operators.
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) said it “welcomes the endorsement, which clarifies reporting requirements for greenhouse gas emissions in road transport.” The organisation also highlighted the importance of flexibility and clear verification procedures, noting that the new framework “focuses on companies already reporting or legally obligated to do so.”
The ALICE Logistics Innovation Platform described the CountEmissionsEU agreement as a key step toward greater transparency in supply chains, saying that a single, recognised calculation method would make it easier for shippers and logistics providers to compare the environmental impact of different transport services.
At the same time, several logistics and vehicle associations, including CLECAT, ACEA and ECG, cautioned against expanding the scope too broadly. According to their joint remarks cited by ALICE, while they support the principle of harmonisation, introducing full life-cycle assessments covering vehicle manufacturing and end-of-life phases could “add unnecessary complexity and administrative burden.”
The European Parliament’s press release also addressed concerns from smaller businesses, confirming that lawmakers had secured a commitment from the European Commission to develop “a public, simple and free-of-charge calculation tool” to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) meet future reporting expectations.
For now, industry experts believe the regulation will mainly affect large transport and logistics providers already involved in corporate sustainability reporting. However, SMEs could soon face indirect pressure from customers to supply compatible data — making early preparation worthwhile even before the new system becomes law.
What happens next?
The political agreement must still be formally approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU before becoming law. Once adopted, member states and the European Commission will start preparing technical guidance and digital tools to support its use.
