The grace period, initially established by the European Commission for EU Member States, provides a “learning period” during which no sanctions will be applied for non-compliance with the obligation to install second-generation smart tachographs in international transport vehicles. This deadline was originally set for 31 December but was extended in response to the significant number of vehicles yet to comply.
The new deadline is 28 February.
According to FENADISMER, the Spanish Federation of Transport Associations, both the UK and Switzerland have informed the European Commission of their decision to adopt the same approach for transport operations within their territories.
Additionally, they have requested that the EU extend the grace period to cover their own national operators when travelling through EU Member States.
Under the provisions of EU Regulation 1054/2020, several EU countries have officially announced they will observe the moratorium, alongside Switzerland. These include Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, and Spain. While other EU Member States are expected to follow suit, adoption of the measure is voluntary. The moratorium reflects efforts to ease the transition for the haulage industry during the first two months of 2025.