In 2017, the European Commission started working on a set of initiatives to make traffic safer, encourage smart road charging, reduce CO2 emissions, air pollution and congestion, cut red-tape for businesses, fight illicit employment and ensure proper employment and social conditions for workers. The Mobility Package is part of these initiatives, and its first part (MP1) came into force this summer. MP1 aims at improving the functioning of the road haulage market; enhancing the employment and social conditions of workers; and promoting smart road-charging in Europe.

Among the new rules, here are a few highlights:

• The return of the driver home must be organized maximum every four weeks
• Driver rest must be taken outside the cabin but the burden of proof is on controlling authorities; costs of accommodation should be covered by the employer
• Flexibility on weekly rest for in international freight transport
• Tachograph mandatory on all new freight vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tons. Technical specifications for smart tachograph version 2 should be adopted by August 2021.
• Efforts to enhance Safe & Secure Parking are going on, the project has been given funding priority
• Cabotage – cooling-off period of four days; new criteria to fight letter box companies
• Improve access to profession
• Third countries will have to comply with the EU rules to receive the ECMT (European Conference of Ministers of Transport) certificate, countries will have to apply the same level of high standards
• New rules for posted drivers aim to prevent differing national approaches and ensure fair remuneration for drivers

Rules on driving and rest time came into effect on 20 August 2020; rules on the access to the profession and to the market will be applied as of 21 February 2022; and rules on Posting shall be transposed by the EU Member States by 2 February 2022. There is still a need for harmonized interpretation of rules for fair enforcement and sanctions.

More details can be found on the European Parliament website.