The European Parliament has backed the road transport industry in a key vote, initiating negotiations on driving licensing and greening reforms.
In a significant step towards reforming road transport regulations, the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism (TRAN) Committee has voted to initiate trilogue negotiations on the revision of the driving licence and weights and dimensions directives. The two directives aim to tackle critical industry challenges such as driver shortages and the transition to greener, more efficient commercial road transport.
IRU EU Director of Advocacy Raluca Marian said, “This vote marks a crucial step towards balancing the transport industry’s needs and the EU’s sustainability goals.”
“We are encouraged by the European Parliament’s commitment to align these key directives with industry realities while supporting the green transition. We hope that the Council will also support this pragmatic line,” she added.
The European Parliament’s report on the revision of the Driving Licence Directive aims to modernise the current licensing framework for professional drivers. It removes important barriers to the driver profession, which will provide opportunities to enlarge the shrinking pool of drivers with young drivers and attract third-country drivers to cover the growing gap of unfilled positions.
The report on the revision of the Weights and Dimensions Directive focuses on providing incentives for zero-emission vehicles through updated rules, allowing a wider use of the European Modular System, encouraging intermodal and combined transport, and enabling harmonisation to foster more efficient operations.
In addition to the promotion of zero-emission vehicles by compensating for the weight of batteries with an additional weight allowance, the revision also promotes immediate solutions to reduce carbon emissions by supporting the cross-border use of larger trucks. Larger vehicle combinations is an available decarbonisation measure that will eventually lead to fewer vehicles on the road.
This decision sets the stage for the upcoming trilogue negotiations between the European Parliament, Council and Commission. For the Driving Licence Directive, talks with the Council, which has already adopted its position, are expected to begin soon. For the Weights and Dimensions Directive, while we are still waiting for the Council’s general approach, the Parliament’s vote shows a clear commitment to advancing the discussions.
The focus now turns to reaching a consensus between these institutions, with the goal of implementing legislative changes that will drive progress in the road transport industry.
IRU will continue to engage with EU institutions to ensure that the legislative process moves forward smoothly and addresses the key concerns of transport operators across Europe.
