Parliament and Council negotiators agreed on Tuesday evening to ease existing restrictions on the hiring of vans or trucks without drivers employed in another EU country.
The temporary agreement will ease existing restrictions on hiring vehicles from other EU countries
The interim agreement will update the current EU rules which ensure a minimum level of market opening for driverless hired trucks.
The agreement will ease the existing restrictions on renting these vehicles from other EU countries. This will enable carriers, rental and leasing companies to meet short-term, seasonal or temporary peaks in demand or to replace defective or damaged vehicles. Moreover, the agreement reached by Parliament and the Council will contribute to the achievement of the EU's climate goals. This will happen because the rental vehicles are usually newer, safer and less polluting than the average fleet.
Companies will be able to use the rented vehicles for at least two months a year
Member States agreed to allow rented cars to be used without drivers holding a driving license from another EU country, but opposed full market opening due to possible fiscal distortions. EP negotiators ensured that transport companies will be able to use the rented vehicles for at least two months a year. Member States may also require those vehicles to be registered in accordance with their legislation after 30 days of use. Companies will have to report the use of rented vehicles to their national authorities to ensure that they do not account for more than 25 percent of the company's total fleet of goods vehicles.
This agreement allows companies to rent additional trucks more easily than buy them
EP rapporteur Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar said: “This agreement allows companies to rent extra trucks more easily than buy them to meet seasonal needs. This gives companies more options, freedom of enterprise. It offers the opportunity to allocate resources in the best possible way, which also leads to environmental benefits and road safety ”.
Next steps. Temporary agreement for driverless car rental
Informal agreement on EU matters regulations regarding the use of trucks hired without drivers still needs to be approved by the Council and Parliament
Source: European Parliament
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