On October 7, 2024, the newly elected European Parliament, chosen in June 2024, tackled several important issues related to freight transport, with a particular focus on road transport. This took place during the TRAN Committee meeting, where Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted to initiate trilogues (informal negotiations also involving the Council of the European Union and the European Commission) on five topics: the issuance and suspension of driver's licenses, maximum vehicle weights and dimensions, rail capacity, and maritime safety regulations.
The discussion on driver's licenses concerns all categories of drivers, but specifically for commercial vehicle drivers, the aim is to lower the minimum age for obtaining a license and facilitate recruitment from third countries. In both cases, the goal is to address the shortage of truck drivers, an issue affecting all EU countries. These measures were introduced by Parliament in February 2024 but have yet to be definitively approved. During the October 7 meeting, it was decided to begin negotiations with the Council to agree on these changes. Another measure related to licenses, applicable to all drivers, involves enforcing suspension, restriction, or revocation in all EU member states. In February, MEPs supported new rules requiring that such decisions be communicated to the EU country that issued the driver's license.
Another significant topic for road transport operators is the weight and dimensions of commercial vehicles. In March 2024, the previous Parliament voted on a revision that would allow a higher gross mass for zero-emission commercial vehicles (for instance, to offset the extra weight of electric batteries). Another amendment would allow vehicle combinations exceeding the usual weight limits (40 or 44 tons, depending on the country) to travel internationally under specific conditions.
The meeting also discussed rail transport, particularly new regulations on conditions for planning and allocating rail infrastructure capacity within the EU, with the aim of making better use of railway tracks, improving punctuality and reliability, and helping to reduce transport-related emissions. Finally, regarding maritime transport, the European Parliament proposes to better equip the European Maritime Safety Agency.
