The DVSA has provided an update to hauliers, after the United Kingdom and the European Union have agreed a Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
What does the deal mean for UK hauliers?
UK and EU operators will continue to be able to provide services to, from and through each other’s territories. Hauliers can also continue to make some additional movements within the other’s territory.
Under the Agreement, UK haulier’s will be able to undertake unlimited bilateral (point-to-point) journeys to and from the EU and unlimited transit journeys through the EU to a non-EU country.
Up to two additional movements in the EU will also be possible. This will include cabotage, which is the moving of goods between two points within one EU Member State, for example from Paris to Lille. It will also include cross-trade (moving goods between two EU Member States, for example taking a load from Paris to Brussels) – following a laden journey (moving goods) from the UK, with a maximum of one cabotage movement, performed within a 7-day period.
Both additional movements may be cabotage movements in Ireland for Northern Ireland operators, provided they follow a laden journey from Northern Ireland, and are performed within 7 days.
The driver will still need to:
- Comply with traffic management regulations in Kent, such as Operation Brock, if congestion builds at the border
- Use ‘Check an HGV is Ready to Cross the Border’ service before reaching Kent
What action should be taken?
Check journeys are covered by the Trade Cooperation Agreement. If they aren’t, consider whether an ECMT permit is needed for a third cross-trade journey in the EU, or to make a journey to another country that is part of the ECMT system in January and/or February.
If an annual ECMT permit has not already been allocated, the DVSA will be able to issue you a short term (30-day) permit for these journeys. Contact DVSA at shorttermecmt@dvsa.gov.uk.
Permits will only be issued for journeys that involve a third cross-trade journey or ECMT member country and hauliers may be asked to provide evidence of previous trips or future contracts.
While the DVSA assesses demand, it will only issue permits to cover journeys that commence in January and February and hauliers must return completed ECMT logbooks within two weeks of the expiry of the permit. Arrangements for access after February will be confirmed in the New Year.
ECMT permits cannot be used for cabotage journeys.
Which countries need an ECMT permit?
An ECMT permit will be needed to make journeys to other ECMT member countries that aren’t in the EU or covered by a bilateral arrangement, these are:
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro.
