EP AND COUNCIL REACH A DEAL ON HIRED VEHICLES DIRECTIVE
On 26 October, negotiators from the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on revised rules for the use of hired vehicles for goods transport. The revision was proposed by the Commission in 2017 as part of the Mobility Package I and is aimed at clarifying the current rules, harmonising the legal framework and easing the restrictions on the use of such vehicles.
Currently, the Directive guarantees the access by haulage companies to hired vehicles only when these are registered in the Member State where the company has its seat. Under the provisional agreement, Member States will not be allowed to restrict the use on their territory of a vehicle hired by a haulage company established in another Member State. Companies will have to report to their national authorities their use of hired vehicles, in order to ensure that it does not constitute more than 25 percent of the overall goods vehicle fleet used by the business involved. The minimum guaranteed lease period for an individual vehicle registered in another Member State is set at 2 months, but Member states may also choose to require these vehicles to be registered under their rules after 30 days of use.
The provisional agreement needs to be formally endorsed by the Council’s Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER) and the EP’s Transport and Tourism (TRAN) Committee before its final adoption by both institutions. Member States will have to incorporate the new provisions into their legislation 14 months after the entry into force of the Directive.