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On 19 February 2026, CLECAT co-signed a broad joint industry letter calling for a pragmatic and operational solution: allowing 44-tonne cross-border road operations between Member States that already authorise 44 tonnes domestically. The current 40-tonne cross-border limit fragments the Single Market, increases transport costs and leads to additional trips.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen referred in her speech at the recent European Industry Summit in Antwerp, explicitly to the inconsistency whereby trucks authorised to operate at 44 tonnes domestically cannot cross borders at the same weight, even when both Member States allow it.  She cited the Belgium - France border example, illustrating the practical and symbolic shortcomings of the current framework.

Following the Council’s adoption of its General Approach in December, trilogue negotiations will start in March following recent technical meeting. The file remains politically sensitive, with limited room for compromise between the co-legislators.  The European Parliament supports higher weight allowances but maintains a timeline to phase out 44-tonne non-zero-emission vehicles (non-ZEVs) by the end of 2034. The Council allows consenting Member States to agree bilaterally on higher weights and dimensions for national and cross-border traffic, including European Modular System (EMS) combinations. However, it mandates cross-border operations of heavier vehicles only for zero-emission vehicles.

For CLECAT securing legal certainty for European Modular System (EMS) vehicles is crucial. EMS combinations are already successfully deployed in several Member States, delivering efficiency gains, reduced congestion and lower emissions per transported unit. Their continued and expanded use, including cross-border between consenting Member States, is important for business continuity and competitiveness. Furthermore, cross-border operations of heavier vehicles should not be restricted exclusively to zero-emission vehicles as long as the necessary enabling conditions are not fully in place. Infrastructure availability, grid capacity, vehicle supply, charging networks and total cost of ownership parity remain uneven across the Union. A premature limitation to ZEV-only cross-border operations risks disrupting supply chains and undermining investment certainty.

CLECAT will continue to advocate for a balanced, technology-neutral and operationally realistic framework that supports Europe’s competitiveness while enabling the transition to cleaner transport.