EU Contingency Plans to Keep Road Freight Moving for 6 Months
The EU published plans on 10 December to allow basic road freight and passenger movement from the UK to carry on for six months. This would come into effect if a deal isn’t reached before the end of the Brexit transition period. These are on condition that the UK offers the same rights to EU hauliers.
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) believes that the UK government is likely to reciprocate the plans to reassure the freight industry. The plans will address concerns around severe limits on available ECMT permits for UK operators in 2021.
The European policy manager at Logistics UK, Sarah Laouadi, said: “Today’s announcement of contingency measures for road and air access for logistics operators for six months after the end of the transition period, if adopted in time, will come as a welcome safety net for logistics businesses which have been unable to plan for the future, due to a lack of certainty on whether and how they will be able to operate in three weeks’ time.
However, six months is not a very long time in business, and for Logistics UK members, it is vital that negotiators return to the table to work out a free trade agreement between the UK and EU to ensure the security of their businesses and livelihoods in the years to come.”