The three road freight transport associations, BGL (Germany), NLA (Scandinavia), and FNTR (France), have published a joint strategy paper, “Political Priorities of the EU for 2024-2029.”
They estimate that demand for freight transport in Europe will rise in the coming decades. Therefore, they call for future EU policy to support the road transport sector while enforcing existing rules for competitive and fair road transport. Their joint paper presents seven policy recommendations.
The associations call for stricter enforcement of the existing EU Mobility Package, the establishment of a dedicated EU fund to support the green transition within the transport sector, the implementation of a 44-tonne weight limit for cross-border transport, a revision of the directive governing professional driver training, and phased market access for new EU member states.
They also highlight the challenges and opportunities presented by new technologies and digitalisation and warn of a worsening shortage of skilled workers. Citing a recent study by the IRU, they estimate that 233,000 lorry driver positions were unfilled in Europe in 2023, with this figure expected to rise to 745,000 by 2028.
“In addition to combating social dumping and enforcing the Green Deal, the driver shortage will be the biggest challenge for our companies in the coming decade. We need to make the driving profession more attractive to a wider workforce. This includes providing well-equipped car parks with good sanitation facilities, reforming EU law on driver qualifications to allow more in-company training and e-learning, and simplifying access to the EU labour market for qualified drivers from outside the EU. Otherwise, the supply of road freight transport to the population and the economy will be jeopardised,” commented BGL Chairman of the Board Prof Dr Dirk Engelhardt.