Handling of heavy goods vehicles at border crossing points

EP Position

The European Parliament adopted a resolution urging targeted measures to ensure smooth and efficient border crossings for freight, including an EU‑wide standard averaging one minute for processing heavy goods vehicles and fuller application of the Schengen acquis to Romania and Bulgaria. It also calls for compliance monitoring with possible penalties, adequate EU funding and technical support, and for Member States to step up cross‑border cooperation on theft from goods vehicles.

Key Trade Point

The text stresses that border delays cause losses of hundreds of millions of euros, harm competitiveness and the functioning of the single market, and negatively affect drivers’ health and road safety. It asks the Commission and Member States to allow trucks to use smaller crossings during main artery closures, to finance driver (re)training and partnerships, and to increase investment in safe and secure truck parking.

What Comes Next

The resolution requests the Commission, following an impact assessment, to propose immediate and binding legislative measures to create the one‑minute processing standard and instructs Parliament’s President to forward the text to the Commission, the Council and relevant national authorities.