Four leading European associations representing the road transport, freight forwarding, shipper and cold chain sectors have jointly called on the European Commission to avoid introducing mandatory zero-emission truck demand targets, warning that such measures risk disrupting Europe’s green transition if enabling conditions are not yet in place.
In a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the signatories – IRU, CLECAT, the European Shippers’ Council, and the Global Cold Chain Alliance – reaffirm their strong commitment to transport decarbonisation but caution that demand-side mandates would slow market-driven progress and create unnecessary pressure on operators and shippers.
IRU EU Director Raluca Marian said, “We share the EU’s climate goals. But real progress will come from enabling conditions, not from punitive obligations. That is where EU action is needed.”
“Purchasing mandates will not decarbonise road transport. Nobody will buy vehicles that they cannot use or that would put them out of business. The transition must be fair, feasible and economically sound,” she added.
Zero-emission truck registrations in the EU rose in early 2025, even as overall heavy-duty vehicle sales declined. This demonstrates that the sector is moving forward – where conditions allow. However, charging networks, grid capacity, and vehicle affordability remain major barriers.
The signatories warn that binding purchase or use targets would place disproportionate burdens on companies performing road transport, particularly SMEs and micro-enterprises, which make up over 95% of Europe’s 600,000 operators. Cascading compliance costs throughout the supply chain will impact smaller companies least able to absorb them.
They also note that several transport segments, such as cold chain logistics, construction, and chemical transport, face specific technical and operational barriers to electrification, making a one-size-fits-all mandate both impractical and economically damaging.
The signatories instead call for:
- Targeted purchase incentives to make zero-emission trucks more affordable
- Accelerated investment in both depot and public charging infrastructure
- A coherent financing framework that reinvests revenues from instruments such as the Eurovignette and ETS 2 directly into road transport decarbonisation