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IRU appeals for customs and market access to top Brexit agenda at European Parliament debate

23 Nov 2017

Customs and access to the road haulage market must top the road transport agenda of the Brexit negotiators. Failure to reach an agreement on these matters is not an option for the road freight transport sector.

The message was delivered yesterday by IRU at the European Parliament during the Public Hearing on “Impact of Brexit on Land Transport”.

Daniel Kern, Senior Manager Trade Policy Affairs at IRU, said, “Our sector needs legal certainty and predictability. It should not be forgotten that our industry has many small and medium-sized businesses. Excessive bureaucracy, which might be the result of Brexit negotiations, would have a negative impact on the industry's efficiency and competitiveness”.

IRU’s recently released Position Paper on Brexit provides a detailed analysis of the various issues to be addressed in support of finding the best solutions to ensure seamless trade, road freight and logistics operations.

The paper looks at the various post-Brexit customs and market access scenarios and provides recommendations for each situation.

A smooth transition period is also essential. Businesses and authorities must be given sufficient time to adjust to the post-Brexit arrangements.

Daniel Kern continued, “For a successful outcome of the Brexit negotiations, it is of utmost importance that road transport movements between the UK and the EU remain seamless. In order to achieve this, we need a sufficient transition period that safeguards the status quo of road transport movements until a new business friendly agreement between the UK and the EU is implemented”.

IRU Position on Brexit

IRU Position on Brexit - detailed technical analysis ​