The EU road transport community made significant gains in 2025. In close cooperation with its members, operators and policymakers, The International Road Transport Union (IRU) helped drive progress on several major EU files, grounded in on-the-ground realities. From key regulatory reforms to strong institutional engagement and high-level sector dialogues, 2025...
The European Commission has adopted the EU Automotive Package, a set of legislative initiatives aimed at supporting the decarbonisation of road transport and the competitiveness of the automotive sector. The EU Automotive Package contains important positive steps, notably on CO₂ standards for cars and vans. The approach to the greening...
Grids Package and Energy Highways initiative as an important first step towards modernising the electricity system. But the essential operational enablers for the electrification of commercial road transport are still missing. The Grids Package is an economy-wide initiative designed to strengthen and future-proof EU electricity networks across all sectors. It...
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) and EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas have discussed how upcoming transport measures align with day-to-day operational realities across the sector. IRU’s President, Radu Dinescu, and its EU Director, Raluca Marian, have held an in-depth exchange with European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos...
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) has welcomed the European Council’s balanced general approach on the roadworthiness package. It aims to align inspections with technological developments, improve road safety, and promote cross-border cooperation and digitalisation in road inspections. However, important improvements are still necessary. EU transport ministers have adopted the...
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) and FuelsEurope have warned that the omission of road transport from the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) will undermine the availability of sustainable fuels. With STIP presented last week, the European Commission is committing almost € 3 billion for sustainable aviation and maritime fuels...
The European Parliament has give final approval to new regulations that will modernise the EU’s licensing regime and will allow 18-year-olds to drive trucks and 21-year-olds to drive buses, if they hold a full driving licence and Certificate of Professional Competence. The new regulations agreed between EU institutions earlier this...
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...
The European Commission has unveiled a new proposal on EU tolling rules but underlines that fair and balanced implementation is vital to ensure decarbonisation goals do not come at the expense of road transport operators’ competitiveness and Europe’s supply chains. The European Commission has presented an amended proposal to refine...
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) is calling for an urgent revision of the Weights and Dimensions Directive. The European Commission’s proposal to revise EU rules on heavy-duty vehicle weights and dimensions is a pragmatic tool to achieve immediate decarbonisation results, according to the IRU. However, delays in Council discussions...
From 1 July 2026, the EU’s light freight commercial vehicles (LCVs), weighing between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes, engaged in cross-border EU services will face a regulatory revolution. Complex EU transport rules, once reserved for heavy-duty trucks, will now apply to them, too. With a dedicated workshop, the International Road Transport...
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) has urged swift agreement on the European Council’s general approach to the revision of the Weights and Dimensions Directive. The European Commission’s proposal to revise EU rules on heavy-duty vehicle weights and dimensions is a pragmatic tool to achieve immediate decarbonisation results, according to...
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) is calling for a six-month EU-wide enforcement grace period for the EU’s new customs import control system for goods moved by road (ICS2 release 3), warning of major disruptions at external land borders from 1 September 2025. Road transport operators must file an Entry...
The European Commission’s proposal to extend toll exemptions for zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles is a welcome step but broader Eurovignette reforms are still urgently needed, according to the International Road Transport Union (IRU) The IRU has welcomed the European Commission’s proposal to extend toll exemptions for zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, including trucks...
Road transport operators are beginning to invest in new vehicles. But for the decarbonisation transition to succeed, the sector needs clear, coordinated support, according to the International Road Transport Union (IRU). EU policymakers and road transport industry leaders came together to debate practical and scalable solutions to deliver environmental and...