The International Road Transport Union (IRU) has said that 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 reportedly not an option for the road freight transport sector.
The message was delivered 22 November by the IRU at the European Parliament during the public hearing on ‘Impact of Brexit on Land Transport’.
“Our sector needs legal certainty and predictability,” said IRU Senior Manager Trade Policy Affairs, Daniel Kern. “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 reportedly 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.
“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,” said Kern.
“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,” he said.