EU court upholds lorry rules, overturns eight-week return mandate

The EU Court of Justice, in its ruling issued on Friday, dismissed complaints from seven countries regarding EU regulations related to lorry drivers. However, it declared the obligation for vehicles to return to the transport company's base every eight weeks invalid.

The Court of Justice of the European Union issued a decision concerning the mobility package, which consists of regulations affecting professional lorry drivers. Friday's session of the CJEU was to consider the protest filed by seven countries against these regulations.

The Court rejected the majority of these objections on Friday. However, one requirement, concerning the obligation for vehicles to return to the headquarters of transport companies every eight weeks, was declared invalid.

The European Union introduced the mobility package in 2020, aims to improve the working conditions of professional drivers who cover long distances in large transport vehicles. It also introduces new requirements for companies that have a fleet of lorries and conduct freight transport across Europe.

Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, Hungary, Malta, and Poland lodged a complaint with the CJEU against these regulations, demanding their annulment. Central and Eastern European countries, which have many companies operating in this sector and dominate freight transport by lorries in the EU, have a vested interest in these regulations.

Representatives of the protesting countries argue that the mobility package will not improve drivers' working conditions and may instead result in their companies being pushed out of the Western European market due to higher competitiveness.

Nevertheless, the CJEU ruled that the regulations are by EU law, except for the requirement that drivers return with vehicles to the country of business registration every eight weeks. The Court noted, "The Parliament and the Council have not established that they had sufficient information at their disposal when that measure was adopted to enable them to assess its proportionality."