News

Hauliers will have to comply with identical paperwork on visas, declaring perishable goods, vehicle inspection and weight certificates when crossing national borders across the Continent, including between some non-EU countries. 

European Union (EU) ministers have approved new international convention rules on common frontier control procedures for hauliers for use in all 27 EU member states.

All member states will also have to ensure there are adequate facilities for lorry  drivers at border crossings after the new border crossing annexe to the UN International Convention on the Harmonisation of Frontier Controls of Goods was made into EU law. This includes giving preference to lorries carrying perishable food and live animals off-lane control areas for spot checks decent parking and terminal facilities, such as toilets, showers, cafes and public telephones.

A council communiqué said the changes would "facilitate international trade by reducing, harmonising and coordinating procedures and paperwork in connection with the border control of goods, in particular live animals and perishable goods [while] improving the operation of border crossing points".

As it is a non-signatory of the Schengen zone (an area of relaxed internal border controls across Europe), the rules would  cover entry points to the United Kingdom as well as to Switzerland, Romania and Bulgaria.