The UK and the European Union have entered into a trade and cooperation agreement. We have said that we will keep you posted on any changes that affect you.
What does the agreement mean for UK carriers?
UK and EU operators will continue to be able to provide services to, from and through their respective territories. Carriers can also continue to make additional movements in each other’s territory.
Under the agreement, as a UK carrier you will be able to operate unlimited bilateral (point to point) journeys to and from the EU and unlimited transit journeys through the EU to a third country .
Up to two additional movements in the EU will also be possible – cabotage * or cross-trade** – after a busy trip*** from the United Kingdom, with a maximum of one cabotage movement, carried out over a period of 7 days.
The two additional movements may be Irish cabotage movements for operators in Northern Ireland, provided they are following a loaded voyage from Northern Ireland, and are completed within 7 days.
You / your driver will always have to:
What action should I take?
Check that your trips are covered by the business cooperation agreement.
If not, consider whether you need a CEMT permit for a third cross-trade trip to the EU or to travel to another country that is part of the CEMT system in January and / or February.
If you have not yet received an annual CEMT permit, we will be able to issue you short term permits (30 days) for these trips.
Contact DVSA at [email protected]
Permits will only be issued for trips that involve a third cross-trade trip or an ECMT member country and you may be required to provide proof of previous trips or future contracts.
While we are evaluating the application, we will only issue permits to cover trips that begin in January and February and you must return completed CEMT logbooks within two weeks of the permit expiring. Arrangements for access after February will be confirmed in the new year.
CEMT permits cannot be used for cabotage voyages.
Which countries need a CEMT permit?
You will need a CEMT permit to travel to other ECMT member countries that are not in the EU or covered by a bilateral agreement, namely:
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro.
Further information to help you plan your trip is available at gov.uk/transition-haulage
*Cabotage transports goods between two points in an EU Member State, for example from Paris to Lille.
**Cross-border trade transports goods between two EU Member States, for example by taking a load from Paris to Brussels.
***A busy trip is a trip where a carrier moves goods.
