Mobility and transport

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Recording equipment in road transport

Overall state of Play

Commission Proposal adopted on 19 July 2011, COM(2011)451
Legal act adopted on 1 March 2014, Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 (amended by Regulation (EU) 2020/1054)

Summary:

Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 on recording equipment in road transport requires the use of digital (smart) tachographs in new vehicles above 3.5 tonnes, incorporating satellite and short-range communication modules, as well as enhanced criptography and sealing.

The smart tachograph was expected to bring about a reduction on the number of tachograph manipulations, having in turn an immediate effect on road safety (saving lives) and a reduction of the costs associated to road accidents. The incorporation in the tachograph of a short-range communication module for transmission of data to enforcers was intended to help the latter to better target the vehicles to be halted in the course of a roadside check, hence enhancing efficiency in the use of the budget earmarked for enforcement.

Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 builds on the work of the administrative burden reduction (ABR) programme.

In 2017, the Commission adopted a proposal to revise Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 (the 'Driving Time Regulation') and Regulation (EU) 165/2014 on tachographs in road transport (the 'Tachograph Regulation'). Both the Driving Time and the Tachograph Regulations are part of a wider effort to improve the working conditions of drivers, ensure fair competition between operators and improve the road safety of European roads. Tighter requirements for tachograph use have gradually contributed to more efficient and consistent enforcement throughout the EU. In 2020 the legislators adopted Regulation (EU) 2020/1054. Further information can be found on the REFIT Scoreboard under the initiative ‘Enhancement of the social legislation in road transport’.

Estimated savings and benefits

The economic impact of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 is expected to result in a reduction of administrative burden of EUR 515.5 million.

State of Play:

Commission proposal: COM(2011)451 adopted by the Commission on 19 July 2011

Which objective(s) did the Commission pursue?

The initiative further updates legislation on the digital tachograph linking up to satellite positioning systems and to public control authorities. The use of digital tachographs will improve enforcement of rules and reduce the administrative burden for transport companies, which use tachographs, in the medium and long term. The proposal is expected to reduce administrative burden as the so-called “form of attestation of activities”, a major source of administrative burden according to stakeholders, is no longer compulsory.

Member States will have the option to exempt lorries of less than 7.5 tonnes from the tachograph regulation if they carry materials, equipment or machinery for the driver's use in the course of his work and used within a radius of 100 km and provided that driving the vehicle is not the driver's main activity (mainly craftsmen).

Estimated savings and benefits

Reduction of administrative burden of EUR 515.5 million were envisaged that would be felt in particular by SMEs.

State of Play:

Adopted on 1 March 2014, Regulation (EU) No 165/2014

Outcome of Legislative Procedure

The final Regulation does not include a provision on the merger of tachograph driver cards with driving licences which weakens the foreseen reduction of administrative burden. However, the new Regulation did suppress the compulsory nature of the “form of attestation of activities”. The option to exempt craftsmen driving within a radius of 50 km from their base has been extended into a right to Member States to grant an exclusion of vehicles used by craftsmen within a radius of 100 km from the base of the undertaking from the need to equip the vehicles with a tachograph, thereby substantially improving the Commission proposal.

Estimated savings and benefits

No specific update provided following the legislative procedure even though the reduction of administrative burden is weakened. Given that driver and tachograph cards are not merged, it is therefore necessary to subtract EUR 100 million from the estimated savings of EUR 515.5 million provided in the impact assessment supporting the Commission proposal

State of Play:

Entry into force: 1 March 2014
Application date: 2 March 2016, except Art 24, 34, and 45 - 2 March 2015

Implementation reported by MemberStates

All Member States have communicated to the Commission the necessary information on type-approval authorities, approved workshops and workshop cards.