It was announced today that a deal has been reached between the European institutions on a new EU regulation on digital tachographs.
FTA Brussels has been intensively involved in shaping and influencing this legislation and, specifically, in overturning a series of overly restrictive and burdensome clauses.
The main points include: retaining the threshold for use of digital tachographs at 3.5 tonnes, the European Parliament had wanted to lower it to 2.8 tonnes; on retrofit requirements, all vehicles on international journeys will need to be equipped with a compliant tachograph 15 years after entry into force of the regulation, Parliament had wanted full fleet retrofit by 2020; finally, the European Commission had tried to ban those that fit tachographs from performing workshop activities as well, instead member states will have to prevent a conflict of interests between those who fit tachographs and maintain vehicles.
The EU is also expected to clarify the law on letters of attestation, an issue where FTA has highlighted the fines its members have received as a result of differing approaches between member states. The new regulation should enter into force before the end of 2014 and most of the provisions will apply two years after that; the market will have to begin to supply compliant devices 36 months afterwards.