PURPOSE: to ensure basic connectivity for road freight
and passenger transport in order to mitigate the most serious
disruptions that may result from leaving the UK without a
withdrawal agreement.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2019/501 of the
European Parliament and of the Council on common rules ensuring
basic road freight and road passenger connectivity with regard to
the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland from the Union.
CONTENT: this Regulation lays down temporary measures
governing the carriage of goods by road, as well as the provision
of regular and special regular passenger transport services by
coach and bus, between the Union and the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland in order to avoid serious disruption
and any risk of disruption to public order which might result from
a Brexit without an agreement.
These measures shall enable road haulage operators and
coach and bus service operators licensed in the United Kingdom to
carry goods and passengers by road between the territory of the
latter and of the remaining 27 Member States. The rights thus
conferred shall be conditional upon the conferral of equivalent
rights and be subject to certain conditions ensuring fair
competition.
Freight transport
The Regulation allows:
- a laden journey of a vehicle from the territory of the
Union to the territory of the United Kingdom or vice versa, with or
without transit through one or more Member States or third
countries;
- following laden journeys from the territory of the
United Kingdom covered by the above point, the performance, within
7 days after unloading on the territory of the Union, of a maximum
of two additional loading and unloading operations on the territory
of the Union for a period of 4 months from the first day of
application of the regulation, and one operation within 7 days
following unloading on the territory of the Union, during the
following 3 months;
- the movement of a laden vehicle from the territory of
the United Kingdom to the territory of the United Kingdom, with
transit through the territory of the Union.
Authorised carriage of passengers by coach and
bus
The Regulation shall cover:
- the movement of a coach or bus to carry passengers
from the territory of the Union to the territory of the United
Kingdom or vice versa, with or without transit through one or more
Member States or third countries;
- the movement of a coach or bus to carry passengers
from the territory of the United Kingdom to the territory of the
United Kingdom, with transit through the territory of the
Union;
- the pick-up and drop-off of passengers in the border
region of Ireland on special regular and regular international
services between Ireland and Northern Ireland until 30 September
2019.
Equivalence of rights and fair
competition
The Commission shall, by means of delegated
acts:
- suspend the application of the regulation when
equivalent rights are not granted to EU road hauliers or coach
operators or when the rights granted are minimal; or
- limit the capacity or number of authorised journeys of
United Kingdom road hauliers or coach operators, or both;
or
- adopt operating restrictions related to vehicle types
or traffic conditions.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 28.3.2019. The Regulation shall
apply from the day following that on which the Treaties cease to
apply to the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 50(3) TEU. It shall
cease to apply on 31.12.2019.