Representatives of the European Parliament and the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union reached a provisional agreement, on Tuesday 26 February during a third meeting of interinstitutional negotiations ('trilogues'), on the measures that could be taken on road transport at the European Union level in order to counter the consequences of the United Kingdom’s potential exit from the European Union (Brexit) without a deal.
This agreement echoes the European Commission's proposal of 19 December last, which envisaged several sector-specific measures to be implemented in the absence of an agreement between the United Kingdom and the EU on Brexit (see EUROPE 12163). The aim here is to allow hauliers holding a British licence to operate between the United Kingdom and the European Union, subject to reciprocal measures from London.
While Parliament and the Member States' ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) had respectively defined their negotiating positions on the matter on 13 and 15 February (see EUROPE 12193, 12195), the first two trilogues had highlighted differences between the two institutions and had therefore not led to an agreement (see EUROPE 12197, 12199).
Indeed, the mandate given by Coreper to the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU envisaged extending the scope of the future text to passenger transport. In addition, the States wished to allow British operators to carry out, for a limited period of time, two and then one unloading and loading operation(s) within the territory of the Union over seven days after an initial international operation between the United Kingdom and the EU. This is to ensure that carriers do not experience a too abrupt transition in the event of a no-deal Brexit, by making this transition more gradual.
While Parliament was open to this first option on passenger transport, the question of additional operations was a problem.
In the end, the final agreement provides that in the absence of an agreement, operators may carry out two additional freight transport operations on Union territory over seven days after an initial international operation between the United Kingdom and the EU for up to four months after Brexit. Then, for a period of three months, an additional operation may be carried out, after which no further operations can take place.
The co-legislators also determined that the Regulation shall in all cases cease to apply on 31 December 2019.
Parliament and the EU Council must now give a formal green light to the provisional Interinstitutional Agreement. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)