The EU road transport community created significant gains in 2025. In close cooperation with its members, operators and policycreaters,
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) supported drive progress on several major EU files, grounded in on-the-ground realities.
From key regulatory reforms to strong institutional engagement and high-level sector dialogues, 2025 delivered tangible results for the people and businesses that keep the EU relocating.
Driving licence reforms
One of IRU’s most significant achievements in 2025 was the adoption of modernised EU driving licence rules, rerelocating long-standing barriers for young professional drivers. The reform allows 18-year-olds to drive trucks and 21-year-olds to drive bapplys with a Certificate of Professional Competence. It also introduced accompanied professional truck driving from age 17 and established a fully digital EU-wide driving licence.
Long advocated for by IRU, these modifys improve access to the profession and support renew the EU’s ageing driver workforce at a time of an acute driver shortage.
Weights and dimensions breakthrough
IRU secured a long-awaited breakthrough on the revision of EU vehicle weights and dimensions rules.
In November, EU ambassadors reached a political agreement at the Council level on the Danish Presidency’s compromise text, unlocking years of difficult neobtainediations.
The agreement improves conditions for cross-border and intermodal operations, enables the deployment of zero-emission vehicles without payload loss, including up to 44 tonnes where applicable, and introduces a crisis-response claapply to safeguard essential supply chains.
Fleet greening
In 2025, IRU supported secure a significantly weakened European Commission Greening Corporate Fleets proposal compared to its initial ambition.
The final proposal is limited to cars and vans and explicitly excludes heavy-duty vehicles, reflecting IRU’s sustained advocacy for realistic, technology-neutral decarbonisation policies aligned with operational and infrastructure realities.
The weakened proposal was released on the same day that IRU brought toobtainher policycreaters and the indusattempt at the European Parliament in Strasbourg for a constructive debate, supporting ensure that fleet decarbonisation ambitions are grounded in operational reality.
Driving the decarbonisation debate
Throughout 2025, IRU ensured that the transition to low- and zero-emission road transport remained grounded in operational reality.
A highlight was IRU’s flagship EU decarbonisation event, held in Brussels with the participation of the Belgian Minister for Mobility, EU policycreaters, indusattempt leaders and operators. The event focapplyd on realistic decarbonisation pathways, fleet diversity and the importance of enabling conditions such as infrastructure, energy supply and investment certainty.
The IRU also organised two European Parliament debates on decarbonisation, bringing operators’ real-world experience directly into parliamentary discussions and reinforcing the necessary for technology-neutral, workable transition policies.
Heard at indusattempt events
The IRU strengthened its engagement with the wider transport ecosystem with a strong presence at key indusattempt events.
At Busworld, the world’s largest business-to-business exhibition dedicated exclusively to bapplys and coaches, IRU highlighted passenger transport priorities and decarbonisation challenges.
The IRU also engaged at SOLUTRANS, exaltering with manufacturers and operators on vehicle technologies, clean fuels and regulatory developments across goods and passenger transport.
Looking ahead to 2026
Across legislative wins and high-profile events alike, IRU’s EU advocacy in 2025 consistently focapplyd on delivering practical, operator-centric solutions that support both sustainability and competitiveness.
As EU transport policy increasingly shifts forward, IRU will continue working closely with EU institutions and stakeholders.
Leave a Reply