Regulation Update · Part 6 of 1 in this series
A weekly explainer on new and amended transport and logistics regulation across the EU, drawn from our document repository.
Mobility Package I: Vans Over 2.5 Tonnes Now Face EU Tachograph Rules
17 July 2026 · EN · NL · DE · FR
Why This Matters Now
If your fleet runs vans across EU borders, the rules just changed under your wheels. As of 1 July 2026, the EU driving-and-rest-time regime and the smart tachograph obligation, once reserved for trucks over 3.5 tonnes, now reach down into light commercial vehicles. For international hauliers and courier operators running vans close to that weight class, this is not a future compliance item. It is already in force.
The Core Change: Article 2(1)(aa)
The scope extension comes from Article 2(1)(aa) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, inserted by Article 1(2) of Regulation (EU) 2020/1054. It brings vans, including any trailer, with a maximum permissible mass over 2.5 tonnes and up to 3.5 tonnes into the driving-and-rest-time rules, but only when they carry goods internationally for hire or reward or perform cabotage. The 1 July 2026 date of application was fixed back in the original 2020 regulation, so this is a scheduled milestone, not a surprise amendment.
The tachograph side follows the same logic. Article 3(4) and 3(4a) of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014, as amended, provide the legal basis for the phased smart tachograph rollout that started with version 1 in new trucks on 15 June 2019, moved to version 2 on 21 August 2023, and required existing HGV fleets to retrofit by 31 December 2024 and again by 19 August 2025. The 1 July 2026 deadline is the final phase of that rollout, and it is the one that pulls qualifying vans in. Article 34(7) of Regulation 165/2014 also extends the tachograph record look-back period to 56 days, which now applies to these newly-scoped vehicles too. Own-account or craft-activity exemptions still exist under Article 3(h) of Regulation 561/2006, but the criteria are narrow, and Italy's Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport issued a clarifying circular in April 2026 precisely because operators were misreading them.
What It Means in Practice
For owner-drivers and fleet managers, the practical shift is immediate. Any van, including its trailer, between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes that crosses a border for hire-or-reward transport or does cabotage now needs a second-generation smart tachograph, commonly DTCO 4.1a or equivalent (G2V2). Drivers need a driver card and training on daily and weekly driving limits, breaks and rest periods, exactly as truck drivers have had for years. Planners need to rebuild route and tour schedules around these new driving-time constraints, since a van that used to run flexibly overnight now has legal rest requirements built in. Customs and enforcement staff at borders should expect to check driver cards and tachograph records on vehicles they previously waved through as exempt.
For UK-based operators, the change reaches across the Channel too. Under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, a UK or Northern Ireland van crossing into the EU or Ireland in the qualifying weight range must comply with the same rules for that leg of the journey, even though purely domestic UK transport stays outside scope. Freight forwarders and shippers contracting van capacity should also expect compliance costs to show up in freight rates, since reduced driver productivity under the new rest rules is a real cost, not a paperwork exercise.
Your Next Step
Audit your fleet today: list every van, including trailer weight, that performs international carriage for hire or reward or cabotage, and check whether its maximum permissible mass exceeds 2.5 tonnes. If it does, book a certified workshop slot for smart tachograph retrofit now. Installation capacity is tightening as more operators discover the deadline late, and a van without a compliant tachograph after 1 July 2026 is a van you cannot legally run across a border.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2020/1054 (EUR-Lex)
- Official text of Regulation (EU) 2020/1054 (EUR-Lex)
- EUR-Lex summary: Driving time and rest periods in the road transport sector
- European Commission: Stronger and more unified enforcement of EU rules
- Commission Implementing Decision 2026/907 (EUR-Lex)
Frequently asked questions
What is the new threshold for vans under Mobility Package I?
From 1 July 2026, EU driving-and-rest-time rules and smart tachograph requirements apply to vans (LCVs) with a maximum permissible mass, including trailer, of over 2.5 tonnes up to 3.5 tonnes, when used for international carriage of goods for hire or reward or for cabotage. Purely domestic van operations stay outside scope unless a Member State extends the rules nationally.
Which legal article introduces this scope extension?
Article 2(1)(aa) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, inserted by Article 1(2) of Regulation (EU) 2020/1054, extends driving-and-rest-time rules to qualifying vans. The same 2020 regulation fixed 1 July 2026 as the date of application for this provision.
Do drivers of these vans need a tachograph card now?
Yes. Drivers of vans in scope must use a second-generation smart tachograph (G2V2, e.g. DTCO 4.1a) and hold a driver card, exactly as HGV drivers do. Fleet managers should book certified workshop retrofit slots early since installation capacity is tightening close to the deadline.
Does this affect UK-based operators?
Yes, for the EU leg of their journeys. Under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, UK and Northern Ireland operators crossing into the EU or Ireland with qualifying vans must comply with the same driving-time and tachograph rules while in EU/EEA territory. Purely domestic UK transport is unaffected.
Source document: Mobility Package I — Driving & Tachograph →