O European Union Regulation 2021/1228 introduced several innovations in the road transport sector. In particular, as of August 21, 2023, all newly registered commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 3.5 tons must be equipped with second-generation intelligent tachographs. By August 2025, already registered vehicles carrying out international transportation will also have to replace the device. They are also required to be replaced in commercial vehicles between 2.5 and 3.5 tons, and must comply by July 2026, again in cases where they carry out international transport.
The new digital tachograph, also renamed "smart", has been optimized to record border crossings and the vehicle's position during loading/unloading, using Galileo satellite authentication. As well as simplifying the work of drivers, operators and enforcement authorities, it introduces new anti-tampering mechanisms and the possibility of updating the software to implement new functions, avoiding the need to replace the device in the event of different technical specifications.
By the established date, however, many of the devices were unavailable due to supply delays that were not attributable to the road transport sector. In Italy, the survey carried out by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport referred to a number of trucks and buses of between 7,000 and 9,000 units. However, the situation was practically the same in other countries.
Thus, the individual member states of the European Union have been forced by circumstances to take measures, introducing temporary grace periods with the approval of the European Commission. This situation, as revealed by an analysis by IRIthe World Road Transport Organization, has resulted in countries applying the grace period differently: some have granted a longer window of time for compliance, while in others the grace period is shorter.
For example, in Germany, the grace period is 24 months, in Austria it lasts until June 1, 2024, and in Sweden until April 31, 2024, after which the requirement to replace the unit is triggered. In France, the suspension lasts four or six months, depending on whether the truck was sold complete or incomplete. In Spain and Italy, on the other hand, a deadline of December 31, 2023 has been set, after which no penalties will be applied.
As often happens in these cases, all these dates should be considered indicative of a constantly evolving situation. The possibility of future extensions or suspensions cannot be ruled out.