EU court annuls mandatory vehicle return rule

The Court of Justice of the European Union (EU) on Friday annulled the requirement for trucks and heavy vehicles to return to their country of origin every eight weeks, reported Xinhua.

The court ruled that the European Parliament and the Council did not have sufficient information at their disposal when adopting the measure to assess its proportionality, the court said in a press release.

Seven EU member states, including Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, Hungary, Malta and Poland, brought actions for annulment before the court against the Mobility Package, adopted by the Parliament and the Council, in 2020. They argued that the rules were protectionist and undermined their ability to compete in the free market.

The court dismissed the actions brought forward by these member states, except in relation to the obligation for vehicle return, which the court annulled.