Clarifications to national cabotage rules

Cabotage transport refers to national transport operations carried out by a transport undertaking that is not established in the country concerned. Such operations must be temporary in nature and linked to an international transport operation. 
 

Significant changes to sanction practices

The sanction practices applied to cabotage infringements will change significantly. A penalty payment (EUR 6,000) may be imposed on an undertaking. In goods transport, an additional penalty payment of EUR 3,000 may be imposed if the driver attestation required to demonstrate compliance with the employment conditions applicable to an employed third-country driver is missing.

Oversight focuses on G2V2 data and consignment information

Compliance with cabotage rules is monitored using G2V2 tachograph data and consignment information. In passenger transport, the EU journey form or information contained in the international regular service authorisation replaces the consignment information used in goods transport. It is important to ensure that the information is entered correctly from the point of departure onwards. In international regular bus services, cabotage in Finland is considered to begin from the first stop within Finland.

It should also be noted that the initial or final road leg of combined transport operations is monitored on the same basis as standard cabotage operations, as Finland applies equivalent rules to combined transport and cabotage.

Cabotage in goods transport

• Three cabotage operations within seven days of completing an international transport operation
• One cabotage operation within three days of entering the country, which must be completed within seven days, if the vehicle enters the country unladen
   

Once the permitted cabotage operations have been completed, the vehicle is subject to a four-day cooling-off period during which cabotage operations may not be carried out

• One consignor and one consignee
• One original consignor and several consignee
• Several consignors and one final consignee

Cabotage in passenger transport

• A maximum of seven consecutive days within a 30-day period, using the same vehicle and in connection with an international transport operation