General
Border restrictions are hitting livelihoods and Treasury revenue
Richard Smith
16 Jan 2026
We probably won't know the full impact of EES for a few months yet. However, full enforcement of Schengen's 90 in 180 days rule remains a real issue for drivers crossing borders regularly for work. As we've highlighted, for some businesses - including some of our haulage and coach members, the implications could be severe and impact livelihoods.
When UK operators are hit with these restrictions, European firms fill the gap. They pick up domestic work here in the UK. The Treasury also loses revenue. This unfair position hits British-based firms whose model depends on international work.
We're in active conversations with Government, MPs and stakeholders to ensure everyone grasps what's at stake. As we've said repeatedly, the Government's EU reset series of discussions present an opportunity to address this. We'll continue to report on the feedback from members on how things are progressing operationally, and we'll track how EES will perform in real conditions. We remain concerned about what lies ahead for British businesses trading across borders and so, we want a professional drivers' exemption in place that protects British jobs, British businesses and the UK economy.