UK–EU reset: Removing barriers to trade must be a priority for economic growth

Europe faces an estimated half-a-million unfilled truck driver positions, according to the International Road Transport Union (IRU). The UK continues to face its own challenges in recruiting and retaining professional drivers.

Yet, at a time when skilled drivers are already a scarce resource, restrictions on their international mobility are making it harder for businesses to deploy the workforce they have.

As the UK and European Union prepare for their forthcoming summit on 20 November, surely this is one of the practical barriers we should be seeking to remove?

We believe it should be a priority, but the issue also highlights a much wider challenge.

If we’re serious about improving economic growth, increasing productivity and encouraging investment, we must address the barriers that make it harder for businesses to operate.

Professional driver mobility – an economic issue

The Schengen 90 days in any 180-day period rule presents a particular challenge for businesses operating internationally.

Drivers of trucks, coaches and vans are not travelling for tourism, they are undertaking legitimate commercial activities that support trade and economic activity on both sides of the Channel.

The IRU’s research also indicates that around two-thirds of European road transport operators have turned down new contracts because they could not recruit enough drivers.

Against that background, restricting the ability of existing, qualified drivers to undertake international work makes little economic sense.

The European Commission in its Visa Strategy earlier this year said that it would “work closely with Member States to identify pragmatic solutions to accommodate extended short stays for selected categories of third-country nationals”. This suggests there’s an appetite to relieve some of the issues supply chains are facing.

We are calling on the UK Government and the European Commission to make professional driver mobility an explicit negotiating priority at forthcoming summits.

We want a practical, reciprocal arrangement that recognises the circumstances of professional drivers, including an appropriate exemption from the 90/180-day restriction.

This would not solve the wider driver shortage, but it would allow operators to make better use of their existing workforce, improve operational flexibility and support more reliable international supply chains.

If the UK–EU reset is to be successful, it must deliver practical improvements that give businesses the confidence to invest, grow and create jobs.

We stand ready to work constructively with government and our European partners to make that happen.

The wider opportunity for British business

The Government has made clear its ambition to strengthen the UK’s relationship with the EU and stimulate economic growth and we share those ambitions.

But the success of any reset should be measured by the practical improvements it delivers, not simply by agreements between governments.

For businesses, particularly SMEs, the costs and complexity associated with international trade remain significant challenges.

To ease burdens, we strongly welcome the work undertaken by the UK Government and European Commission to introduce a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement from 2027.

However, additional measures are needed to reduce unnecessary administration and unpredictable border delays. This all affects competitiveness and investment decisions, and these pressures don’t stop with transport operators.

Every unnecessary delay, additional cost or lost commercial opportunity has a wider economic consequence.

Making trade easier is about creating the conditions for businesses across the economy to succeed.

Borders, customs and international connectivity

The introduction of the EU Entry/Exit System is another area where practical cooperation is essential.

Secure borders matter, but the systems used to manage them must also be efficient, proportionate and workable.

Commercial transport depends upon reliability and predictability, so delays at borders affect delivery schedules, vehicle utilisation, operating costs and customers.

We also need continued progress on simplifying customs procedures, improving digital systems and reducing unnecessary bureaucracy.

For smaller businesses in particular, these changes could make international trade more accessible and commercially viable.

The international coach sector must also be part of the discussion.

Coaches support tourism, education, cultural exchange and economic connectivity, yet operators continue to face challenges associated with border arrangements and driver mobility.

A successful reset must recognise the different needs of trucks, coaches and vans and the contribution each makes to the wider economy.

Business confidence and investment

In recent conversations with operators across the country, one message has been particularly consistent. Businesses need confidence and certainty.

They need to understand the environment in which they will be operating over the next six, twelve and eighteen months, and beyond.

The issue is not simply the cost of doing business today. It is the uncertainty about tomorrow.

That uncertainty influences decisions about fleet replacement, recruitment, technology, decarbonisation and expansion.

Businesses can often plan for known costs. What they find much harder to manage is uncertainty about future operating conditions.

This is particularly relevant following the Autumn Budget, where the Government has rightly emphasised the importance of growth, investment and productivity.

But these ambitions will only be achieved if businesses have the confidence and capacity to invest.

A successful UK–EU reset could make a meaningful contribution by reducing uncertainty, improving trading conditions and removing unnecessary barriers.

From political ambition to practical outcomes

We welcome the Government’s commitment to improving relations with the European Union and we want that relationship to succeed.

But success must be measured through practical outcomes.

Alongside the professional drivers’ exemption, we want improvements to border processes, simpler trading arrangements, greater regulatory cooperation and better recognition of international coach operations.

These are practical opportunities to support trade, improve productivity and strengthen economic growth across all four nations of the United Kingdom.

We believe trade associations have an important role to play in helping policymakers understand how decisions affect businesses in the real world.

A successful UK–EU reset should not simply improve relationships between governments. It should make a measurable difference to the businesses and people who depend on those relationships every day.

If we are serious about growing the British economy, we must make it easier for businesses to trade, easier for essential workers to operate internationally and easier for companies to invest with confidence.

Growth cannot simply be announced or expected. It must be enabled.

The forthcoming summit is an opportunity to demonstrate exactly what that means.