Cabotage: three operations in seven days
CABINA Editorial Team
What Regulation (CE) 1072/2009 allows on cabotage: three operations in seven days, one in three days after an empty entry, and four days of waiting.
Machine translation, not verified [NV].
Cabotage in the European Union has clear limits: up to three operations in seven days after an international carriage, according to Regulation (CE) 1072/2009 in its consolidated text [V].
What cabotage is
The regulation (art. 2, point 6) defines cabotage as national carriage of goods for hire or reward, carried out on a temporary basis in a host Member State [V]. It requires a Community licence and, if the driver is a third-country national, a driver attestation (art. 8, para. 1) [V].
The rules in force since 21 February 2022 are part of the EU mobility package (Regulation (UE) 2020/1055) [V].
The numbers
- 3 operations of cabotage at most after an incoming international carriage, with the same vehicle (art. 8, para. 2) [V].
- 7 days: the last unloading must take place within seven days of the last unloading of the international carriage in the host State [V].
- 1 operation in 3 days per Member State if the vehicle enters empty [V].
- 4 days of waiting: after cabotage, it cannot be done again in the same Member State with the same vehicle for four days (art. 8, para. 2a, introduced by Regulation (UE) 2020/1055) [V].
How the days are counted
The European Commission, on its questions-and-answers page, explains that calendar days are counted, not periods of 24 hours. The seven days start at 00:00 on the day after the international carriage and end at 23:59 on the seventh day; the same rule applies to the four days of waiting [V]. This is the Commission’s interpretation, not the text of the law.
Proof and national rules
The haulier must provide clear evidence of the previous international carriage and of each cabotage operation (art. 8, para. 3) [V]. During cabotage the host State’s rules apply on the transport contract, weights and dimensions, dangerous goods, driving and rest times and VAT (art. 9) [V]. In the event of a serious disturbance of the market, a State may refer the matter to the Commission (art. 10) [V].
The consolidated text is only a documentation tool: the binding text is the one published in the Official Journal of the EU. This is not advice on specific cases.
Base Spanish not verified by a native speaker [NV].
CABINA Editorial Team
Sources
- Publications Office of the EU, Regulation (CE) 1072/2009, consolidated text at 21/02/2022: https://publications.europa.eu/resource/cellar/98e91c5c-83d1-11ec-8c40-01aa75ed71a1.0014.02/DOC_1, consulted on 27/10/2026 [V].
- European Commission, “Rules on cabotage applicable from 21 February 2022”: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-modes/road/mobility-package-i/market-rules/rules-cabotage-applicable-21-february-2022_en, consulted on 27/10/2026 [V].
Informational content, not advice. Always check the text of the source given; for your own case, consult a professional or the competent authority.