Swedish Government implements EU’s highest cabotage violation fines

The Swedish Government has decided to toughen the rules for foreign hauliers that perform domestic freight transport. At the same time, the fine for violating cabotage rules has been increased from SEK 40,000 to SEK 60,000 (roughly €6,000).

Tomas Eneroth, Sweden’s Minister of Infrastructure, said the move was necessary to bring order to Sweden’s roads:

– There must be order on our roads. Therefore, the government is now moving forward with increased sanction fees for unauthorized cabotage transports and stricter customer responsibility. This means that Sweden will have the highest penalties in the EU for unauthorized cabotage transports. The message is clear. Those who engage in cheating and gimmicks do not belong on our roads.

The amendments to the regulations mean that it is now clearly specified what is meant by a cabotage transport in accordance with the EU Freight Regulation.

Customer liability has also been adjusted to make it clear that an unauthorized transport does not have to be completed in order for the customer to be held responsible. As as a consequence, companies will find themselves in trouble with the authorities if they do business with hauliers that cheat the rules.

Moreover, the fine for violations of the cabotage rules will be increased from SEK 40,000 to SEK 60,000. The government says the higher fines are needed in order to increase compliance with the rules.

The changes will take effect on December 1, 2021.