New obligations for foreign hauliers (SENT)

In connection with the amendment to the Act on the Posting of Drivers in Road Transport published in the Journal of Laws (17.10.2024), new obligations related to SENT (System for Electronic Transport Supervision) have been assigned to foreign hauliers from 1 November this year.

As is widely known, the economic slowdown in Europe and the problems resulting from the war in Ukraine have had a considerable impact on the Polish road transport sector. The changes introduced are a response by the Ministry of Infrastructure, inter alia, to the demands of hauliers involved in the protests at the border with Ukraine, and are aimed at protecting the interests of Polish haulage companies.

The extension of the SENT IT system is being carried out in two stages. From 1 November 2024, new obligations (including notification to the Register of International Road Transport - RMPD) were extended to hauliers not established in an EU Member State, an EFTA Member State or the Swiss Confederation, who carry out transport from Poland, to Poland, or in transit through Poland.

From 1 January 2025, the new obligations will also be extended to transport companies from the EU, Switzerland, Norway and the UK, which carry out transport on the territory of Poland from or to a non-EU country on the basis of a permit required by the provisions of an international agreement binding Poland and that country. Failure to comply with the new guidelines may result in high penalties for the haulier in each case.

More details can be found in an information leaflet originally published on the website of the Voivodeship Road Transport Inspectorate in Wrocław.

Author: Szymon Kamiński