A Quality Charter for international road haulage operations has been approved by the transport ministers of the European member countries of the International Transport Forum at the OECD.

The Quality Charter establishes qualification standards for companies, managers and drivers and will enter into force on 1 January 2016. It applies to pan-European road haulage operations under the Multilateral Quota system established in 1974 by the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT), which evolved into the International Transport Forum (ITF) in 2006.

In a statement issued with the approval of the Quality Charter, ministers of the European member countries of the International Transport Forum “commit to engage their efforts towards having the provisions of the Charter applied to all international transport operations carried under the ECMT Multilateral Quota as of 1 January 2018.”

José Viegas, Secretary-General of the International Transport Forum, which manages the Multilateral Quota system, said: “The approval of the Quality Charter is a major step towards harmonisation of conditions in the pan-European road freight transport market. The Charter, alongside the incitation mechanisms already in place for adoption of the most technologically advanced trucks, will establish the Multilateral Quota system as a symbol of quality, safety and environmental standards in road transport.”

The approval of the Quality Charter completes longstanding work by the ITF on defining and promoting the highest standards for freight transport operators, managers and drivers at Pan-European level.

The ITF will monitor the implementation of the provisions of the Quality Charter by the member countries through its European Road Transport Group. It will also define follow-up actions for the further development of the Multilateral Quota system.