45 Foot Containers Circulate freely in Benelux
From now on, containers with a maximal length of 45 foot (13.72 m) can cross the Benelux borders with ease. During a meeting of the Benelux Council on September 29th in Rotterdam, the Foreign ministers of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn, Belgium, Didier Reynders, and the Netherlands, Frans Timmermans, signed an agreement to allow road transport of these containers between the three countries without any special autorisations. Professional federations asked the Benelux association for support in this matter, especially as the amount of 45 foot containers to and from the North Sea ports is increasing steadily.
The crossborder transport of 45 foot containers is heavily regulated in the EU and restrained by bureaucratic hurdles. EU treaties however allow Benelux states to go beyond this regulation in order to strengthen the interior market. The newly achieved derogation is subject to certain conditions, especially regarding security reasons. Moreover, companies need to established in a Benelux country in order to profit from this measure.
The signature took place in the framework of the Benelux Logistics Week (Septmber 29th - October 3rd), which emphasizes cooperation between the three countries. The Cluster participates to the Benelux conference held on October 2nd and 3rd.
Link to the Benelux website
