Council Decision (EU) 2025/1115 of 12 May 2025 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Group of Experts on the European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) and within the Working Party on Road Transport of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe as regards a proposal to align the AETR with the main recent amendments to Regulation (EC) No 561/2006
Date: 2025-05-12
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: AETR agreement, UN regional commission, driving period, international road transport, organisation of transport, rest period, revision of an agreement, road safety, safety standard, traffic regulations




L_202501115EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2025/1115


2.6.2025







            COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2025/1115
         
of 12 May 2025
         
on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Group of Experts on the European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) and within the Working Party on Road Transport of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe as regards a proposal to align the AETR with the main recent amendments to Regulation (EC) No 561/2006


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 91, in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,


Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:







(1)


The European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) (1) entered into force on 5 January 1976. In its judgment of 31 March 1971 in Case 22/70, the Court of Justice of the European Union recognised that the Union has exclusive competence on the subject-matter covered by the AETR (2).












(2)


Pursuant to Article 2(3), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3), the provisions of the AETR should be aligned with those of that Regulation. Regulations (EU) 2020/1054 (4) and (EU) 2024/1258 (5) of the European Parliament and of the Council amended Regulation (EC) No 561/2006. In addition, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1012 (6) supplemented Article 8a(2) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, which is one of the provisions introduced by Regulation (EU) 2020/1054. Therefore, the Union should propose to amend the AETR to reflect the amendments introduced by Regulations (EU) 2020/1054 and (EU) 2024/1258 and supplemented by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1012. Those amendments cover new provisions relating to the scope of the AETR, the conditions under which it is possible to take consecutive reduced weekly rests, a ban on taking the regular weekly rest in the cabin, the rules under which the driver is to return to the employer’s establishment or to the drivers’ place of residence, the conditions under which it is possible to have rest periods on a ferry or train, other possible derogations for drivers engaged in the occasional transport of passengers, and the principle and specifications of safe and secure parking areas.












(3)


Pursuant to Article 21 of the AETR, proposals for amendments to the AETR may be submitted by any Contracting Party to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Before submission to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the proposals are generally first tabled, examined and endorsed in the Working Party on Road Transport (SC.1) of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). A Group of Experts on the AETR has been established by UNECE in the framework of the AETR. The Group of Experts on the AETR is a body empowered to develop and submit proposals to amend the AETR to the UNECE Working Party on Road Transport. The Union, on the basis of this Decision, should propose that the Group of Experts on the AETR, during its planned 38th session in June 2025, and at subsequent sessions, and the UNECE Working Party on Road Transport, during its planned 120th session in October 2025, and at subsequent sessions, discuss amendments to the AETR relating to the improvement of working conditions for drivers engaged in international road transport which stem from the recent amendments to Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 introduced by Regulations (EU) 2020/1054 and (EU) 2024/1258 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1012.












(4)


It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf within the Group of Experts on the AETR and within the Working Party on Road Transport, as the amendments to the AETR will be binding under international law in accordance with Article 21(6) of the AETR.












(5)


Member States should not object to a notification by the Secretary-General of the United Nations under Article 21(1) of the AETR, of proposed amendments which are contained in the Attachment to this Decision. If a notification by the Secretary-General of the United Nations is not limited to proposed amendments contained in the Attachment to this Decision, Member States should not object to those proposed amendments which are contained in the Attachment to this Decision.












(6)


The Union’s position in the Group of Experts on the AETR is to be expressed by the Commission, and the Union’s position in the Working Party on Road Transport is to be expressed by the Member States acting jointly in the interest of the Union,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
The position to be taken on the Union’s behalf during the 38th session, and at subsequent sessions, of the Group of Experts on the European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) and during the 120th session, and at subsequent sessions, of the Working Party on Road Transport (SC.1) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) as regards a proposal to align the AETR with the recent amendments to Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 introduced by Regulations (EU) 2020/1054 and (EU) 2024/1258 and with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1012 is set out in the Attachment to this Decision.
Formal and minor changes to the position referred to in the first paragraph may be agreed without a further decision of the Council.


Article 2
The position referred to in Article 1 shall be expressed by the Commission in the Group of Experts on the AETR and by the Member States acting jointly in the interest of the Union, in the UNECE Working Party on Road Transport.


Article 3
Where any proposed amendment laid out in the Attachment to this Decision has been endorsed by the UNECE Working Party on Road Transport, the Member States acting jointly in the interest of the Union shall submit it to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in accordance with Article 21(1) of the AETR.
Member States shall not object to a notification by the Secretary-General of the United Nations under Article 21(1) of the AETR of proposed amendments which are contained in the Attachment to this Decision.


Article 4
This Decision is addressed to the Commission and to the Member States.




Done at 12 May 2025.


For the Council


The President

B. NOWACKA
            





(1)  
            OJ L 95, 8.4.1978, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/1977/2829/oj.

(2)  Judgment of the Court of Justice of 31 March 1971, Commission v. Council (AETR), 22/70, ECLI:EU:C:1971:32, para. 30-31.

(3)  Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport and amending Council Regulations (EEC) No 3821/85 and (EC) No 2135/98 and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 (OJ L 102, 11.4.2006, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2006/561/oj).

(4)  Regulation (EU) 2020/1054 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2020 amending Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 as regards minimum requirements on maximum daily and weekly driving times, minimum breaks and daily and weekly rest periods and Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 as regards positioning by means of tachographs (OJ L 249, 31.7.2020, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/1054/oj).

(5)  Regulation (EU) 2024/1258 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 amending Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 as regards minimum requirements on minimum breaks and daily and weekly rest periods in the occasional passenger transport sector and as regards Member States’ power to impose penalties for infringements of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 committed in another Member State or in a third country (OJ L, 2024/1258, 2.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1258/oj).

(6)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1012 of 7 April 2022 supplementing Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to the establishment of standards detailing the level of service and security of safe and secure parking areas and to the procedures for their certification (OJ L 170, 28.6.2022, p. 27, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2022/1012/oj).




ANNEX






(1)


A new definition (ia) is added in Article 1 AETR as follows:






‘(ia)


“occasional services” means services for the carriage of passengers which do not fall within the definition of regular services, including special regular services, and the main characteristic of which is the carriage of groups of passengers constituted on the initiative of the customer or of the carrier himself. An occasional service is carried out under cover of a journey form, to be completed by the carrier before each journey and containing at least information relating to the type of service, the main itinerary and the carrier(s) involved.’














(2)


Point (a) of Article 2(2) AETR is replaced by the following:






‘(a)


Vehicles used for the carriage of goods where the maximum permissible mass of the vehicle, including any trailer, or semi-trailer, does not exceed 2,5 tonnes.’














(3)


A new point (l) is added in Article 2(2) AETR as follows:






‘(l)


Vehicles or combinations of vehicles with a maximum permissible mass not exceeding 7,5 tonnes used for:






(i)


carrying materials, equipment or machinery for the driver’s use in the course of the driver’s work; or










(ii)


for delivering goods which are produced on a craft basis,
only within a 100 km radius from the base of the undertaking and on the condition that driving the vehicle does not constitute the driver’s main activity and transport is not carried out for hire or reward.’
                                             


















(4)


The following subparagraphs are added to Article 7(2) AETR:
‘For a driver engaged in an occasional services, the break referred to in the first paragraph may also be replaced by two breaks, of at least 15 minutes each, distributed over the driving period referred to in the first paragraph, in such a way as to comply with the provisions of the first paragraph.
A driver engaged in multi-manning may take a break of 45 minutes in a vehicle driven by another driver provided that the driver taking the break is not involved in assisting the driver driving the vehicle.’










(5)


The following paragraph is added after Article 8(2) AETR:

‘2a.   Provided that road safety and the working conditions of the driver are not thereby jeopardised, a driver engaged in a single occasional passenger service of a duration of at least six consecutive 24-hour periods may derogate from paragraph 2, first subparagraph, by taking the daily rest period once within a maximum of 25 hours after the end of the previous daily rest period or weekly rest period, provided that the total accumulated driving time for that day has not exceeded seven hours. Under the same conditions, that derogation may be used twice in the course of a single occasional passenger service with a duration of at least eight consecutive 24-hour periods. The use of that derogation shall be without prejudice to the maximum working time under the applicable law.’











(6)


The following subparagraph is added at the end of point (a) of Article 8(6) AETR:
‘By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, a driver engaged in international transport of goods may take two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods outside the Contracting Party of the employer’s establishment, provided that the driver takes at least four weekly rest periods in any four consecutive weeks, of which at least two shall be regular weekly rest periods.
For the purpose of this paragraph, a driver shall be considered to be engaged in international transport where the driver starts the two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods outside the Contracting Party of the employer’s establishment and the country of the drivers’ place of residence.’










(7)


Point (b) of Article 8(6) AETR is replaced by the following:






‘(b)


By way of derogation from paragraph 6(a), a driver engaged in a single occasional service may postpone the weekly rest period for up to 12 consecutive 24-hour periods following a previous regular weekly rest period, provided that:






—


The driver takes after making use of the derogation:






—


Either two regular weekly rest periods, or










—


One regular weekly rest period and one reduced weekly rest period of at least 24 hours. However, the reduction shall be compensated by an equivalent period of rest taken en bloc before the end of the third week following the end of the derogation period;














—


Four years after the country of registration has implemented the digital tachograph, the vehicle is equipped with recording equipment in accordance with the requirements of Appendix 1B of the Annex, and










—


In case of driving during the period from 22:00 to 06:00, the vehicle is multi-manned or the driving period referred to in Article 7 is reduced to three hours.’
                                          


















(8)


Article 8(8) AETR is replaced by the following:

‘8.   The regular weekly rest periods and any weekly rest period of more than 45 hours taken in compensation for previous reduced weekly rest periods shall not be taken in a vehicle. They shall be taken in suitable gender-friendly accommodation, with adequate sleeping and sanitary facilities.
Any costs for accommodation outside the vehicle shall be covered by the employer.’











(9)


A new paragraph (8a) is included after Article 8(8) AETR as follows:

‘8a.   Transport undertakings shall organise the driver’s work in such a way that the driver is able to return to the employer’s operational centre where the driver is normally based and where the driver’s weekly rest period begins, in the Contracting Party of the employer’s establishment, or to return to the driver’s place of residence, in order to take at least one regular weekly rest period or a weekly rest period of more than 45 hours taken in compensation for a reduced weekly rest period, within each period of four consecutive weeks.
However, where the driver has taken two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods in accordance with paragraph 6(a), the transport undertaking shall organise the work of the driver in such a way that the driver is able to return before the start of the regular weekly rest period of more than 45 hours taken in compensation.
The undertaking shall document how it fulfils that obligation and shall keep the documentation at its premises in order to present it at the request of control authorities.’











(10)


The first two paragraphs of Article 8bis AETR are replaced by the following:

‘1.   By way of derogation from Article 8, where a driver accompanies a vehicle which is transported by ferry or train and takes a regular daily rest period or a reduced weekly rest period, that period may be interrupted not more than twice by other activities not exceeding one hour in total. During that regular daily rest or reduced weekly rest period the driver shall have access to a sleeper cabin, bunk or couchette at their disposal.
With regard to regular weekly rest periods, that derogation shall only apply to ferry or train journeys where:






(a)


the journey is scheduled for 8 hours or more; and










(b)


the driver has access to a sleeper cabin in the ferry or on the train.






2.   Any time spent travelling to a location to take charge of a vehicle falling within the scope of this Agreement, or to return from that location, when the vehicle is neither at the driver’s home nor at the employer’s operational centre where the driver is normally based, shall not be counted as a rest or break unless the driver is on a ferry or train and has access to a sleeper cabin, bunk or couchette.’











(11)


A new Article 8ter is added as follows:

‘Article 8ter
Safe and secure parking areas

1.   Based on information provided by the Contracting Parties, the Secretariat of UNECE shall ensure that information on safe and secure parking areas is easily accessible to drivers engaged in the carriage of goods and passengers by road. The Secretariat of UNECE shall publish a list of parking areas that have been certified, in order to provide drivers with adequate:






—


Intrusion detection and prevention,










—


Lighting and visibility,










—


Emergency contact points and procedures,










—


Gender-friendly sanitary facilities,










—


Food and beverage purchasing options,










—


Communications connections,










—


Power supply.




The list of such parking areas shall be made available on a single official website and shall be regularly updated.


2.   The standards providing further details on the level of service and security with regard to the areas listed in paragraph 1 and concerning the procedures for the certification of parking areas are set out in Appendix 5.


3.   Appendix 5 may be amended by a majority of Contracting Parties present and voting in the UNECE Working Party on Road Transport.


4.   Contracting Parties are to encourage the development of parking areas for commercial road users.’












(12)


Article 9 AETR is replaced by the following:

‘1.   Provided that road safety is not thereby jeopardized and to enable the vehicle to reach a suitable stopping place, the driver may depart from the provisions of this Agreement to the extent necessary to ensure the safety of persons, of the vehicle or of its load. The driver shall indicate the nature of and reason for his departure from those provisions on the record sheet or on a printout of the control device or in his duty roster, at the latest on arrival at a suitable stopping place.


2.   Provided that road safety is not thereby jeopardised, the driver may also, in exceptional circumstances, depart from the provisions in Article 6(1) and (2) and Article 8(2) by exceeding the daily and weekly driving times by up to one hour in order to reach the employer’s operational centre or the driver’s place of residence to take a weekly rest period.


3.   Under the same conditions, the driver may exceed the daily and weekly driving times by up to two hours provided that an uninterrupted break of 30 minutes is taken immediately before the additional driving time needed to reach the employer’s operational centre or the driver’s place of residence to take a regular weekly rest period.


4.   The driver shall indicate the reason for such departure manually on the record sheet of the recording equipment, or on a printout from the recording equipment or in the duty roster, at the latest on arrival at the destination or at a suitable stopping place.


5.   Any period of extension shall be compensated by an equivalent period of rest taken en bloc with any rest period, by the end of the third week following the week in question.’











(13)


A new Appendix 5 is added to the AETR as follows:



                                    ‘Appendix 5






1.


In order to be certified as a safe and secure parking area, as referred to in Article 8ter(1) of AETR, a parking area shall fulfil the following standards:






a)


All of the standards on the minimum level of service set out in Section A of this Appendix.










b)


All of the standards of one of the security levels set out in Section B of this Appendix.














2.


The certification of parking areas as safe and secure parking areas as referred to in Article 8ter(1) AETR shall comply with the standards and procedures set out in Section C of this Appendix.





Section A – Minimum level of service







Gender-friendly sanitary facilities








—


Separate toilets and showers for male and for female users shall be available and working. Showers shall provide warm water.










—


Water taps shall be available, working and providing warm water. Hand soap shall be provided free of charge.










—


Waste bins shall be available on site and be regularly emptied.










—


Toilets, showers and water basins shall be cleaned and checked daily at regular intervals. The cleaning schedule shall be displayed.








Food and beverage purchasing and consumption options








—


Snacks and drinks shall be available for purchase 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.










—


A dining area for drivers shall be available.








Communication connections








—


Internet connection shall be available free of charge.








Power supply








—


Electrical sockets shall be available for personal use.










—


By 31 December 2026, electric power facilities for refrigerated road transport vehicles shall be available on-site.








Emergency contact points and procedures








—


Clear signs shall be provided in order to ensure safe traffic movement at the parking facility.










—


Emergency contacts shall be displayed at the parking facility at least in the national official language and in English. They shall be supported by easily understandable pictograms.









Section B – Levels of security







a.


Safe and secure parking areas certified to AETR standards shall meet the criteria set out under one of the security levels described in Tables 2 to 5.




b.


Safe and secure parking areas shall ensure that the equipment and procedures listed under each level of security are fully operational.




c.


The standards set out in this agreement are without prejudice to national legislation related to the tasks that have to be performed by licensed and trained, in-house or external, security staff. All security staff shall also have received adequate training when national legislation so requires.




d.


The periods for retaining data collected via video surveillance (CCTV) are without prejudice to applicable legislation in that area. They shall apply to any mandatory and voluntary requirements under these standards.




e.


The lighting values (lux) indicated in the different security levels shall be average values.




f.


Without prejudice to national law establishing additional requirements on training, operators of safe and secure parking areas shall ensure that their on-site and remote staff operating on safe and secure parking areas, as well as the parking manager, attend training on the AETR standards for safe and secure parking areas. New staff shall take that training within the 6 months following their entry into service. The training shall cover the following topics:






—


staff training and supervision;










—


incident management;










—


surveillance and monitoring;










—


technology.








g.


Safe and secure parking areas shall display on-site the information for users on how to submit a complaint to the relevant certification body.





Bronze level








BRONZE LEVEL





Perimeter








—


The perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be secured via a visual deterrent. The visual deterrent shall be located on the ground to indicate the perimeter of the safe and secure parking area and only freight vehicles and authorised vehicles are allowed in the parking area.










—


The perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be lit at 15 lux light intensity.










—


Any vegetation around the perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be trimmed to ensure good visibility.








Parking area








—


Appropriate signage shall indicate that only freight vehicles and authorised vehicles are allowed in the parking area.










—


Physical or remote surveillance checks shall be conducted at least once every 24 hours.










—


Any vegetation in the parking area shall be trimmed to ensure good visibility.










—


Any existing vehicle and pedestrian lanes in the parking area shall be lit at 15 lux light intensity.








Entry/Exit








—


Entry and exit points of the safe and secure parking area shall be lit at 25 lux light intensity.










—


CCTV providing good image quality shall be installed and working at all entry and exit points of the safe and secure parking area.










—


The CCTV system shall have a minimum digital continuous recording (5 frames per second) or be based on motion detection with pre- and post-recording and using true day and night HD resolution cameras with 720 pixels.










—


The safe and secure parking area operator shall carry out a CCTV routine check once a week, a record of which must be kept for one week. The safe and secure parking area operator shall carry out a functional CCTV system check at least once every 48 hours.










—


The CCTV data shall be kept for a period of 30 days unless the applicable legislation requires a shorter retention period. In that case, the longest retention period permitted by law shall apply.










—


The safe and secure parking area shall have a CCTV warranty, service level agreement in place or demonstrate own maintenance capabilities. The CCTV systems at the safe and secure parking area shall always be operated by qualified technicians.








Staff procedures








—


Based on an annual risk assessment, and without prejudice to national legislation establishing additional requirements, a security plan, which includes all aspects from risk prevention and mitigation to response in collaboration with law enforcement, shall be in place.










—


The safe and secure parking area shall appoint a person responsible for staff procedures in case of incidents. The safe and secure parking area staff must have access to a full list of local law enforcement bodies at all times.










—


A procedure shall be in place for cases where unauthorised vehicles are parked in the safe and secure parking area. That procedure shall be clearly displayed in the safe and secure parking area.










—


The reporting of incidents and crimes to the staff and police shall be facilitated through the display of a clear procedure at the safe and secure parking area.









Silver level








SILVER LEVEL





Perimeter








—


The perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be secured via at least a physical deterrent which hinders the passage and only allows entrance to and exit from the safe and secure parking areas via the defined entry and exit points. The perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be secured via continuous video monitoring and recording as well as by a visual deterrent.










—


The CCTV system shall have a minimum continuous digital recording of 5 frames per second or shall be based on motion detection with pre- and post-recording and using true day and night HD resolution cameras with 720 pixels.










—


The safe and secure parking area operator shall carry out a CCTV routine check every 72 hours, a record of which must be kept for one week.










—


The safe and secure parking area operator shall carry out a functional CCTV system check at least once every 48h.










—


The CCTV data shall be kept for a period of 30 days unless the applicable legislation requires a shorter retention period. In that case, the longest retention period permitted by law shall apply.










—


The safe and secure parking area shall have a CCTV warranty and a service level agreement in place or demonstrate own maintenance capabilities. The CCTV systems at the safe and secure parking area shall always be operated by qualified technicians.










—


The perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be lit at 20 lux light intensity.










—


Any vegetation around the perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be trimmed to ensure good visibility.








Parking area








—


Appropriate signage shall indicate that only freight vehicles and authorised vehicles are allowed in the parking area.










—


Physical or remote surveillance checks shall be carried out minimum twice every 24 hours, and at least once during the day and once during the night.










—


Any existing vehicle and pedestrian lanes of the parking area shall be lit at 15 lux light intensity.










—


Any vegetation in the parking area shall be trimmed to ensure good visibility.








Entry/Exit








—


Entry and exit points of the safe and secure parking area shall be lit at 25 lux light intensity and be secured by barriers. Those barriers shall be equipped with a voice intercom system and ticketing system.










—


CCTV providing good image quality shall be installed and working at all entry and exit points of the safe and secure parking area. Requirements for CCTV under the section “perimeter” of this level of security shall also apply for the purpose of CCTV at entry and exit points.








Staff procedures








—


Based on an annual risk assessment and without prejudice to national legislation establishing additional requirements, a security plan shall be in place to examine the particular risks within the safe and secure parking area owing to factors such as its location, types of users traffic safety conditions, crime rates and general security considerations.










—


The safe and secure parking area shall appoint a person responsible for staff procedures in case of incidents. The safe and secure parking area staff must have access to a full list of local law enforcement at all times.










—


A procedure shall be in place for cases where unauthorised vehicles are parked in the safe and secure parking area. That procedure shall be clearly displayed in the safe and secure parking area.










—


The reporting of incidents and crimes to the staff and police shall be facilitated through the display of a clear procedure at the safe and secure parking area.










—


Assistance to users shall be available 24/7.









Gold level








GOLD LEVEL





Perimeter








—


The perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be secured by a physical barrier at least 1,8  metres high. There shall be a clear zone of 1 metre between the barrier and the parking area.










—


Measures to prevent unintentional damage to the barriers shall be put in place.










—


The perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be lit at 25 lux light intensity.










—


The entire perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be monitored by continuous video surveillance, leaving no blank spots.










—


The CCTV system shall have a minimum continuous recording of 5 frames per second or be based on motion detection with pre-and post-recording and true day and night HD resolution cameras with 720 pixels.










—


The safe and secure parking area operator shall carry out a CCTV routine check every 48 hours, a record of which must be kept for one week.










—


The safe and secure parking area operator shall carry out a functional CCTV system check at least once every 24 hours.










—


The CCTV data shall be kept for a period of 30 days unless the applicable national legislation requires a shorter retention period. In that case, the longest possible retention period permitted by law shall apply.










—


The safe and secure parking area shall have a CCTV warranty or service level agreement with at least one service visit by a qualified specialised organisation per year, or demonstrate own maintenance capabilities. The CCTV systems at the safe and secure parking area shall always be operated by qualified technicians.










—


The CCTV and access events shall be synchronised through a common noting software.










—


In case of a network outage, all CCTV and access events shall be locally stored and uploaded once the connections are re-established to the central registration equipment.










—


Any vegetation around the perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be trimmed to ensure good visibility.








Parking area








—


Appropriate signage shall indicate that only freight vehicles and authorised vehicles are allowed in the parking area.










—


Physical or remote surveillance checks shall be carried out at least twice every 24 hours and at least once during the day and once during the night.










—


Lanes of the parking area and pedestrian lanes shall be marked and be lit at 15 lux light intensity.










—


Any vegetation in the parking area shall be trimmed to ensure good visibility.








Entry/Exit








—


Entry and exit points of the safe and secure parking area shall be lit at 25 lux light intensity and be secured by barriers with under-climbing and over-climbing protection and traffic lights.










—


CCTV providing good image quality shall be installed and working at all entry and exit points of the safe and secure parking area. The entry and exit points shall be equipped with license plate recognition technology. Records of entering and exiting vehicles shall be saved in accordance with the applicable legislation.










—


Entry and exit points of the safe and secure parking area shall be secured through intrusion prevention and detection mechanisms such as pedestrian turnstiles at a minimum height of 1,80  metres. Points of access to services such as toilets, restaurants and shops shall be equipped with tripod turnstiles when there is a direct access between the parking area and those services.








Staff procedures








—


Based on an annual risk assessment and without prejudice to national legislation establishing additional requirements, a security plan shall be in place to examine the particular risks within the safe and secure parking area owing to factors such as its location, types of client, traffic safety conditions, crime rates and general security considerations.










—


Based on an annual risk assessment and without prejudice to national legislation establishing additional requirements, a business continuity plan shall be in place. It shall include detailed measures on how to respond to disruptive incidents and maintain delivery of critical activities during an incident. The management of the safe and secure parking area shall be able to demonstrate the implementation of those measures.










—


A procedure shall be in place for cases where unauthorised vehicles are parked in the safe and secure parking area. That procedure shall be clearly displayed in the safe and secure parking area.










—


Assistance to users shall be available 24/7










—


The reporting of incidents and crimes to staff and the police shall be facilitated through the display of a clear procedure at the safe and secure parking area.










—


A person responsible for staff procedures shall be appointed.










—


The parking area management system shall be prepared for DATEX II data transfer.









Platinum level








PLATINUM LEVEL





Perimeter








—


The perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be secured by means of a continuous barrier at least 1,8  metres high with deterrents to climb over. There shall be a clear zone of 1 metre between the barrier and the parking area.










—


Measures to prevent intentional and unintentional damage to barriers shall be put in place.










—


The perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be lit at 25 lux light intensity.










—


The entire perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be monitored by continuous video surveillance, leaving no blank spots.










—


The CCTV system shall have a minimum continuous digital recording of 5 frames per second or be based on motion detection with pre- and post-recording and true day and night HD resolution cameras with 720 pixels.










—


The safe and secure parking area operator shall carry out a CCTV routine check every 48 hours, a record of which must be kept for one week.










—


The safe and secure parking area operator shall carry out a functional CCTV system check at least once every 24 hours.










—


The CCTV data shall be kept for a period of 30 days unless the applicable legislation requires a shorter retention period. In this case, the longest possible retention period permitted by law shall apply.










—


The safe and secure parking area shall have a CCTV warranty or service level agreement with at least two service visits by a qualified specialised organisation per year or demonstrate own maintenance capabilities. The CCTV systems at the safe and secure parking area shall always be operated by qualified technicians.










—


The CCTV and access events shall be synchronised through a common noting software.










—


Security CCTV events on the parking shall be reviewed by personnel using web-based clients. In case of a network outage, all CCTV and access events shall be locally stored and uploaded once the connections are re-established to the central registration equipment.










—


CCTV images shall be remotely controlled (24/7) by an external monitoring and alarm receiving centre, unless security staff are on site.










—


The CCTV system shall provide intrusion as well as over climbing alarms, and raise alarm by audio or light signalling in the parking area as well as in monitoring and alarm receiving centres.










—


Any vegetation around the perimeter of the safe and secure parking area shall be trimmed to ensure good visibility.








Parking area








—


Appropriate signage shall indicate that only freight vehicles and authorised vehicles are allowed in the parking area.










—


Lanes of the parking area and pedestrian lanes shall be marked and be lit at 15 lux light intensity.










—


Any vegetation in the parking area shall be trimmed to ensure good visibility.










—


The site shall be manned or video-controlled 24/7.










—


Requirements for CCTV under the section “perimeter” of this level of security shall also apply for the purpose of CCTV in the parking area.








Entry/Exit








—


Entry and exit points of the safe and secure parking area shall be lit at 25 lux light intensity and be secured by gates with under-climbing and over-climbing protection or by barriers with under- and over-climbing protection supplemented by bollards.










—


CCTV providing good image quality shall be installed and working at all entry and exit points of the safe and secure parking area. Entry and exit points, including pedestrian entry and exit points, shall be monitored in real time.










—


Requirements for CCTV under the section “perimeter” of this level of security shall also apply for the purpose of CCTV at entry and exit points.










—


Entry and exit points of the safe and secure parking area shall be secured through intrusion prevention and detection mechanisms such as pedestrian turnstiles at a minimum height of 1,80  metres. Points of access to services such as toilets, restaurants and shops shall be equipped with tripod turnstiles when there is direct access between the parking area and those services.










—


The entry and exit points of the safe and secure parking area shall be equipped with license plate recognition technology. When exiting the safe and secure parking area, security staff shall verify if the license plate matches the entry and exit verification system identifier, e.g. tickets, RFID readers or QR codes. Records of vehicles entering and exiting the safe and secure parking area shall be saved in accordance with the applicable legislation.










—


The entry and exit points of the safe and secure parking area shall be secured via a two-step verification system comprising the checks on licence plates and an additional relevant method chosen by the safe and secure parking area which would allow identification and verification of the drivers, any person accompanying a driver and any other authorised person entering the parking area.










—


Any potential gatehouse shall be able to withstand an external attack, and include a closing mechanism for the doors of the guardhouse.








Staff procedures








—


Based on an annual risk assessment and without prejudice to national legislation establishing additional requirements, a security plan shall be in place to examine the particular risks within the safe and secure parking area owing to factors such as its location, types of client, traffic safety conditions, crime rates and general security considerations.










—


Based on an annual risk assessment, and without prejudice to national legislation establishing additional requirements, a business continuity plan shall be in place. It shall include detailed measures on how to respond to disruptive incidents and maintain delivery of critical activities during an incident. The management of the safe and secure parking area shall be able to demonstrate the implementation of those measures.










—


A procedure shall be in place for cases where unauthorised vehicles are parked in the safe and secure parking area. That procedure shall be clearly displayed in the safe and secure parking area.










—


Assistance to users shall be available 24/7










—


The reporting of incidents and crimes to security staff and the police shall be facilitated through the display of a clear procedure at the safe and secure parking area.










—


A person responsible for staff procedures shall be appointed.










—


A technical user manual shall be used.










—


Alarm response procedures shall be put in place.










—


The parking area management system shall be prepared for DATEX II data transfer.










—


Secure pre-booking shall be available via phone, contact forms, email, apps or booking platforms. If pre-booking is offered via apps or similar booking systems, data transmission must happen in real time.









Section C – Certification standards and procedures

(i)   Certification bodies and training of auditors







1.


Only certification bodies and auditors meeting the requirements set out in this Section shall be entitled to carry out the certification of safe and secure parking areas referred to in Article 8ter(1) AETR.




2.


Certification bodies whose auditors carry out audits to certify safe and secure parking areas in accordance with the standards set out in Sections A and B shall have group accreditation in accordance with ISO 17021.




3.


Auditors carrying out certification audits to certify safe and secure parking areas in accordance with the standards set out in Sections A and B shall have a contractual relationship with the certification body.




4.


In accordance with ISO 17021, certification bodies shall ensure that auditors carrying out audits to certify safe and secure parking areas are properly trained.




5.


Auditors of certification bodies shall have successfully passed training for auditors on the latest version of the standards set out in Sections A and B comprising a theoretical and practical part.




6.


Auditors of certification bodies shall have a good working knowledge of one of the working languages of UNECE as well as knowledge of the relevant local language of the Contracting Party where they carry out the audit.




(ii)   Procedures on certification audits, unannounced audits and revocation of the safe and secure parking certificate







1.


Certification audits of safe and secure parking areas shall take place physically. Parking operators willing to be certified in accordance with the AETR standards set out in Sections A and B shall make a request to a certification body to carry out a certification audit on their site.




2.


Three months before the end of validity of the certificate, operators wishing to renew the certification shall request that the certification body of their choice re-audits the safe and secure parking areas. The re-certification audit shall be organised and the results transmitted to the parking operator before the expiry date of the current certificate.




3.


Where, owing to exceptional circumstances that could have not been anticipated either by the certification body or by the operator of the safe and secure parking area, the certification body is unable to carry out the requested re-certification audit, the certification body may decide to extend the validity of the current certificate by up to six months. Such an extension may be renewed only once.




4.


During the period of validity of the certificate of the safe and secure parking area, the relevant certification body shall carry out at least one unannounced audit on the standards set out in Sections A and B.




5.


The certification body shall transmit the results of the re-certification audits and of the unannounced audits to the operator of the safe and secure parking area without undue delay.




6.


If following a re-certification audit or unannounced audit the certification body establishes that the safe and secure parking area no longer satisfies one or more requirements covered by the certificate, it shall notify the operator of the details of the failures observed and suggest the measures needed to remedy them. The certification body shall allow the operator to address those failures within a period set by the auditor, taking into account the seriousness of the failure observed. The operator shall inform the certification body of the measures taken to remedy those deficiencies and provide all the necessary details before the end of the period.




7.


The certification body shall carry out the assessment of the remedy measures applied by the operator within 4 weeks. If it establishes that the safe and secure parking area satisfies all the minimum service requirements set out in Sections A and B and all the security requirements covered by the certificate, a new audit certificate for the requested level shall be issued. In the case of an unannounced audit, the same audit certificate shall continue to apply until its expiry.




8.


If the certification body establishes that the safe and secure parking area satisfies all the minimum service requirements set out in Sections A and B and the security requirements of a security level different from the one covered by the existing certificate, a new audit certificate reflecting the appropriate level of security shall be issued. In the case of an unannounced audit, a new audit certificate with the appropriate level of security shall be issued with the same expiry date as that of the audit certificate it replaces.




9.


If, following a re-certification audit or unannounced audit and the assessment of any subsequent remedy measures, the certification body establishes that the safe and secure parking area does not satisfy the minimum service requirements or does not satisfy one or more of the security requirements covered by the existing certificate, the certification body shall revoke the certificate. The certification body shall immediately notify the operator, who shall be responsible for removing any reference to the AETR standards on safe and secure parking areas on its site.




10.


The safe and secure parking operator shall have the possibility to appeal to the certification body that carried out the audit where it disagrees with the outcome of the audit, in accordance with the ISO 17021 standard. After examination of the appeal, the certification body may decide not to revoke the audit certificate, or to issue a new audit certificate for a different level of security.




(iii)   Requirements to fulfil after the audit by the certification bodies and provision of information







1.


Following the successful certification or re-certification audit, the certification body shall immediately issue the audit certificate to the parking operator, and shall send without delay a copy to the certified safe and secure parking area operator and to competent authorities of the Contracting Party in which it is located. It shall also inform the competent authorities of that Contracting Party when audit certificates have been revoked or when the level of security of safe and secure parking areas has changed following an audit. The audit certificate shall have a validity of three years.




2.


The certification bodies shall set up an online complaint mechanism for users of safe and secure parking areas.’













ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1115/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)