Two amendments have been made to the European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) which also require the amendment of the Finnish Road Traffic Act. The amendments to the AETR Agreement mean that Russian lorries and coaches will have to be equipped with digital tachographs when travelling in Finland, too. In Finland, the amendments apply mainly to transport between Finland and Russia. The Government submitted a proposal to Parliament on 25 March concerning approval of the amendments to the AETR Agreement and also covering the associated amendments to national legislation.
The provisions in EU legislation and in the AETR Agreement are identical in terms of tachograph technology. The only difference is in the date of introduction of the digital tachographs. The new tachographs and the driver card system required for their operation will be introduced on 16 June 2010. The mandatory installation of the new tachographs applies only to new vehicles registered after that date.
The differences between the Agreement and the EU provisions regarding driving times will not provide Russian transport companies with a direct competitive advantage over Finnish companies. According to the Agreement and the above-mentioned EU legislation, Finnish transport companies will also have to comply with the regulations in the AETR Agreement in journeys between Finland and Russia.
