Truckers call on Government to push back on EU zero-emission rules

The Association of Tractor and Trailer Operators (ATTO) has urged Malta’s authorities and representatives to show stronger leadership in defending the interests of Maltese transport operators at the European level.

As the European Commission debates binding zero-emission truck mandates, ATTO insists that Malta must ensure that EU policies reflect economic realities, protect the competitiveness of the country’s vital logistics sector and that the transport operators in our island economy should not be unfairly penalised.

In a joint position statement, Europe’s leading transport organisations, including IRU, CLECAT, the European Shippers’ Council, and the Global Cold Chain Alliance, have warned against premature zero-emission mandates that could disrupt operations.

ATTO, an active member of the IRU, remains committed to decarbonisation, but forcing technologies that are not yet viable across all operations “would place an impossible burden on international trailer operators and threaten supply chain stability.”

Charging and refuelling infrastructure remains inadequate, grid capacity is limited, and new-generation trucks are far beyond the reach of most SMEs, it added.

“Imposing binding mandates under these conditions risks paralysing the very sector that keeps goods and essential materials flowing. The Maltese road transport industry, largely made up of family-run businesses, would be especially hard hit, and abrupt targets will undermine competitiveness, threaten jobs, and raise costs for consumers,” the association said.

While stressing that a one-size-fits-all framework cannot apply for Malta, ATTO is calling on Maltese policymakers to advocate for a balanced European approach that prioritises infrastructure investment, provides meaningful purchase incentives, and channels EU revenues such as those from the Eurovignette Directive and Emissions Trading System into transport decarbonisation.

“Mandates may sound decisive, but without the right infrastructure and financial framework, they do more harm than good,” says Joseph Bugeja, Chairman of ATTO. 

“Malta must ensure its voice is heard in Brussels. We need policies that encourage progress and not measures that endanger livelihoods or the resilience of our supply chains. A fair and feasible transition is the only way forward.”

“ATTO remains ready to engage with both Maltese and EU authorities to secure a realistic, competitive, and sustainable future for road transport. Environmental ambition cannot succeed without economic common sense.”