Brussels, 23 October 2025
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the chemical industry, represented by Cefic, warns that mandatory zero-emission vehicle quotas risk undermining safety and feasibility for hazardous and sensitive goods.
IRU welcomes and supports the EU chemical industry as the first shipper sector to publicly warn the European Commission against imposing mandatory zero-emission truck purchasing mandates under the upcoming Clean Corporate Fleets initiative.
In its letter, Cefic underlines the specific conditions of operation and transport for hazardous or sensitive goods, especially at Seveso sites where electric or hydrogen vehicle behaviour in accidents differs from diesel assets and is not considered safe based on current knowledge.
IRU EU Advocacy Director Raluca Marian said, “The chemical industry is the first shipper sector to publicly state what we have repeatedly said to the European Commission: one-size-fits-all mandates do not work.”
“These concerns are not about rejecting decarbonisation. They are about doing it safely, feasibly and in line with operational realities,” she added.
IRU has consistently called for EU decarbonisation policies to recognise the diversity of road transport operations – from dangerous goods and long-haul freight to temperature-controlled and specialised transport – and to avoid prescriptive purchasing obligations that ignore the lack of viable alternatives for many use cases. This position was also set out in a recent letter from IRU and partner organisations to President von der Leyen.
“Decarbonisation must be built on enabling conditions, not on punitive obligations,” said Raluca Marian. “Europe needs infrastructure, incentives and sector-specific pathways, not blanket mandates.”
IRU will continue to engage with EU institutions to ensure that the transition is market-driven, safe and workable for every type of operation – in principle and in practice.
