UK temporarily suspends post-Brexit rules for some music truckers

nme.com:

Brexit rules for some music truckers following a number of tour cancellations and delays.Earlier this month, White Lies were forced to cancel the opening night of their 2022 European tour in Paris due to “Brexit legislation” seeing their equipment held up for two days.Since January of 2021, when the post-Brexit trade deal between the EU and the U.K.

came into force, truckers in both regions are now subject to “cabotage rules”, which require haulers to return to the EU or the U.K. — wherever their business is based — after making just three stops in the other market (via World News ERA).The move has resulted in long delays for artists and in some cases tour postponements with musicians unable to get their equipment, which is being held up in transit through the rules due  to huge backlogs.

The new relaxation of rules allows some of the UKs biggest trucking firms to now work and travel freely across Europe by temporarily switching their vehicles from an EU operator’s license to a UK one for the home leg of a tour.Speaking to Billboard, a government spokesperson said: “This is a temporary exceptional measure which will ensure that our world-leading creative and cultural artists can continue to tour widely.”However, the government still has no long-term plan in place beyond this temporary measure.

It also comes with significant caveats – including the fact that it only applies to UK based trucking firms who also have EU registered fleets.