Access to the Occupation and Market Regulation
Core concepts
Access to the occupation of road transport operator in Belgium is regulated by EU Regulation 1071/2009 and its national implementation. The four requirements are: establishment (a real and stable presence in Belgium), good repute, appropriate financial standing, and professional competence (the CPC certificate). Know the conditions for good repute, the disqualifications, and the procedure before the Commission for the Transport of Goods by Road.
Market regulation
Understand the Community licence, the certified true copy kept in the vehicle, and the rules on cabotage (temporary national carriage in another Member State). Know the rules on access to the market for hire or reward, the difference between own-account and for-hire transport, and the authorisation regime. Understand the role of the Belgian regulator and the sanctions for infringement.
Traps
Questions often test the difference between the Community licence and the driver attestation, or the conditions of cabotage (three operations in seven days, followed by a cooling-off period). Another trap is confusing good repute with the absence of criminal convictions: it is a broader test. Remember that professional competence must be demonstrated by an exam or by recognised experience.
Worked rule of thumb
When a question asks whether an operator may perform cabotage after international delivery, remember the rule: cabotage is allowed only after an international carriage, limited in number of operations and days, and the vehicle must keep evidence of the international leg.