Trips of third country transport operators through the European Union territory is the highest growth segment of the road freight transport market over the past decade (80% in the period 2004 – 2014). According to an European Commission report of April 2014, 80 percent of all international transport activities within the Union were performed by vehicles registered either in the Member State of loading, or in the Member State of unloading. 20% of transport operations were performed by trucks, registered in a third country (i.e. trips between third countries) compared to 12% in 2004. The share of transport operations between third countries, out of all road freight transport activities, has increased from four to seven percent in the past decade.
Control over the increasing flow of goods vehicles, registered in third countries, represents a major challenge for Bulgaria (a member of Euro Contrôle Route since 2007) because of its status of a border country of the EU. This is the reason for the relatively higher flow of carriages of goods from and to third countries, together with the specific consequential problems. About 1.1 million trucks pass through the country annually. Nearly half of them are from third countries.
Passages of Buses and Trucks through the Territory of Bulgaria in 2012 and 2013
Source: Customs Agency
| 2012 | ||||
| Registration of Vehicles | Trucks | Buses | ||
| In | Out | In | Out | |
| Bulgaria | 374 179 | 323 121 | 5 171 | 13 556 |
| EU | 197 915 | 192 614 | 6 552 | 9 278 |
| Third countries | 503 605 | 498 274 | 8 984 | 14 949 |
| Total | 1 075 699 | 1 014 009 | 20 707 | 23 933 |
| 2013 | ||||
| Registration of Vehicles | Trucks | Buses | ||
| In | Out | In | Out | |
| Bulgaria | 424 838 | 298 213 | 6 056 | 10 782 |
| EU | 254 230 | 198 870 | 9 031 | 8 692 |
| Third countries | 495 459 | 478 775 | 9 400 | 13 334 |
| Total | 1 174 527 | 975 858 | 24 487 | 32 808 |
Notes:
1) This report does not include the data on Kulata border crossing point up to 09.08.2013, and on the Danube Bridge II Vidin
2) Term ‘truck’ includes: trucks with two axles, trucks with three or more axles, trucks with a gross weight less than or equal to 3.5 tons including the trailer, and NATO vehicles
3) Croatia has been reported within EU for both periods.
Performed Roadside Checks and Constituted Acts for Committed Violations
in the Period of 2007 – 2013
| Year | Number of Roadside Checks | Constituted Acts for Committed Violations |
| 2007 | 296 419 | 20 763 |
| 2008 | 321 916 | 33 762 |
| 2009 | 326 871 | 21 523 |
| 2010 | 298 659 | 11 678 |
| 2011 | 268 942 | 18 459 |
| 2012 | 272 639 | 19 576 |
| 2013 | 233 215 | 16 505 |
Source: Executive Agency Road Transport Administration (EARTA)
Experience of road inspectors shows that the larger truck flow by third countries is a challenge to the control in several areas:
- Violations related to the use of tachographs
- Technical malfunctions of vehicles
- Cargo securing
- Violations of permit regimes
- Language problems
