EU cross‑border rules tighten German deposit loophole and mandate smart tachographs

A German administrative court in Schleswig‑Holstein ruled that Danish shoppers must now pay the deposit on cans bought in German border shops, ending the previous exemption that allowed customers to declare the drinks would be taken out of Germany. About 500 million cans are taken across the border each year, representing roughly 9 billion Danish crowns of trade. Danish business groups welcomed the decision as a move toward fair competition, though some fear price rises. The ruling can be appealed to Germany’s highest administrative court and aligns with an EU directive that will require deposits on bottles and cans across all member states from 2029.

From 1 July, the EU is extending its driving‑ and rest‑time regime to light commercial vehicles (2.5‑3.5 t) used for international freight. The new rules obligate these vehicles to be equipped with a version‑2 smart tachograph and require drivers to hold a personal licence that stores driving data, while companies must use a company card for data handling. The regulations apply to trips crossing EU, EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, with purely domestic journeys remaining under existing rules. Installation must be performed by approved workshops and licences are obtained digitally.