Thessaloniki, Greece, 22 May 2026 – During the 47th Meeting of the BSEC-URTA General Assembly, the European Secure Parking Organisation (ESPORG) and the Union of Road Transport Associations in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Region (BSEC-URTA) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aiming to accelerate the development of safe and secure truck parking infrastructure along key European and Black Sea transport corridors, enhance professional drivers’ well-being, improve road safety and support the compliance with EU parking standards. The agreement was signed by Dirk Penasse, General Manager of ESPORG and Eduard Kasa, President of BSEC-URTA.
Dirk Penasse, General Manager, ESPORG stated: “Today’s MoU marks a significant step forward in our partnership with BSEC-URTA. By joining forces on safe and secure parking and driver well-being, we are turning shared commitments into concrete action that will benefit drivers, operators, and entire supply chains across the Black Sea and European corridors.”
The MoU further strengthens the already excellent cooperation between the two organisations, building on BSEC-URTA’s prior signing of the ESPORG Wellbeing Pledge, demonstrating its commitment to improving working and living conditions for professional drivers and promoting a more attractive and sustainable road transport profession.
BSEC-URTA President Mr. Eduart Kasa:
“BSEC-URTA welcomes the cooperation with ESPORG and considers this Memorandum of Understanding an important step towards improving safe and secure truck parking conditions and enhancing driver well-being across the Black Sea region. We believe this collaboration will contribute to strengthening sustainable, efficient and resilient transport operations in the region.”
The agreement establishes a framework for enhanced collaboration on strategic priorities including the development of safe and secure truck parking infrastructure, professional driver wellbeing, gender-specific needs, the attractiveness of the profession and specific needs of non-EU drivers, training, green and sustainable parking initiatives, road safety and digitalisation. The cooperation will also focus on joint working groups, exchange of best practices and participation in common projects and events.
During the General Assembly, ESPORG delivered a dedicated presentation on Safe and Secure Truck Parking Areas (SSPA) and the Wellbeing Pledge, highlighting the importance of certified secure parking infrastructure, driver wellbeing and initiatives aimed at improving the attractiveness of the profession. The presentation also showcased ESPORG’s ongoing wellbeing campaign and efforts to strengthen cooperation across European and international transport corridors.
BSEC-URTA General Assembly featured several high-level presentations and reports, including a presentation by OFAE – Hellenic Federation of Road Transport, celebrating its 90th anniversary. BSEC-URTA Working Parties provided updates on key topics such as the digitalisation of transport documents, the role of women in road transport and the Woman Drivers’ Academy, border crossing problems. Additional contributions came from the IRU, presenting recent developments in the Middle East and their impact on transport operations; UND, discussing the effects of the Schengen Visa System and the Entry/Exit System (EES); Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) on its support for the international road transport industry and from i.LINK on digitalisation in transport.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding follows the recent joint participation of ESPORG and BSEC-URTA in the ministerial-level BSEC Working Group on Transport meeting, held on 29 April 2026. This high-level meeting brought together representatives of BSEC Member States, related bodies, and international organisations to discuss ongoing developments in regional transport and logistics cooperation. During the meeting, ESPORG General Manager Dirk Penasse presented the organisation and its well-being campaign, which was highly welcomed by the representatives from the transport ministries of the BSEC countries.
This high-level engagement demonstrated strong regional support for the objectives now formalised in the MoU, paving the way for practical implementation and tangible improvements in truck parking standards and driver conditions across the Black Sea region.
