The European Commission published a landmark report assessing the availability of proper facilities for professional drivers across the EU. Set against tightening regulatory requirements and rising transport demand, the report highlights a growing shortfall in SSPAs and calls for urgent, coordinated action by Member States and industry.
On 21 November 2025, the European Commission published a report on the availability of suitable rest facilities for professional drivers and of secured parking facilities, assessing the state of certified Safe and Secure Parking Areas (SSPAs) across the Union.
The report builds on the standards laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1012 adopted in 2022. That regulation sets out detailed requirements for SSPAs — from surveillance, lighting, access control and physical security, to sanitary and comfort facilities such as restrooms, showers, or food services for drivers.
Moreover, under the updated Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 (the successor to the TEN-T regulation), Member States are required to ensure that by 31 December 2040 SSPAs certified under EU standards are developed along the core and extended core trans-European road network — or within 3 kilometres of a motorway exit — with an average maximum distance of 150 km between two SSPAs.
The gap remains — and is growing
Despite these regulations and standards, the Commission’s latest 2025 report make clear that the current number of SSPAs remains far from sufficient. According to the eu study, the deficit is estimated at approximately 390,057 parking spaces, equivalent to roughly 3,250 parking areas — a shortfall projected to rise to 483,000 spaces (about 4,025 areas) by 2040, given the expected growth in demand.
This shortage affects the safety, security and well-being of professional drivers, undermines efficient logistics chains, and represents a risk for road transport supply-chain resilience and road safety overall.
The 2025 report and Commission aligns with some of the recommendation present in the above mentioned study, communicating a call for immediate and coordinated action — including:
- upgrading existing non-certified parking areas to meet minimum SSPA standards;
- the adoption of SSPA deployment in national transport plans and strategies;
- mobilising EU-level and national funding (public-private partnerships).
EU call to step up more certified truck parking
These messages were strongly echoed during a recent high-level exchange in Belgium. In fact, speaking at the opening of a new Safe and Secure Parking Area near Liège on 4 December 2025, Jean‑Louis Colson, Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate‑General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), underlined the main challenges and priorities:
- He recalled the European Commission report of 21 November 2025 on suitable rest facilities and secured parking for professional drivers, noting that the EU is facing a projected shortage of parking spaces by 2040;
- He stressed the urgent need to expand the network of certified truck parking areas, reflecting a broad consensus across the road transport sector.;
- He called on Member States and industry to upgrade uncertified sites to EU‑standard SSPAs, integrate SSPA development into national strategies and make full use of EU funding instruments to improve driver safety, cargo protection and rest conditions along the TEN‑T network.
ESPORG’s long-standing engagement and support
ESPORG has long been advocating for the expansion and improvement of secure, certified truck-parking in Europe. In March 2025, on behalf of the European Commission and in partnership with Panteia and TIS, ESPORG completed a comprehensive study on the availability of SSPAs and future development needs.
That study — referred also in the Commission’s 2025 report — confirmed a widespread shortage of secure parking, disparities between Member States and stressed the urgent need for affordable upgrades, public-private investments, and greater attention to inclusivity and driver well-being (including gender-sensitive measures).
ESPORG, together with social partners, has also been actively raising these issues with EU institutions.
For instance, on 22 September 2025, ESPORG and several social-partner organisations publicly called on the Commission for more secure truck-parkings to safeguard drivers’ well-being. In early September 2025, the Executive Vice-President of the Commission even visited ESPORG-member secure truck parkings — underscoring institutional acknowledgement of the problem and the solution.
Beyond Brussels, ESPORG is engaging at regional and national level across many Member States — Italy, Spain, Romania, Slovakia, among others — to promote dialogue between public authorities and investors. This includes supporting public-private partnerships (PPP), sharing good practices, and facilitating bureaucratic procedures for parking development.
Looking ahead: turning commitments into reality
The EU now faces a pivotal test: whether political will, funding, and coordination will be sufficient to close the SSPA gap — and on time. The Commission’s 2025 call for action sends a clear signal: Member States should integrate SSPA development into their national transport planning strategies; existing parking areas must be upgraded; public and private funding must be mobilised; and certification procedures must be applied consistently.
