Law is the floor.
No commercial arrangement puts anyone above mandatory applicable law.
EETC · v3.2
European Ethical Transport Charter
Ten principles for transport relationships that are lawful, human, reciprocal, visible and sustainable.
We do not declare that our organisation is perfect. We publicly commit to examine our practices against these principles, respond in good faith when material gaps are identified and take responsibility for conditions we control.
The chain must not run on permanent tension.
Night work, relays, weekends, holidays, late deliveries and short-notice changes may be necessary, but exceptional human availability should not become the hidden default. Transport can be procured competitively; people, time and capacity are not endlessly replaceable.
Responsibility follows control.
Consequences should follow the ability to control, prevent or mitigate their cause. Pressure should stop where control stops.
Performance starts the payment clock.
Once transport is properly performed, the economic payment clock has started. Evidence should prove performance, not create a second artificial starting date for payment.
Waiting is capacity.
Waiting outside the carrier’s reasonable control consumes time, equipment and human capacity and should be visible, attributable and treated under a predictable rule.
Penalties must be known before delivery.
Material commercial penalties should be communicated and agreed before delivery - preferably before load acceptance - and require cause, evidence, proportionality and a real right to challenge. No retroactive penalties.
Long-term capacity needs long-term commitment.
Structural transport capacity, dedicated assets and recurring resources should not be built on permanently short-term certainty. Commitment must work both ways.
The chain must remain visible.
Subcontracting is legitimate when it adds capability or managed risk, but the physical executor should remain reasonably identifiable and further subcontracting controlled and traceable.
The right to say no must be real.
A participant must be able to refuse an unlawful, unsafe or materially changed operation without automatic retaliation.
Sustainable transport must sustain those who perform it.
Environmental transition should not systematically transfer additional cost, investment burden or operational risk to the party least able to absorb it.
SIGNATORY COMMITMENT
The Signatory Commitment
We do not declare that our organisation is perfect. We publicly commit to examine our practices against these principles, respond in good faith when material gaps are identified and take responsibility for conditions we control.
Respect mandatory applicable law.
Review what actually happens in our transport relationships, not only what contracts say.
Recognise the human reality of night work, weekends, relays, short notice and exceptional schedules.
Avoid automatically transferring consequences to parties that did not reasonably control their cause.
Avoid unnecessary administrative or documentary processes that artificially delay invoice eligibility or payment after proper performance.
Seek to ensure material penalties are known before delivery, attributable, evidenced, proportionate and challengeable.
Match structural resource commitments with reasonable commercial stability and transition protection.
Maintain reasonable visibility and control over material subcontracting under our responsibility.
Review credible material inconsistencies with the Charter in good faith and consider proportionate corrective action.
Never present Signatory or Member status as certification, verification or proof of compliance.
A signature is a commitment, not proof.
A signature does not constitute assessment, verification, certification or proof of perfect conduct.