The European Union is tightening the rules again, and Macedonian hauliers will have to adapt - or stay stuck at the border. From July 1, a new regulation requires even some light commercial vehicles to have smart tachographs in order to enter the EU.

The obligation extends to light commercial vehicles and vans with a permitted mass between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes, trailers included, when they carry out international transport. The smart devices (of the G2V2 type) automatically log border crossings and transit points, putting drivers' working hours under tighter control.

For the big transport companies this is no news - they already operate under strict EU standards. But for the smaller hauliers and vans that until now slipped under the threshold, the new rule means an extra cost for equipment and adaptation. Who will pay for it? As always, in the end - the customer, through the price of the service.

The EU's point is legitimate: controlling working hours means safer roads and less exhausted drivers behind the wheel. But for a country that isn't a member, every new rule from Brussels is a reminder that access to the European market is paid for with constant adaptation. Macedonian hauliers have no choice - either a smart tachograph, or no international transport.