British motorcyclists faced with confusion over French customs rules
Problems have arisen between Britain and France over the state of a vehicle and when it is deemed a ‘means of transport.’
France and Britain have not exactly been on the best terms in recent times, and new disagreements continue to appear, this time regarding the term ‘means of transport.’
Back at the end of May, FEMA said the European Commission confirmed, “Means of transports entering the EU temporarily and leaving back to the United Kingdom after a few weeks can be placed under temporary admission and declared to customs by the sole act of crossing the frontier.”
This news meant that British motorcyclists could take their bikes to Europe to ride, and as long as they returned to the UK within a few weeks they would not incur any customs penalties for their motorcycle.
However, due to the wording of the European Commission’s ruling, specifically the term “means of transport,” there are now new problems, particularly in France.
There, the customs authorities, according to the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF), “have in some cases insisted that motorcycles (and cars) in vans, lorries or on trailers are accompanied by an ATA Carnet.”
What this means is that, in some cases, French customs authorities have interpreted that a vehicle is no longer a ‘means of transport’ when it is carried by another vehicle. Through this interpretation, a motorcycle that is ridden into France is not subject to customs penalties, but when it arrives on the back of a truck, or in a trailer, in a van, or a lorry, for example, it could be subject to customs penalties, in particular an ATA Carnet.
Perhaps that this interpretation does not appear to be one which is consistently applied across France makes it more confusing. If it was a consistent ruling across the country, people taking motorcycles to Europe through France would be able to work around that. The inconsistency causes greater uncertainty on the side of the motorcycle owner, because on arrival they are unsure whether they will be faced with customs requirements or not.
“Talks continue to take place between UK, EU and French officials aimed at seeking a final resolution to the issue and riders’ groups are maintaining close contact with both the UK and EU authorities,” the BMF says. “However, until a final resolution is reached, FEMA, FIVA and NMC are now advising that riders check carefully with customs authorities about individual border requirements when transporting motorcycles to and from the UK and EU in a van or on a trailer. There seems to be varying ways the rules are applied between EU countries.”
