7. Conclusion

As transport is, by its very nature, an activity that does not stop at the borders of a single state, the question of liberalizing transport services will inevitably arise.

Already, the conditions under which cabotage transport services are carried out highlight the imperative need for a uniform rule, not only in principle, but also in terms of its modalities, at the risk of seeing companies relocate to a country where the rules would be less restrictive, or less controlled.

Eventually, the regulation of the haulage profession will need to be even more harmonized, something the Community authorities have been working on for many years.

On the other hand, for both the freight forwarding and rental professions, harmonization is still a long way off, given the disparate legal realities in Europe.