Located in the extreme south-west of Europe, Portugal is a country that has developed rapidly since joining the European Union in 1986. The Portuguese road transport sector has experienced similar growth, specialising in international trade. However, the 2008 economic crisis had a significant impact on the Portuguese economy as a whole, particularly the export sectors and road transport. Under the supervision of European and international economic authorities, the country underwent a long programme of economic adjustments in order to restore its competitiveness. General reforms relating to employment conditions and employee remuneration seem to have particularly benefited the Portuguese road haulage sector, which regained its full strength internationally in 2013. The study clearly establishes that the hourly cost of driving personnel is comparable to that of Eastern European countries.
The comprehensive study conducted in 2014 presents the Portuguese pavilion, both in regulatory and fiscal terms and in social terms, then analyses the operating conditions and costs of businesses based on the results of interviews conducted on site.
The summary presents the main points of the study in four pages and offers some comparisons with France.