SENT notification for non-EU companies – important changes from 1st November

From November 1, 2024, foreign transport companies from outside the EU will need to comply with enhanced monitoring regulations. The same obligation will be placed upon the EU-based companies starting 2025. The recent legislative changes aim to protect Polish companies from unfair competition and improve the tracking of both sensitive and standard cargo. Foreign companies will need to submit electronic notification for all cabotage and international transport operations in Poland through the SENT system. They’ll be also obligated to maintain continuous GPS tracking during transport. Non-compliance could result in substantial fines.

Key points of the new requirements

1. Mandatory reporting: Starting from November 1st 2024, all non-EU carriers would have to register in the SENT system. This obligation stems from the fact that many Polish companies suffered from unfair competition created by foreign carriers. To solve this problem, all transport operations executed by non-EU companies that involve Poland will be thoroughly monitored. This requirement extends to various goods, not just sensitive cargo. Important! Starting from 2025, all foreign carriers will have to register in SENT, not just the ones from outside EU.
2. GPS monitoring requirement: The SENT platform mandates uninterrupted GPS data transmission. Companies can use the e-Toll app as an alternative GPS solution; however, ensuring stable GPS functionality is crucial as penalties apply even for an hour of data loss.
3. Substantial penalties: Non-compliance with SENT reporting can incur fines from 20.000 PLN (approximately 4500€) up to 100,000 PLN (approximately 23000€). Faulty or missing GPS data during transit also risks heavy financial penalties.

In the recently amended legislation, Article 28b, Section 2 of the Road Transport Act mandates:

“Foreign entities conducting cabotage transport within Poland must submit a pre-transport registration in the SENT system and secure a reference number before entering Polish territory.”

Although the above mentioned fragment didn’t point this out, the same requirement will apply in case of international shipping where Poland is either the country of origin, country of destination or transit.

It’s essential that the notification includes all required details and that GPS device function throughout transport. If GPS unit isn’t installed, e-Toll smartphone app remains an alternative to meet tracking requirements. But many companies still use telemetrics as it’s more reliable than the driver’s smartphone with poor internet connection.

What to do to be compliant with SENT?

To meet SENT requirements, non-EU companies must coordinate with Polish partners or advisory services. The SENT platform supports Polish and English, but companies with limited language proficiency may find the registration process challenging.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What‘s SENT, and who must use it? SENT is Poland’s Electronic Transport Monitoring System. It’s compulsory for entities transporting sensitive and some other goods (like waste) in, to Poland or through Poland.
2. What goods fall under the notification obligation? All goods moved in cabotage and in international transport operations executed by non-EU carriers are subject to SENT regulations.
3. What are the risks of non-compliance with SENT? Missing or incorrect data on SENT reports can result in penalties, with fines varying by the type and severity of the error.
4. How do I set up a SENT account? Setting up an account requires an official registration on the SENT platform. Our company can assist with account setup and reporting.
5. What are the language support options on SENT? Currently, the platform is available only in Polish and English. Do you have trouble speaking any of those languages? Then it’s best to contact us and let us do everything for you.

Do you want to know more? Call us at +48 517 862 602 or write us an E-mail office@wastetransportsolutions.eu