Facing a severe shortage of truck drivers, the EU is investing nearly €6 million in a program to train and relocate drivers from Morocco and Egypt to Italy and Romania. Only a third of trainees will be selected for jobs, as the sector struggles to fill over 500,000 vacancies.
Europe’s chronic shortage of truck drivers has pushed the EU to launch a major recruitment and training initiative targeting North Africa. The Skilled Driver Mobility for Europe II (SDM4EU II) program, backed by nearly €6 million, aims to train 600 candidates from Morocco and Egypt, with 200 ultimately selected for jobs in Italy and Romania by the end of 2028.
The project, which began in June 2026, is funded 95% by the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. According to official documents, the program will create two dedicated labor corridors: one linking Morocco to Italy, and another connecting Egypt to Romania. Each corridor will see 100 drivers chosen for relocation after completing a rigorous training and selection process.
Selective Pathway
While 600 candidates will undergo technical and practical training, only a third will advance to the European mobility phase. Companies from Italy and Romania will participate directly in the selection missions, evaluating candidates who have completed the initial preparation. The program also includes upskilling for 30 local trainers to ensure the quality and sustainability of the training process.
Spain, despite its own acute driver shortage, is not included in this edition of the project. The pilot is strictly limited to Italy and Romania, though the issue of driver scarcity remains a pressing concern across the continent. The International Road Transport Union (IRU) is involved as a technical partner, helping to set training standards and support integration in the host countries.
Training and Integration
The SDM4EU II program starts with a review of Morocco’s and Egypt’s existing training systems, updating them to meet EU requirements. All 600 candidates will receive technical instruction and hands-on driving practice. Those selected for relocation will undergo additional preparation tailored to European road conditions, labor standards, and language skills. The process also covers obtaining the Certificate of Professional Competence—known in Spain as the Certificado de Aptitud Profesional—and all necessary legal documentation for employment.
Upon arrival, drivers will receive structured onboarding, including mentorship, administrative and legal support, and continued language training. Host companies are expected to facilitate integration, while IRU will maintain a knowledge-sharing platform to document best practices for future expansion of the model.
Why the EU Is Looking Abroad
The driver shortage in Europe is now considered structural. The latest IRU report, published in June 2026, puts the vacancy rate at 13%, or roughly 502,000 unfilled positions. With more than 660,000 European drivers expected to retire by 2030, the gap is set to widen. Barriers to entry—including high training costs, difficult working conditions, and a lack of secure parking—continue to deter new recruits. Women make up just 4% of the sector’s workforce.
The SDM4EU II initiative is part of the European Commission’s Talent Partnerships, which combine vocational training, qualification recognition, fair recruitment, and integration support. Morocco and Egypt have both prioritized the transport sector in their cooperation with the EU, hoping to create legal and safe migration pathways for skilled workers.
Management and Funding
The project is coordinated by GOPA Partners in Action for Change and Engagement, with the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, Fondazione Soleterre ETS, and the ICAR Foundation as key partners. The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) oversees implementation through the Migration Partnership Facility. IRU is responsible for technical standards and dissemination.
As the EU looks for new ways to address labor shortages, the SDM4EU II program could serve as a blueprint for future cross-border recruitment in other sectors. For context, the EU’s willingness to invest in targeted solutions echoes its recent commemorative initiatives, such as the release of a special 5-euro coin celebrating Spain’s 2026 World Cup victory, as reported in this coverage of Spain’s collector coin launch.
Whether the North African recruitment model will ease Europe’s driver crisis remains to be seen, but the scale and structure of SDM4EU II mark a significant shift in how the EU approaches skilled labor migration.
