As deputy director and head of the legal department at Transport and Logistics Flanders, Freija Fonteyn still has a great time. Nevertheless, she decided to switch to Voka’s knowledge and lobbying centre.
You are announcing your switch very early on, as you will only effectively start working for Voka from March 2023 …
Freija Fonteyn (FF): “We immediately started looking for a successor, because with the tight labour market it is not always easy to find someone quickly. Moreover, I still wanted to have enough time to transfer knowledge and experience to my successor.”
You will become ‘Logistics and Mobility Advisor’ at Voka. What does that entail?
FF: “I will be one of the fifteen experts at Voka’s knowledge and lobbying centre, where I will focus on logistics and mobility in the broadest sense of the word. Today at TLV I only do road transport, but at Voka I will follow up policy-wise on all modes: rail transport, inland navigation, aviation and passenger mobility.”
You also spent a long time writing for Transport Guide, among others. Will you now find more time to write again?
FF: “I wrote for Transport Guide for about 20 years until they discontinued it at the end of 2021. I also contributed monthly articles for TLV Magazine. In addition, I have always written many notes for ministers or for European lobbying. Writing has always been a big part of my work.”
How does a law graduate end up in the transport sector?
FF: “I actually just bumped into a vacancy at TLV. Once I started working there, it didn’t take long before I was really bitten by the transport bug. In the past few years, I have defended the interests of the sector and the companies with great passion. I really enjoyed doing that and got a lot of satisfaction out of it.”
What makes the sector so fascinating?
FF: “Every day is different. Everything depends on who you get on the phone and what issues come your way. All the unexpected issues that come my way every day make the job very varied and fascinating. You help entrepreneurs with everyday problems: foreign fines, contracts, legal questions about CMR (cross-border road transport, ed.), ADR (transport of dangerous goods, ed.), driving and resting times, company legislation, you name it. What I really enjoyed doing was lobbying the government. I have also often given information sessions and training courses. It’s a very varied job.”
You now have 21 years behind you in the transport sector. Do you notice that it has become more difficult?
FF: “The overregulation does indeed not make it any easier. Then, of course, there is the high inflation and, above all, the tightness in the labour market. I am now looking forward to broadening my horizons after 21 years and delving into so many additional fields. Through Flows, among others, I have always followed other modes of transport with great interest, such as smart shipping in inland navigation.”
What are the achievements you are most proud of?
FF: “There are some that I am very happy with. For example, I made it possible for us to be the first sector to get an exception at the copyright association. SABAM wanted to tax all truck drivers for using the car radio. I then took issue with that, with the support of our board of directors, and we eventually succeeded in being the first sector to get an exception. As a result, we are allowed to deduct all transport licences from our total SABAM settlement. I am very proud of that.”
“Wealso got the FAST charges (removal on highways of vehicles that are not roadworthy, ed.) that were charged at sample rates down. A lot of lobbying is less visible. For instance, I have been trying for years to keep the fines for driving and rest periods at a more acceptable rate. For this, you lobby for years behind the scenes.”
“Also within the Benelux Union, I have helped defend interests in the lap of the Benelux transport consultations. Here, for example, we obtained freedom of cabotage and obtained derogations for 45-foot containers within the Benelux territory. I have always enjoyed putting my shoulders to the wheel on projects and will continue to defend the interests of our members until my last day at TLV.”
I notice that your job at TLV was clearly not over yet. Much appetite to leave then?
FF: “I have always done my current job with great pleasure and passion. I will certainly miss the warm contacts with the TLV members and hope to take some of them with me to my new position. It is double, but I am very much looking forward to my new challenge. This is still my first job; I started here as soon as I graduated. The time was now ripe to start a new chapter.”
