DEDICATED followers of fashion have no place in European fleets, with an individual approach the only effective way.

Delegates at the Fleet News Europe Conference, in Brussels, heard that introducing a pan-European fleet policy simply because companies of a similar size were doing it would be an immense mistake.

Fleet consultant Chris Chandler said: 'You have to research and identify what you want to achieve, then keep focused on your key objective. Review progress regularly, as it is very easy to be sidetracked onto less important things that can slow you down.'

Drivers should never be ignored in the creation of a European fleet, particularly in ensuring that the vehicles being specified are fit for purpose, acceptable, that there is an element of driver choice and that they are not suffering a heavy tax burden.

Potential barriers include taxation, financial issues, cultural differences, drivers' reactions and locally varying products.

Chandler added: 'It is also important that you have local expertise to carry through your policy. You need clearly defined deliverables and flexibility between markets.'

And he warned: 'If you enter a pan-European deal to cut costs, ask yourself if you could have achieved the same savings by being more efficient locally.'