Green Deal & "Fit for 55": EU transport policy takes important steps, but needs better planning Brussels, 17 December 2021.The EAC (European Automobile Clubs), Europe's association of six automobile clubs from four countries looks with hope but also with scepticism at the latest EU proposals on the transformation of the transport sector. The plans rightly formulate ambitious goals. However, the goals lack the necessary realism and a solid strategy for implementation. and a so

EAC elects Holger Küster as new President Brussels, 9 November 2021 - The EAC (European Automobile Clubs), Europe's association of currently six automobile clubs from four countries, has a new presidency. At this year's autumn meeting, the representatives of the clubs from Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Bosnia-Herzegovina elected Holger Küster from the ACV as the new president for the next three years. Günther Schweizer from ARBÖ was confirmed in office as Vice-President. Ole

On 15 April, the Parliamentary Transport Committee also held an exchange with Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean, which focused on the implementation of the Commission's Work Programme for 2021, the general state of legislation in the Commissioner's area of responsibility and the presentation of the Commission's work on the upcoming legislative acts. The Commissioner first outlined the severe impact of the crisis on the transport sector and the broader travel and tourism eco

On 15 April, the Parliamentary Transport Committee (TRAN) had an exchange of views with DG GROW Director General Kerstin Jorna on the situation of the EU tourism ecosystem after 12 months of COVID-19 crisis and the outlook for the 2021 summer season. The Commission reiterated that tourism is one of the 14 industrial ecosystems in the EU that has suffered the most. For example, the number of air passengers fell by 89 per cent in March and the number of air routes shrank signif

On 14 April, Elena Kountoura (GUE/NGL, Greece) presented the EU's new medium-term road safety strategy, the so-called EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030, to the European Parliament's Transport Committee (TRAN). The draft report addresses how the EU will implement the strategy and its "Safe System" approach at EU level by ensuring safe vehicles, safe infrastructure and safe road use, and formulates recommendations. In her presentation, Kountoura stressed that the goal o

When discussing the practical implementation of electric mobility with consumers today, the existing problem of the charging infrastructure and the charging process comes up sooner rather than later. Those consumers who already own an electric vehicle criticise one thing above all: the payment system. The clear appeal: It must quickly become easier to fill up and pay for electricity at a publicly accessible charging station without a contract, without a charging card or smart

Against the background of the planned revision of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, a group of 88 MEPs have joined environmental NGOs and the renewable energy industry to demand the exclusion of low-carbon fossil fuels from the directive. In their mutual letter to the European Commission, the MEPs – mostly Greens, United Left–Nordic Green Left and Social Democrats in the European Parliament as well as the centrist Renew Europe group - argue that the current intention to br

On 8 March 2021, the European Commission published a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of Directive (EU) 2014/94 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (AFID). The report states that AFID has been instrumental in triggering the development of policies and measures for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure in Member States. Member States have implemented the Directive and developed their National Policy Frameworks

On 10 March 2021, nine Member States - Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands and Lithuania - issued a joint call to the European Commission asking it to propose ambitious and cost-effective measures to support an accelerated and balanced transition to zero-emission vehicles. Specifically, the nine countries call for: (a) A phase-out date for the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in the EU as an important policy tool to incent

On 4 March 2021, the Commission adopted a new implementing regulation requiring all new vehicles in the EU to be equipped with a device that records fuel consumption. The data will be collected by manufacturers when vehicles are brought in for repair and by authorities when vehicles are occasionally subject to special assessments. This information will be collected from new vehicles sold from March 2021 and reported to the European Environment Agency (EEA) from April

The European Commission's upcoming energy and climate legislation package in June 2021 will "propose the extension of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to sectors such as buildings and road transport", said EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson on 25 March 2021. So far, the inclusion of road transport in the ETS has only been speculation and has not been officially confirmed by the European Commission. EU climate policy emissions are generally regulated by the EU Emi

On 17 March 2021, TRAN Chair Karima Delli, together with members of the Tourism Task Force (TTF) Steering Group, held an informal exchange of views with the Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism Rita Marques on the current situation in the tourism sector. The State Secretary outlined three main priorities for the Council Presidency in this sector: (a) A definition of all the requirements that would allow for a safe resumption of travel. While each individual Mem

Deutsch On 11 February 2021, ACEA issued a joint appeal with the European non-governmental organisation Transport & Environment (T&E) and the European Consumers' Organisation (BEUC), calling on Europe to accelerate the development of charging and refuelling infrastructure and to step up its commitment so that the lack of charging and refuelling infrastructure does not become a bottleneck for e-mobility. The organisations point out in their joint letter that according to the E

Englisch Am 11. Februar 2021 veröffentlichte ACEA einen gemeinsamen Appell mit der europäischen Nichtregierungsorganisation Transport & Environment (T&E) und der Europäischen Verbraucherorganisation (BEUC), in dem Europa aufgefordert wird, den Ausbau der Ladeund Betankungsinfrastruktur zu beschleunigen und sich stärker zu engagieren, sodass die fehlende Lade- und Betankungsinfrastruktur nicht zu einem Engpass für die E-Mobilität wird. Die Organisationen weisen in ihrem gemein

Englisch Die derzeitigen EU-Vorschriften über die regelmäßige technische Überwachung von Fahrzeugen tragen zur Sicherheit im Straßenverkehr bei, aber eine Aktualisierung ist angesichts der sich abzeichnenden Umsetzungsmängel und neuer Sicherheitssysteme für Autos unumgänglich, so die Abgeordneten des Verkehrsausschusses TRAN in ihrem angenommenen Entschließungsentwurf vom 25. Februar 2021. Der Entschließungsentwurf zu den Verkehrssicherheitsaspekten des Pakets zur technischen

Deutsch The current EU rules on periodic roadworthiness testing of vehicles contribute to road safety, but an update is inevitable in view of emerging implementation shortcomings and new car safety systems, say TRAN MEPs in their adopted draft resolution of 25 February 2021. The draft resolution on the road safety aspects of the roadworthiness package, recognises that the implementation of EU rules has helped to improve the quality of periodic roadworthiness tests and thus co

Englisch EU-Kriterien für sicheren und sauberen Tourismus, einschließlich eines gemeinsamen Impfausweises, sollten Teil einer neuen EUStrategie für nachhaltigen Tourismus sein, forderte der Tourismusausschuss TRAN des Europäischen Parlaments am 25. Februar 2021. Der angenommene Entschließungsentwurf des Ausschusses zur Schaffung einer EU-Strategie für nachhaltigen Tourismus, fordert die EULänder auf, den Tourismus- und Reisesektor in ihre Konjunkturprogramme einzubeziehen und

Deutsch EU criteria for safe and clean tourism, including a common vaccination card, should be part of a new EU sustainable tourism strategy, the European Parliament's TRAN tourism committee called for on 25 February 2021. The committee adopted draft resolution on the creation of an EU sustainable tourism strategy, calls on EU countries to include the tourism and travel sector in their economic recovery plans and to consider a temporary reduction of VAT on these services. The

Englisch Nachdem die Kommission im Oktober letzten Jahres das 8. Umweltaktionsprogramm (EAP) für die Zeit von 2021 bis 2030 vorgestellt hatte, äußerte sich nun auch der parlamentarische Verkehrsausschuss TRAN am 1. Februar. Umweltaktionsprogramme bilden einen allgemeinen politischen Rahmen für die Umweltpolitik der Europäischen Union, in dem die wichtigsten mittel- und langfristigen Ziele definiert und in einer grundlegenden Strategie, gegebenenfalls einschließlich konkreter

Deutsch After the Commission had presented the 8th Environmental Action Programme (EAP) for the period from 2021 to 2030 in October last year, the Parliamentary Transport Committee TRAN now also expressed its opinion on 1 February. Environmental Action Programmes provide a general policy framework for the European Union's environmental policy, defining the main medium and long-term objectives and setting them out in a basic strategy, including concrete measures where appropri