Brussels, 30/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - In a common position, the Community of European Railways (CER) and the Association of the European Rail Industry (UNIFE) launched the idea of a “transport pillar” in the EU's post-2020 energy and climate policy, in which the railways will played the predominant part.
The two organisations point out that EU will not achieve its CO2 reduction objectives without taking measures to “decarbonise” transport and make it less dependent on fossil fuels. The CER and UNIFE are seeking formal confirmation in legislation of the 60% reduction of transport emissions by 2050 outlined in the Transport White Paper in 2011. They also want reforms to the EU Emission Trading System so as to ensure fair treatment between all transport modes. Thirdly, they advocate new support measures to incentivise a shift to less polluting modes of transport and less polluting vehicles within modes. CER Executive Director Libor Lochman pointed out that rail transport provides higher energy efficiency, lower reliance on imported fossil fuels, lower specific emissions of greenhouse gases, and good prospects for increasing use of renewable energy and that “the 2030 Framework is the right instrument for policy-makers to create new incentives for growth of sustainable transport”. (MD)