Addressing the coordinators of the transport (TRAN) committee on Wednesday 14 September, Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc highlighted the preeminent role played by municipal and local authorities in decarbonising transport.
She believes that it is absolutely necessary that 'horizontal enablers' be developed in order to create the necessary conditions for investment and innovation in the low-emission transport sector. The commissioner highlighted the place of cities “at the forefront” of clean mobility (cycling, walking, shared transport). She said that the Commission is intensifying its work with cities. The Pact of Amsterdam, which was adopted in May of this year (see EUROPE 11561), lays great emphasis on transport and green mobility among its 12 priorities.
Bulc also took the opportunity to set out the next steps. First of all, she will bring forward a master plan before the end of the year for the deployment of cooperative, connected and automated vehicles in line with the Amsterdam declaration (see EUROPE 11533 and 11532). Thereafter, in spring 2017, the Commission will propose a framework for distance-based road charging (see EUROPE 11598), applying the “polluter pays” principle, and inter-operable electronic tolling systems. At the end of next year, Bulc intends to present initiatives for combined transport and a legislative proposal for 2018 to make greater use of short-sea shipping, with the focus on administrative simplification. Her aim is to present “legislation for an EU single window”.
The Commission presented its post-20230 strategy for 'low-emission mobility' in July of this year. The proposal was generally well received. Two points are causing some controversy, however: the phasing out of first generation biofuels after 2020 (see EUROPE 11600) and the emphasis placed on the road transport sector (see EUROPE 11603). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)