EU transport ministers expressed on Friday 20 September, at the EU Transport Council meeting in Brussels, their desire to make the transport sector cleaner in order to achieve the EU's climate objectives and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, while presenting different priorities in terms of resources.
"All Member States are moving in the same direction, but we know that there is still a lot to be done," said Sanna Marin, Finland's Minister of Transport, at a press conference after the meeting. "The time has come to move from words to action, in full compliance with the Paris agreements," she added. "I can confidently say that there is no longer any hesitation in any of the Member States about moving towards carbon neutrality", said Violeta Bulc, Commissioner for Transport Policy.
Land transport. While the meeting concerned all modes of transport (road, rail, air, sea and inland waterway), it was land transport, the most polluting, that received special attention and opened the day's discussions. However, while everyone has expressed their willingness to participate in the decarbonisation of transport, the priorities raised by the various ministers are not the same, recalling the traditional differences on legislative issues under negotiation.
Thus, the Eastern European States recalled their opposition to the political agreement ('general approach') reached last December at the EU Transport Council on the social and market aspects of the first mobility package (posting of drivers, driving and rest times, tachograph, cabotage, market access) (see EUROPE 12152/10, 12331/10). "This could hinder decarbonisation objectives", said Ionel Minea, the Romanian Secretary of State for Transport, who said that such a direction would encourage empty journeys. Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, as well as Estonia, were on the same page, among others.
The dossier on the revision of the Directive of road infrastructure was also discussed. In the introduction, Mrs Bulc said she hoped that the Member States would agree on "an ambitious proposal", while the latest draft compromise presented by the Finnish Presidency of the EU Council suggests several flexibilities (see EUROPE 12326/13, 12331/11). The need to conclude the negotiations was noted in this context, although some States are still sceptical. This is the case in Hungary, which wants road-charging to remain a national competence.
More generally, a balance between protecting the environment and maintaining employment and competitiveness was pointed out, in particular by the German delegation. In every case, all of them say they want to make transport cleaner. The Danish Secretary of State for Transport, Benny Engelbrecht, called for a "fundamental transformation of the sector", while his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Saura García, called for "a green deal throughout the European Union".
Aviation. The issue of aviation was also addressed, since the way to make air transport less polluting has recently been the subject of several debates (see EUROPE 12328/9, 12281/20).
"Action is needed in several areas", Bulc said. She mentioned the need to apply the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and CORSIA, to improve air traffic management, to stimulate technological progress and also to tax the sector.
French Secretary of State for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari does not see this last point as a single solution, but as one of the options to be considered. On the other hand, island and peripheral European states were, not surprisingly, quite opposed to air transport taxation, citing connectivity issues in particular. "Measures that hinder mobility must be avoided", said Cypriot Secretary of State for Transport, Stavros Michael. In his view, such a course of action would limit the freedom of movement of citizens.
In all cases, the CORSIA and ETS systems are supported by the Member States (see EUROPE 12327/14), although some of them argue for an equal system between EU and third country actors. In addition, for the ministers, support for innovation, in particular to develop clean fuels, is also needed.
Maritime and inland waterway transport. A last debate on maritime and inland waterway transport took place after lunch. Ms Bulc recalled that reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the sector was a priority and hoped that the EU would be at the forefront in this context.
Given the global dimension of the sector, Mr García said that solutions to do this must be found at a world level, within the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). Mr Engelbrecht called for the EU to put pressure on its partners in the IMO to move forward. On the same page for this were his Portuguese counterpart, Jorge Delgado, and for Mr Djebbari.
In particular, the latter proposes that the IMO decide on a cap on the speed limit for ships, one of the solutions towards a reduction in emissions. In the absence of sufficient progress of the IMO Strategy up to 2023, he also raised the possibility of extending the ETS system to maritime transport.
According to the Polish Secretary of State for Transport, Rafał Weber, however, the only governance framework should remain that of the IMO. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)