The new European Commissioner-designate for Transport, Adina-Ioana Vălean, has repeatedly expressed her commitment to making European mobility sustainable in her answers to written questions from MEPs and thus make the transport sector a central element of the European Green Deal promoted by Ursula von der Leyen.
"I will therefore work closely with Executive Vice-President designate Timmermans to make transport a central element of the European Green Deal", she wrote to the parliamentarians. She also added: "I commit to making transport one of the most successful enablers of that vision".
According to her, this specifically requires: (1) the application of the “polluter pays” principle so that absolutely all modes of transport (in particular the aviation and maritime sectors) make a real contribution to the decarbonisation of Europe ; (2) the establishment of an intelligent combination of different modes of transport (road, rail, inland waterways and short sea shipping) to provide a sustainable alternative to road solutions only (3) the development of the rail sector, in particular for freight transport and high-speed connections; (4) the mobilisation of public and private funds to significantly increase the deployment of charging or refuelling points for electric and hydrogen vehicles.
The polluter pays principle. Ms Vălean assured that she would work to extend the European Union Emissions Trading System (ETS) to the maritime sector and over time, to reduce the free allocation of allowances to airlines, with the aim of progressively phasing out this practice.
In the aviation sector, the Commissioner-designate also expressed her wish to finalise the Single European Sky (SES), as its full implementation could, in her view, reduce aviation emissions by at least 10% through the efficiency gains generated.
TEN-T network. In order to further connect the EU with the rest of the world, Ms Vălean promised that she would seek to further extend and complete the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
Recalling that the current TEN-T framework is being assessed by the Commission, the Romanian candidate intends to use this assessment as a basis for promoting an updated and modernised TEN-T policy, allowing cleaner mobility.
Eurovignette. In addition, Ms Vălean intends to encourage Member States to ensure that the negotiations on the revision of the Directive on road infrastructure user charges (1999/62/EC) (see EUROPE 12362/10), known as the "Eurovignette Directive", can be concluded quickly, with an ambitious outcome and in line with the EU's climate ambitions.
"My vision is to achieve a European transport system that is sustainable, efficient, safe, smart, reliable and affordable!", she summarised.
To read Ms Vălean's written replies: https://bit.ly/2Ki2kAt (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)