17/12/2019 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 16 December, the European Commission authorised an increase in public aid to encourage the transfer of freight transport from road to rail in Austria’s mountainous regions, including the Brenner region. The amended scheme, with a supplementary budget of €205.2 million for 2020-2022, aims to make the use of ‘rolling highways’ (the transport of trucks by rail) cheaper and therefore more attractive for transport operators than road transport. The aid takes the form of a subsidy to railway undertakings, which will be reflected in the price paid by shippers. The Commission considered that the scheme is necessary and proportionate to achieve a modal shift from road to rail and that it is beneficial for the environment, in line with the objectives of Community transport policy and EU state aid rules. (LC)