Failing to put forward concrete proposals for a green recovery of the transport sector, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President in charge of the Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, said on Monday 11 May that he was determined to support low-emission mobility and “not to restore an economy with no future”.
Speaking before the European Parliament’s Committee for Transport (TRAN), Mr Timmermans was repeatedly questioned about the relevance of a project aiming at carbon neutrality by 2050, at a time when European industry – and the transport sector in particular – is struggling.
“A number of speakers implicitly asked whether we could still afford the luxury of the Green Deal, whether we should not instead give priority to jobs and postpone the Green Deal until later”, the Commissioner summed up, referring in particular to the speech by Romanian MEP Marian Marinescu on behalf of the EPP.
“The transition from transport to a low-emission economy will be done through European standards, but it is also important that this is realistic”, José Ramón Bauzá Díaz (Renew Europe, Spain) expressed with concern, saying that moving towards a sustainable model would not be possible without a solid economic base.
“Doing the right thing”
“There is no contradiction between the need for economic recovery and respect for the Green Deal”, Mr Timmermans said in response, assuring that spending money on sectors of the economy that will soon prove obsolete – “the old-fashioned and antiquated economy of the 20th century”, in his words – would be like throwing money out the window.
A position supported by the S&D, whose coordinator, Vera Tax (the Netherlands), stressed that air pollution is the cause of 400,000 deaths each year and that there was no question of “abusing” the current economic crisis “to pollute the planet”.
Mr Timmermans called on MEPs to “do the right thing”, i.e., to opt for a revival of the sector that puts the emphasis on ecology and digitisation and that respects the objectives set in terms of emissions. “The Commission will present its assessment in September and we will see whether we are aiming for minus 50% or minus 55% by 2030”, the Commissioner recalled (see EUROPE 12458/29).
The recovery plan, he said, should therefore focus on soft mobility, especially in cities; allow for the construction of more electric charging stations in the EU; and increase the use of trains for freight transport. All this while “preserving jobs and creating new ones”.
Support for the ‘mobility package’ reaffirmed
The question of the adoption of the ‘mobility package’ was also once again raised in the debate (see EUROPE 12477/18).
Kosma Złotowski (ECR, Poland) questioned the Commissioner on the provision for the vehicle to be returned to the country of establishment every 8 weeks, arguing that this would run counter to any climate ambitions.
Mr Timmermans said the Commission “strongly” supports the ‘mobility package’. “This is an important element, a long-term commitment to ensure, among other things, the social sustainability of the sector. But the impact assessment is ongoing, as we know that there are indeed many empty lorries on the road in the EU”, he agreed.
The chair of the TRAN committee, Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France), replied that if we are well organised, “these lorries will not return empty”. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)