On Tuesday 30 March, the day after the launch event for the European Year of Rail (see other news), EU transport ministers will hold a virtual meeting to discuss rail transport.
The ministers are expected to spend the whole morning discussing the promotion and modernisation of rail transport. In a briefing note, the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU, which initiated the informal meeting, said: “The social and economic importance of rail travel and the role it can play in combating climate change will be at the top of the agenda”.
In its programme, Lisbon, which presents rail transport as a “priority in the European context”, announced that it wanted to take advantage of the European Year of Rail to develop the debate on potential measures to enable rail infrastructure and rolling stock to contribute to the decarbonisation, modernisation and safety of transport.
The meeting, which will be chaired by Pedro Nuno Santos, the Portuguese Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, will also be attended by Adina Vălean, the European Commissioner for Transport, and Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France), the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Transport.
In May this year, Delli formed a “coalition” with various stakeholders in the industry in order to “initiate discussion of rail freight at European level” (see EUROPE 12481/12). She will raise the issue with the ministers and present her priorities to them. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)