Greece’s Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the candidate European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, wants to “reconcile environmental goals with the social and economic imperatives of transport” while supporting Europe’s prosperity and industrial strength, according to the written answers provided to MEPs’ questions, as published on Wednesday 23 October (see EUROPE 13493/15). He also pledged to promote “a resilient, sustainable and competitive tourism sector”.
If confirmed as Commissioner, Mr Tzitzikostas will present a ‘Sustainable Transport Investment Plan’ to increase investment in decarbonising transport solutions. He will also draw up an EU industrial action plan for the automotive sector and a new maritime industrial strategy. Furthermore, he will create a dedicated plan to help connect EU capitals and large cities by means of high-speed rail, including overnight trains. To further support modal shift and promote cross-border travel, he will propose a single Digital Booking and Ticketing Regulation for rail. To enhance transport safety, he also intends to present a package on roadworthiness.
Together with the Commissioner for Enlargement, Mr Tzitzikostas will pursue an active enlargement programme intended to advance the integration of candidate countries into the EU’s transport systems. He will focus on extending the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), improving physical links and supporting the way in which candidates align with EU rules.
In order to improve the competitiveness of European transport companies, the candidate Commissioner wants to tackle the shortage of workers. He would like to work with national authorities and relevant stakeholders to intensify their efforts and ensure that the workforce has the skills it needs to adapt to new technologies and innovation, both in terms of sustainability as well as digitalisation. He will also continue his efforts to improve working conditions for workers in the transport sector, which is another key way of tackling the current labour shortage. “We must attract more women and young workers to transport professions”, he said.
Finally, with regard to tourism, and after wide consultation with relevant stakeholders, including local and regional authorities, he is proposing a strategy to accelerate the implementation of the EU’s 2030 Agenda and to promote the business case for resilient and competitive tourism. He intends to support the tourism industry in its efforts to reduce its impact on the environment, and to adopt new, greener business models. He believes that an effective exchange of knowledge, peer learning and the sharing of best practice must continue, with a particular focus on reducing pressures on tourism hotspots, applying preventive measures, raising awareness of responsible tourism behaviour and involving host communities in the creation and implementation of sustainable tourism models.
Read the response: https://aeur.eu/f/dzu (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)