Raad Vervoer, Telecommunicatie en Energie (Vervoer), 2 juni 2022

Voornaamste agendapunten

De EU-ministers van Vervoer wordt gevraagd standpunten ("algemene oriëntaties") aan te nemen over 3 onderdelen van het Fit for 55-pakket, dat de broeikasgas­emissies van de EU tegen 2030 met ten minste 55% moet verminderen.

Infrastructuur voor alternatieve brand­stoffen

Het gebruik van fossiele brandstoffen in het vervoer terugdringen is een van de belangrijkste manieren om de EU tegen 2050 klimaat­neutraal te maken. Daarvoor moeten er voldoende oplaad- en tankpunten voor auto's, vliegtuigen en schepen zijn.

In de verordening infrastructuur voor alternatieve brandstoffen zijn daarom concrete doelstellingen vastgelegd voor de ontwikkeling van deze infrastructuur in de komende jaren.

De ministers zullen proberen tot een algemene oriëntatie over het voorstel te komen.

• Fit for 55 package: Council adopts its position on three texts relating to the transport sector (press release, 2 June 2022)
• "Fit for 55" (achtergrond‑informatie)

Duurzame vervoersbrandstoffen

Duurzame vervoers­brandstoffen kunnen enorm helpen om de uitstoot van broeikas­gassen terug te dringen. De lucht- en de zeevaartsector zijn momenteel bijna uitsluitend afhankelijk van fossiele brandstoffen.

Nieuwe regelgeving moet zorgen voor een gelijk speelveld voor duurzaam luchtvervoer (ReFuelEU Luchtvaart) en voor het gebruik van hernieuwbare en koolstofarme brandstoffen in het zeevervoer (FuelEU Zeevaart). Het doel is dat vliegtuigen en schepen meer duurzame brandstoffen gaan gebruiken en dat hun ecologische voetafdruk kleiner wordt.

De Raad wil tot een akkoord komen over de 2 voorstellen.

• General approach on alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR)

Intelligente vervoerssystemen

De Raad mikt op een algemene oriëntatie over de herziening van de richtlijn intelligente vervoers­systemen (ITS), die moet helpen bij de fundamentele transformatie van het Europese vervoers­systeem om de doelstelling van duurzame, slimme en veerkrachtige mobiliteit te verwezenlijken.

Digitalisering is een onmisbare factor voor deze transformatie, en zal het hele vervoers­systeem naadloos en efficiënter maken. Ook het niveau van veiligheid, beveiliging, betrouwbaarheid en comfort zal erbij gebaat zijn.

• General approach on FuelEU Maritime

Passagiersschepen

De EU-ministers beogen tot een algemene oriëntatie te komen over het verbeteren van de stabiliteits­vereisten voor roll-on/roll-offschepen. Het gaat daarbij om een duidelijk, eenvoudig en actueel juridisch kader dat gemakkelijker kan worden uitgevoerd, gemonitord en gehandhaafd. De nieuwe regels moeten het algemene veiligheidsniveau verhogen voor schepen die internationale reizen maken.

Trans-Europese vervoersnetwerken

De ministers zullen spreken over het voorstel voor een herziene verordening over het trans-Europees vervoersnetwerk (TEN-V). Op die manier willen ze de voorbereidende instanties van de Raad verdere sturing geven.

Het TEN-V-beleid moet zorgen voor naadloos, duurzaam en doeltreffend vervoer in de hele EU en tegelijkertijd de sociale, economische en territoriale cohesie versterken.

• Deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems: Council adopts position (press release, 2 June 2022)

Ro-ro passenger ships

The Council adopted its general approach on the draft directive on improved stability requirements for ro-ro passenger ships. This proposal, although highly technical in nature, is important for increasing the safety level of these vessels and therefore for better protecting our citizens.

Ro-ro passenger ships operate numerous maritime routes within Member States, between Member States and with third countries. They are therefore of major importance for the mobility of passengers and goods in Europe.

Ministers supported this proposal, which ensures the level of safety of these ships by ensuring, as far as possible, consistency with the international standards for stability of damaged passenger ships, which were recently updated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under the 2020 SOLAS Convention. These new international standards must be supplemented in order not to lower the level of the requirements already in force in the Union for new small vessels. For that reason, the text of the Council’s general approach adhered to the logic of the Commission proposal by providing for a level of safety requirements equivalent to existing EU law.

• Ro-ro passenger ships: Council adopts its position on improved stability requirements (press release, 2 June 2022)

Trans-European transport network (TEN-T)

Ministers held an exchange of views on the draft regulation on the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), based on a progress report. They agreed that the policy on the development of the trans-European transport network is a key instrument of the Union’s transport policy. It must encourage sustainable and more efficient transport of people and goods while also strengthening the EU’s economic, social and territorial cohesion by creating a reliable, high-quality transport system free of physical interruptions, missing links and bottlenecks.

Ministers agreed on the principle of revising the regulation currently in force in order to facilitate the transition to sustainable modes of transport. They supported aligning the development of the TEN-T network with the EU’s climate and sustainable development objectives, strengthening the resilience of the TEN-T network and improving the effectiveness of its governance tools.

Ministers pointed out specific points requiring attention, with questions about certain elements of the Commission proposal, in particular the level of certain requirements and deadlines for implementation.

Underlining the importance of this proposal, which concerns infrastructure development in all EU member states, delegations noted that discussions in the Council have progressed significantly. However, given the scope of the revision, the Council has not yet reached agreement on this legislative proposal and the work of the Council’s preparatory bodies will have to continue.

Situation in Ukraine

Over lunch, ministers exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine following their informal video conference meeting on 8 April in order to provide a coordinated response in the field of transport to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

Since that meeting, various actions have been carried out at European level: a draft mandate from the Council to the Commission to negotiate an agreement to temporarily liberalise certain road freight operations between the European Union and Ukraine and Moldova has been adopted and should allow the Commission to start negotiations swiftly.

On 12 May, the Commission presented an action plan to help Ukraine export its agricultural products through the establishment of ‘solidarity lanes’ to optimise supply chains and controls between Ukraine and the EU, to establish new transport routes and to avoid bottlenecks. This action plan is based in particular on a platform for exchanges between stakeholders bringing together industry, logistics, representatives of member states and Ukrainian authorities. Short-term measures are also envisaged, including the identification of the logistical capacities available in the EU, as well as medium- and long-term measures to increase the capacity of infrastructure to accommodate larger flows of goods from Ukraine.

On 23 May, the Commission also adopted an emergency plan to strengthen transport resilience in times of crisis, building on experience from the public health crisis (COVID-19) or linked to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In the form of a toolbox, it is based on 10 measures: adapting legislation to crises; providing adequate financial support; creating green lanes to facilitate road freight transport flows; having a coordinated approach to restrictions on free movement within the EU; maintaining minimum transport links and passenger protection; exchanging information among member states; increasing cybersecurity; introducing emergency tests to check the resilience of the sector; co-operating with international partners.

In the light of these elements, and fully supporting all the initiatives and actions described above, ministers held an exchange of views on the various possibilities to remove obstacles and best implement the commitments made in the field of transport to meet the challenges posed by the war in Ukraine.

Any other business

Under any other business, the presidency briefed ministers on the state of play of the proposed decision on the implementation of the notification of offsetting requirements under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) for aircraft operators established in the EU. The Permanent Representatives Committee endorsed a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament at its meeting on 20 May 2022.

The Dutch and Austrian delegations presented the second progress report on the platform on international rail passenger transport.

The Danish delegation expressed concerns about developments in the road freight transport sector in view of the strong growth in the number of driver attestations for third-country drivers.

• Driver attestations for third-country drivers — information provided by the Commission Delegation

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In addition, the Polish delegation presented a joint statement by nine member states (Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Romania) on the actions needed at European level to enable the continuation and completion of infrastructure investments.

Moreover, the Greek delegation informed about the illegal seizure of two-Greek flagged vessels by Iranian armed groups in the Persian Gulf.

• Information from the Greek Delegation

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As the last item, the incoming Czech presidency presented its work programme for the second half of 2022.