Transport Chronicles 14th Edition!
A Defining Moment in UK-EU Relations
Welcome to the 14th Edition of Transport Chronicles!
Your ultimate guide to the latest breakthroughs, trends, and opportunities shaping EU-UK transport relations. This edition is packed with fresh insights and pivotal updates as we navigate a transformative era for UK-EU transport and trade. Together, let’s explore the exciting developments driving collaboration and innovation across borders! 🚀For more insights or want to join or support UKTiE, don’t hesitate to reach out! 🚆🚗🚢✈️
A Defining Moment in UK-EU Relations
The date is set. On May 19, the UK-EU Reset Summit will offer a rare opportunity to reimagine post-Brexit cooperation. This is not about rewriting history, but about forging a new modus vivendi—one that acknowledges political realities while unlocking mutual economic benefits. If both sides are serious about reducing friction, there is a way forward.
For UKTiE, the priority is clear: sustainable transport, trade, and technology must sit at the heart of the agenda. However fraught relations may be, goods and services must move more freely, and both sides must rise to the technological challenge. The case for greater UK-EU cooperation has never been stronger. With geopolitical uncertainty mounting, the threat of tariffs looming, a NATO reset underway, and diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine intensifying, this is arguably the most profound strategic realignment since 1945.
In Brussels, the EU is already moving decisively to strengthen competitiveness, resilience, and autonomy, outlined in their Competitiveness Compass.
Last week’s European Commission Work Programme outlined key transport initiatives, with the Simplification Package, the so-called Omnibus, and the Clean Industrial Deal set for release next week. If Fit for 55 provided the regulatory sticks, this new package promises the carrots—a blueprint for decarbonisation, reindustrialisation, and energy security. How Britain responds to these shifts will shape its economic and industrial future.
Seizing the Moment
UKTiE has spent months laying the groundwork. The November Reset event in Westminster set the stage, followed by high-level talks at DG MOVE and participation in the UK-EU Forum in Brussels, where Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds pledged a “ruthlessly pragmatic” approach to trade, defence, and security cooperation.
That pragmatism is urgently needed. Between 2021 and 2023, EU exports to the UK fell 32%, while UK exports to the EU declined 27%. “That is not good for British or European businesses,” Thomas-Symonds warned. The numbers are stark, but the message is simple: reducing trade barriers is not charity—it is economic necessity. Both sides must cut red tape, drive productivity, and prioritise investment in research and innovation.
With the Reset Summit now locked in, UKTiE is doubling down. A Spring gathering in London will set the agenda for a landmark event in Brussels, held in partnership with the Department for Transport and the UK Mission to the EU. Just days before the Reset Summit, this meeting will help define the next phase of UK-EU transport cooperation.
The stakes are high. The solutions, however, are within reach. The time to act is now. Join us!
🚨 Next Transport Committee of the European Parliament! 19 February 2025 🚨
📢 Unveiling the 2025 Commission Work Programme – What’s next for transport and tourism? The stakes couldn’t be higher!
📜 Agenda:
🌍 A Revamped Long-Term Budget for the Union in a Changing World
💰 The EU must adapt – but how will the budget evolve in an era of uncertainty?
🛡️ Strengthening Traveller Protections!
📜 Amending the Directive to enhance safeguards, eliminate ambiguities, and simplify the rules!
📊 Recovery & Resilience Facility
🔎 Implementation report: What’s working? What’s failing? What’s next?
🚗 Driving Licences – The Trilogues Heat Up!
⚖️ Feedback from negotiations – will we see a breakthrough or another impasse?
💡 UK-EU Transport. What’s next?
🔑 Key Dates
📆 Next Meeting of the Transport Committee of the European Parliament: 17-18 March 2025, Brussels (TBC)
🗓️ UKTiE UK-EU Engaging in Europe – New Horizons
✈️ In-person event to finalise new DfT/UKTiE strategy, London: Q2 2025
🗓️ UKTiE Best of UK-EU Transport
🏛️ UK Ambassador’s Residence, Brussels: 14 May 2025
🗓️ UK-EU Reset Summit
🇬🇧 UK, 19 May 2025
#Transport #Trade #Technology # EuropeanParliament #EU #UK #EUUK #UKTIE
Information and images: Many thanks to the European Parliament © and European Commission ©
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