Welcome to the ninth edition of the Transport Chronicles, your premier destination for the latest updates, trends, and insights in EU-UK transport affairs. As summer winds down, the EU enters a new phase with Ursula von der Leyen re-elected as Commission President on 18 July, accompanied by new political guidelines that promise transformative initiatives. As the new MEPs settle in and key committee chairs are elected, the EU’s focus on sustainability and connectivity remains strong, setting the stage for the strategic shifts and challenges ahead. Dive into this edition for all the latest developments and insights.
If you seek more insights or want to join UKTiE, don’t hesitate to reach out! 🌿🛫🌱
🌍 18 July: Ursula von der Leyen re-elected and Commission political guidelines 🗳️
With 401 votes in favour, 284 against, 15 abstentions and 7 classed as invalid, Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as President of the Commission 18 July. In conjunction with her election, the Commission also published its new political guidelines, to set the tone for the new mandate with some concrete pledges. The biggest pledge being the promise of a ‘Clean Industrial Deal’ in the first 100 days of the mandate to support the decarbonisation and industrialisation of the economy. The deal will be accompanied by an ‘Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act’ to channel investment in infrastructure and industry. The guidelines also propose enshrining the 90% emissions-reduction target for 2040 in the Climate Law.
In the field of transport, the guidelines recognise the need for a modal shift to meet climate objectives, and acknowledges in particular ‘cross-border train travel is still too difficult for many citizens’. A Single Digital Booking and Ticketing Regulation is proposed to “ensure that Europeans can buy one single ticket on one single platform and get passengers’ rights for the whole trip (p. 9).
🌍 22 July: Revised interpretative guidelines on air passenger rights ✈️
The European Commission published revised interpretative guidelines on air passenger rights to facilitate compliance with regulations on 22 July. A new section on massive travel disruptions has been added together with revised interpretative guidelines on the rights of persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air. The guidelines were published with the release of a new Eurobarometer survey, which highlights that most Europeans still feel that they lack sufficient information on their passenger rights.
🌍 23 July: MEPs taking office and Chairs elected for EP Committees 💼
Members of European Parliament have now officially taken office, with the constitutional committee meetings having taken place the week commencing the 22 July. See below a short breakdown of the most relevant Committees Chairs.
- TRAN: Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi (GR/EPP), returning MEP and heavy focus on equality and women’s right in previous mandate. Lead negotiator for EPP on the EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030, however, only associated with three motions for resolutions relating to TRAN last mandate.
- ITRE: Borys Budka (PL/EPP), new MEP and former minister of state assets in Poland. Has combined work in academia with local politics, and written papers on how government funding can help the energy transition, and consumer attitudes towards environmental protection.
- ENVI: Antonio Decaro (IT/S&D), new MEP and previous Mayor of Bari (Southern Italy). The promotion of cycling has been a constant theme in his political work, he was also only second to Meloni in terms of preferential votes in Italy.
🌍17 July: EU to support transport infrastructure with €7 billion✈️🚗🛥️🛤️
The European Commission has selected 134 transport projects to receive over €7 billion in EU grants from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), representing the largest call under the current CEF Transport programme. Around 83% of the funding will support projects that deliver on the EU’s climate objectives, improving and modernising the EU network of railways, inland waterways and maritime routes along the trans-European transport (TEN-T) network. Rail projects will receive 80% of the €7 billion.
🌍30 August: The road to the next College of Commissioners 🛣️
With the deadline of August 30th for accepting all candidatures set by Ursula von der Leyen now passed, the path to forming the next College of Commissioners is becoming clearer. In the next month, Von der Leyen will personally interview all candidates, assign them portfolios, and the Commission will prepare for the upcoming Commissioner-hearings in the European Parliament. In portfolios of interest to UKTiE, Greece is positioning Apostolos Tzitzikostas as the potential transport commissioner. This would leave Greece in charge of transport in both the EP and Commission.
🗓️ Key dates
- Next extraoridnary TRAN Committe: 16 September
- Next Ordinary TRAN Committee: 23 September
- UKTiE UK-EU transport webinar: October
- Commissioner hearings: October-November
- UKTiE UK-EU transport event in London with DfT and FCDO: 11 November
- End of year networking event in Brussels: December
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