Press room 

Transport and Tourism Committee MEPs quizzed Adina-Ioana Vălean, candidate for the transport portfolio.

An informal deal to remove the technical obstacles that differing national standards and procedures place in the way of rail operators and rolling stock manufacturers was struck by MEPs and EU and the Latvian Presidency of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday. This deal, on the “technical pillar” of the 4th railway package should cut the time and cost involved in certifying that operators, locomotives and carriages meet safety and technical standards.

An informal agreement to increase competition in domestic passenger rail transport and ensure a level playing field for operators in order to improve quality of services and performance of the rail sector was reached between European Parliament and Council of the EU Dutch presidency negotiators Tuesday evening.

An informal agreement between EP and Council negotiators on a new directive for tracking traffic offences committed by drivers from another EU member states was approved on Tuesday by the EP Transport and Tourism committee with 32 votes in favour, 1 against and 2 abstentions. Agreed text makes the changes required by a ruling of the European Court of Justice, which should allow replacing the directive annulled by the Court with a new one before the date given for the expiry of existing rules.

MEPs voted to renew the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for the 2021-2027 period to ensure continued development of trans-European transport, energy and telecom networks.

On Monday Transport MEPs approved provisional deals on contingency measures to ensure basic air and road transport services between the UK and the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

MEPs approved a deal with Council on aligning EU seafarers training and certification rules with international standards and improving mutual recognition of seafarers certificates in the EU.

Current EU rules on periodic vehicles inspections add to road safety, but an update is inevitable with emerging implementation shortcomings and new safety systems for cars, said MEPs.

EU Commission and member states need to redouble efforts to achieve broad coverage and even distribution of alternative fuels infrastructure across the EU.

On Thursday, Parliament and Council negotiators reached a provisional political agreement to make 2021 the European Year of Rail.

A provisional agreement between EP and Council negotiators to open up the EU domestic passenger rail markets and to ensure equal conditions for railway companies with the aim of improving quality of services and rail sector performance was approved in the EP Transport and Tourism Committee on Tuesday.

The intended German toll system still has elements that represent a breach of EU law, say MEPs in a draft resolution adopted in the Transport and Tourism Committee on Tuesday. National toll systems, introducing fees indirectly or directly based on nationality, would be contrary to European law, they add.

The Transport and Tourism Committee on Thursday approved draft rules which aim to improve the quality and pricing of cross-border parcel delivery services.

Transport Committee MEPs discussed with Commissioner Vălean the Single European Sky proposal that will allow the aviation sector to reduce CO2 emissions as well as costs.

The Transport and Tourism Committee welcomes the Commission’s latest package, notably the clarity on passenger rights whilst supporting both sectors to overcome COVID-19 crisis.

The EU could be a global player in the field of manufacturing and operations of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in civil aviation, Transport MEPs stressed in a debate on Tuesday. However, safety and data protection issues must be addressed, they said.

Parts of the Commission’s proposals for the European Fund for Strategic Investments, which foresee the reallocation of €3,3 bn from the Connecting Europe Facility to provide a part of the €16 bn for the guarantee fund should be deleted, Transport MEPs suggested in their opinion approved on Tuesday. This target amount should instead be met by gradual budgetary commitments to the guarantee fund to be decided in the frame of the annual budgetary procedure, they add.

Ahead of yet another seasonal time change lead transport MEPs urge EU countries to speed up their work and respond to citizens plea to end clock change.

The first ever EU-wide rules for the civil use of drones were agreed by EP and Council negotiators on Thursday morning.

Modal shift towards inland waterway transport is necessary to reduce road congestion and emissions, and create a more sustainable transport system, Transport MEPs say