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In July 2023, the European Commission proposed a common methodology to calculate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from freight and passenger transport, to ensure reliable data and fair comparison between services. The European Parliament and the Council reached a preliminary agreement on 5 November 2025. Parliament's Committees on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) approved the agreement on 3 December. The Council adopted its first reading on 5 March ...

The 84th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will be held in London from 27 April to 1 May 2026. This briefing aims to support the European Parliament delegation to MEPC 84 by providing an overview of the developments since the last MEPC meetings and discussing the key issues at stake, in particular the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships. This document was prepared by the Policy Department for Transformation ...

In July 2023, the European Commission tabled a package of three proposals for the greening of freight transport. Among them is a proposal for a single methodology for calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport services, referred to as CountEmissionsEU. The initiative covers both freight and passenger transport. It seeks to ensure that GHG emissions data provided regarding transport services are reliable and accurate, to allow fair comparison between transport services. It establishes ...

This briefing examines the role of biomethane and bioethanol in Europe’s energy transition, focusing on where these fuels are produced, their end-uses, and how policy frameworks shape their uptake. Biomethane, a renewable gas that can be injected into existing gas grids and is mainly used in heating and transport, and bioethanol, a renewable liquid fuel with a relevant role in road transport and industrial applications, rely on different feedstocks, technologies and infrastructures. Yet, both offer ...

This study, commissioned by the Policy Department for Citizens, Equality and Culture for the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament, provides an analysis of the current legislative framework on ambient air quality, highlights the most relevant case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning air quality, and examines selected infringement procedures and petitions. The study identifies best practices for air protection among Member States and offers policy recommendations ...

It is impossible to create a single European market for road transport without harmonising the relevant legal provisions in force in the Member States. The measures adopted by the EU are of a fiscal, technical, administrative and social nature.

The roadworthiness package (RWP), last updated in 2014, aims to ensure that minimum standards are maintained by vehicle owners to ensure road safety and an adequate environmental performance of vehicles in the EU. The evaluation of the 2014 RWP found that unsafe and polluting vehicles are still circulating, and that the package has not been fully effective at achieving its objectives so far. The RWP's current revision seeks to further improve road safety and sustainable mobility and facilitate the ...

The liberalisation of the EU air transport market, completed in 1997 and consolidated under Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008, expanded routes, lowered fares, and increased passenger numbers to over 1.1 billion in 2024; however, it also led to congestion, delays, cancellations and lost luggage. EU passenger rights regulations, covering compensation for denied boarding, cancellations, long delays, and protections for passengers with reduced mobility, addressed some of these issues, although enforcement ...

To address the gaps in and shortcomings of the existing air passenger rights framework, the European Commission put forward a proposal in 2013. While the European Parliament adopted its first-reading position in February 2014, the file remained stalled in the Council until 2025, when it adopted a first-reading position and triggered a second reading with strict deadlines. Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted its report on 12 January 2026. The report is scheduled for a vote during ...

In July 2023, the European Commission tabled a package of proposals aimed at greening freight transport. One of these proposals focuses on improving the use of rail infrastructure capacity. The proposed text suggests changes to the rules governing the planning and allocation of railway infrastructure capacity, which are currently outlined in Directive 2012/34/EU and Regulation (EU) No 913/2010. The goal of the changes is to enhance the management of rail infrastructure capacity and traffic so as ...