Transport: Global leadership

As part of my vision for the Transport Union #global #leadership was one of the key drivers. As the mandate of the Juncker Commission is ending I am providing some insight in things done during my time as Commissioner for Transport.

KEY RESULTS

• Transport is included in all trade agreements, for example with Japan, Vietnam and the Mercosur region.
• Road safety: Vision 0 promoted by the EU (in cooperation with the UN and global financial institutions) around the world; Vision 0 declarations signed with the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries.
• Highly ambitious negotiations led by the EU resulted in historic global agreements to decrease pollution and emissions in both aviation (ICAO) and maritime transport (IMO).
• TEN-T extension agreements signed with the countries of the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership.
• EASA & ERA & EMSA: now global authorities for safety standards (aviation, rail & maritime).
• Certification of the first commercial Chinese aeroplane by EASA (in progress).
• New EU Aviation Office in Costa Rica.
• The G7 now has a transport dimension focusing on autonomous mobility.
• Key legislation: aviation safety agreement signed with China, and ready to sign with Japan; comprehensive aviation agreements with the US, Canada, Switzerland, Israel, Jordan, Georgia, Morocco and Moldova.

1.   WHY STRIVE FOR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP?

Global leadership refers not only to the economy and competitiveness, where leadership ensures the best possible standard of living for our citizens. It also refers to the platform that leadership gives us to promote EU values, from protecting the environment to the highest safety standards across all transport modes.

2.  GLOBAL LEADERSHIP THROUGH MULTILATERALISM

In aviation, we were able to push and achieve, within ICAO, a historic agreement on aviation emissions. We also have EASA offices in four countries outside of Europe, giving the EU additional opportunities to shape the future of aviation worldwide. Maritime transport is an equally globalised business and likewise requires global regulations. The Commission has been working with EU Member States within the IMO to set global standards regulating safety, environmental and decarbonisation aspects of shipping. We have also contributed to capacity-building through EMSA global services.

Working closely with the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, the EU has also supported the creation of a UN Trust Fund for Road Safety, and contributed financially.

3.   DECARBONISATION & VISION 0 – ZERO EMISSIONS FROM TRANSPORT BY 2050

The EU is leading the way in decarbonising transport with ambitious targets. In ‘A clean planet for all’ (28 November 2018), the Commission set out a strategic long-term vision for a competitive and carbon-neutral economy by 2050 – Vision 0. 

3.1. What have we done?

• CO2 reduction targets for new cars, vans and lorries (37.5%, 31% & 30% respectively by 2030).
• Targets for clean cars, vans, buses & lorries procured by public authorities. They differ depending on category (higher for buses, lower for trucks) & the Member State (GDP-related).
• Alternative fuels infrastructure. The Commission is currently evaluating whether the Alternative Infrastructure Directive needs to be strengthened, for instance through binding targets for infrastructure rollout at Member State level. In April 2019, the Commission created the CEF Transport Blending Facility with an initial budget of €200 million, focused on alternative fuels.
• The IMO has committed to reducing CO2 emissions from international shipping by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 levels, and air pollution from 2020.
• As of January 2020, shipping will use less polluting fuel (lower SOx content). This was first an EU measure and later adopted by the IMO.

4.   DIGITALISATION

Digitalised mobility involves five layers – infrastructure, data, application, service and network layer. Our policy involves allowing vertical integration via open data applications, interfaces and regulated interoperability, whilst avoiding monopolies.

4.1. What have we done?

• The C-ITS delegated Regulation is the first framework for trusted and harmonised deployment of C-ITS services across the EU, including communications technology to be used (hybrid approach). Entry into force hopefully in July.
• The EU has mandated access to certain travel and rail freight data to enable EU-wide multimodal travel information services and multimodal terminals. The European Maritime Single Window introduces a truly European and fully harmonised interface for reporting. The future regulation for electronic freight transport information will guarantee that authorities accept the documents accompanying intra-EU freight electronically.

5.   SAFETY

The EU has the safest roads and skies in the world, but safety remains a top priority. With Vision 0, we aim to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries from road traffic accidents to zero by 2050. The path to Vision 0 involves a safe system approach – addressing vehicles, infrastructure and behaviour.

In aviation, the EU promotes aviation safety worldwide. A key tool is the ‘EU Air Safety List’ – a list of air carriers from non-EU countries which do not meet international safety standards. The carriers on the list are banned from operating to, in and from the EU. The list is also a strong preventive tool, as countries under scrutiny tend to improve their safety oversight to avoid seeing their air carriers on the list.

Furthermore, Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements (BASAs) strengthen cooperation on aviation safety between EASA and aviation authorities in third countries. They also avoid duplication of oversight activities. So far, the EU has concluded BASAs with three countries, while others are approaching conclusion. 

5.1.        What have we done?

• The Strategic Action Plan on Road Safety, part of the third Mobility Package, sets out a wide range of actions, touching upon governance, funding, infrastructure, vehicles, behaviour, emergency response and emerging challenges like automation and connectivity.
• We supported the creation a UN Global Fund for Road Safety that is managed by UNECE. This will allow the financing of concrete projects in regions that need to address road safety.
• We have encouraged voluntary commitments from all stakeholders: manufacturers, suppliers, insurance companies, cities, car sharing operators etc. A number of them have already come forward with great ideas.
• We appointed the first ever European Coordinator for Road Safety to ensure safety remains at the top of everyone’s agenda.
• We have shared our expertise in road safety with countries around the world, particularly its neighbours in Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership Countries and the Mediterranean, and in Turkey. Under the Commission’s leadership, these countries have adopted concrete strategies and measures that mirror the EU’s Vision Zero and safe system approach.
• In aviation, we have revised the Basic Regulation, strengthening the role of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The revision also introduces risk- and performance-based rules, closes some safety gaps and interlinks safety more closely with other domains, such as security and the environment.
• We have opened a new EASA office in Singapore, and launched partnership projects with Latin America and South Asia.
• A Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement is being signed with China and Japan. 

6.   CONNECTIVITY

The EU’s transport network is the backbone of the European Union and its single market. Without this connectivity, there would be no EU. But the EU is also driving connectivity with the rest of the world, extending the TEN-T and negotiating aviation agreements with third countries.

6.1. What have we done?

• To complete the TEN-T Core Network Corridors by 2030, €750 billion in investment will be required.
• Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements avoid duplication of oversight activities and support the global competitiveness of Europe’s aviation industry by cutting red tape and facilitating experts. Agreements have been concluded with the US, Canada and Brazil, and we are in the process of signing with China, while negotiations are underway with Japan.
• High-level transport dialogues: launched with ASEAN, Ukraine, Israel, Georgia, Azerbaijan, relaunched with Japan and Turkey, continued with Singapore and China.

7.  NEXT STEPS

• Signature of historic bloc-to-bloc aviation agreement with ASEAN countries.
• Solution to the Gibraltar obstacle blocking the reform of the Single European Sky.
• Next phase of multilateral rule-based/global agreements for aviation and maritime transport.
• More cooperation within global organisations, such as ICAO, IMO, the UN and the G7/G8 and G20 to address topics such as safety, security, the climate, drones, a single window for logistics, and autonomous mobility.
• Expansion of the TEN-T network to Mediterranean and Africa.
• Joint EU-China analysis of new land connectivity between Europe and Asia.
• Global standards and a regulation for autonomous mobility.
• Connecting Earth-based transport and space travel.
• Closer cooperation with India (aviation, rail, maritime, road safety, autonomous mobility).
• Expansion of EU safety list to ports and airports.
• Expansion of European Rail Area to the EU’s neighbourhood and beyond.