Meeting of EU transport ministers
How can our mobility become more digital and more climate-friendly? How can we improve transnational rail travel and transport? The EU transport ministers addressed these issues at an informal meeting, which took the form of a video conference.
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On Tuesday, at the second meeting chaired by Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer, EU transport ministers discussed ongoing projects and those that have been completed during Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Portugal’s Presidency, which will follow in the first half of 2021, also presented its programme.
One focus of discussions was the revision of the Eurovignette Directive. The Council is currently working to revise the Eurovignette Directive, under which road use tolls are to be calculated on the basis of CO2 emissions, to provide an incentive to use cleaner vehicles. To this end, Germany’s Presidency presented a proposal that the majority of ministers accepted. In the medium term, there are to be mandatory toll regulations for all heavy good vehicles with a maximum permissible load of over 3.5 tonnes – exceptions are envisaged for tradespersons’ vans and for zero emission vehicles.
Ministers also looked at the New Mobility Approach, under which Germany’s Presidency of the EU Council has launched an innovation strategy to realign mobility in Europe. It is seen as Germany’s response to the European Commission’s Green Deal, and brings together three goals: sustainability, mobility and digitalisation. This new approach is to be incorporated in the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy announced by the Commission.
Germany’s Presidency and the following Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU have announced a European Year of Rail in 2021. Against this background, the Federal Transport Ministry has elaborated the TransEuropExpress (TEE) 2.0 Strategy, which provides for cross-border regular interval services for European services including high-speed and overnight train services. Rail companies in Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland have already signed a declaration of intent to realise TEE 2.0.
The EU’s Council of Transport Ministers has a legislative role in the transport sector in conjunction with the European Parliament. It brings together the ministers of transport of EU member states. It generally meets once or twice within a six-month period in Brussels or Luxembourg – generally close to the meetings of the ministers responsible for telecommunications and energy. This council configuration is formally known as the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council.