The management of rail capacity across the European Union is in dire need of changing, especially if the mission is to boost international rail freight…
Category: European Parliament
EU Council gives final approval for new TEN-T regulation
The EU Council finally adopted the revised regulation concerning the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). The act still needs to be signed by the Presidents of the EU Council and the European Parliament before being published in the EU’s official journal. The regulation will then enter into force 20 days after the publication.…
The Capacity Management Regulation might be approved next week
The European Council might approve the Capacity Management Directive of the Greening Freight Package (GFP) next week. However, in its current state, the Directive might be more detrimental than beneficial for the rail freight sector. The EU Council is expected to finalise a General Approach agreement for the Capacity Management Directive before the Transport Council…
‘A fairer rail freight market means fewer state-owned companies’
“There is no reason for the member states to act indirectly as market participants via state-owned, integrated companies”. This was stated in a joint paper by UIRR, ERFA, Die Güterbahnen and RailGood, which set out what they think are the most important measures for rail freight transport in Europe between 2024 and 2029. According to…
Is the Capacity Management Directive taking the wrong turn?
The Greening Freight Transport Package (GFTP) seemed to be a sign of EU-wide political will to bring significant changes and improve the transport sector in the continent. The Regulation on the Use of Railway Infrastructure Capacity was supposed to be the flagship of this Package, which is why it was received with the most optimism…
New TEN-T: Regulation puts military mobility in the spotlight
The European Parliament recently approved the revision of the TEN-T Regulation. The new document presents a few takeaways, but one of the biggest changes is a brighter spotlight on military mobility and security across the Old Continent. For example, additional railways and roads were included in the new TEN-T map “to enhance the synergies between…
European Parliament to approve TEN-T revision today
The European Parliament (EP) is voting today on the trialogue agreement on the revision of the TEN-T Regulation. Expectations are that the EP will approve the text. After that, the policy will be translated into the 24 EU official languages, published in the Official Journal of the European Union and come into force. The initial…
New combined transport definition is still too vague, says TRAN Committee
The European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) published a Working Document compiling a bundle of recommendations to improve the Combined Transport Directive, part of the Greening Freight Package. According to the report, the new definition of combined transport still exhales uncertainty, possibly hindering the competitiveness of this modality. The new definition of combined […]
Much-desired Spanish Ruta de la Plata line relegated in TEN-T roadmap
The Transport Committee of the European Parliament has relegated the much-desired Spanish rail line Ruta de la Plata to a lower priority in its roadmap. Portugal and local Spanish authorities lobbied for the renovation of the decommissioned railway that improves connectivity along the Portuguese border. The lobbying of the Portuguese ambassador and local western Spanish […]