Transport and Tourism Committee in 2019-2024: Summary of key achievements

Written by Jaan Soone.

The European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) worked on a number of legislative packages and proposals tabled by the European Commission during the 2019-2024 legislative term, including several proposals for legislative acts that were not concluded during the term. This paper gives a short overview of the key legislative files dealt with in TRAN over the past five years.

During the 2019-2024 legislative term, the Commission tabled a number of packages of proposals within TRAN’s area of responsibility. The proposals have largely followed the objectives set in the European Green Deal and the sustainable and smart mobility strategy adopted in December 2020.

The main packages are presented here, rather than a full overview of the legislative work of TRAN during the term. A report summarising all the proposals and resolutions voted in TRAN, as well as hearings and other activities undertaken, has been published on the Committee website.

Fit for 55

Three proposals from the Fit for 55 package were the responsibility of TRAN – the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, the RefuelEU Aviation initiative and the FuelEU Maritime initiative. All three passed through the legislative process and were adopted. The new rules set mandatory targets for the development on EU roads of electric charging infrastructure for both cars and trucks, and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, as well as targets for increasing the use of sustainable fuels in ships and increasing the supply of sustainable aviation fuels at EU airports.

Road safety package

In March 2023, the Commission presented the road safety package, which would revise the cross-border enforcement directive to ensure that drivers who have committed traffic offences in another Member State receive the notice to pay their fines, and the directive on driving licences. The third element of the package is a proposal for a directive which would enable the right to drive a vehicle to be revoked for serious traffic violations committed in another Member State (the EU-wide driver disqualification directive). The Council and Parliament have agreed on the new rules on enforcing traffic fines. For the other two files, there is a Parliament position for trilogue negotiations, which could take place in the new term.

Maritime safety package

In June 2023, the Commission presented the maritime safety package. The aim is to tighten the rules regarding marine pollution caused by ships and improve procedures for inspecting ships and investigating marine accidents.

New rules on marine pollution caused by ships and the establishment of penalties for violations (ship-source pollution directive), and on the investigation of accidents at sea (maritime accident investigation directive), as well as the flag state control directive and the port state control directive have been agreed between the Council and Parliament negotiators. Parliament is also ready for negotiations on expanding the mandate of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).

Greening of freight package

In July 2023, the Commission presented the greening of freight package. For three of the four proposals, Parliament has adopted its position for interinstitutional negotiations, namely: (i) the proposal to create a uniform methodology for measuring emissions from transport services so that, for example, better information can help consumers to make their choices; (ii) the proposed revision of the directive on the maximum dimensions of trucks to allow derogations for electric trucks with heavy batteries, to improve market take-up of these vehicles; and (iii) a review of the regulation on rail capacity management, to improve efficiency in rail management and make rail more attractive as a transport mode. The fourth proposal – for a review of the combined transport directive, aiming to bolster multimodal transport and rail transport – was submitted in November 2023; Parliament has not yet reached a position on it.

Passenger mobility package

In November 2023, the Commission presented a passenger mobility package. It contains three legislative proposals: (i) a proposed directive on the enforcement of passenger rights, which aims to address problems in the enforcement of passenger rights in different modes of transport; (ii) a proposal on passenger rights in multimodal travel (for example, when using a train and a plane during the same journey); and (iii) a proposal to amend the directive on package travel (referred to Parliament’s Internal Market Committee).

Proposals for improving infrastructure and to boost digitalisation

TRAN also adopted its position and then finalised the text in negotiations with the Council on the new rules for the Trans-European Transport Network. The updated regulation aims to promote environmentally friendly transport, including rail transport, and promote sustainable urban transport, and expands the four European transport corridors of the TEN-T network to Ukraine and Moldova.

MEPs also adopted new rules on, for example, intelligent transport systems to improve interoperability, cooperation mechanisms and data sharing to help pave the way for more use of digital tools and automation in transport.

Proposals from the 2014-2019 term

In the first half of the last term, TRAN dealt with a number of proposals presented in the 2014-2019 term, for which Parliament’s position had been confirmed but where trilogue negotiations with the Council had not yet been conducted, or an agreement had not been reached. These are documented in the full report of TRAN activity for the period.

The Council and Parliament negotiators reached agreement on, and then approved, the proposals of the Mobility Package I regarding (i) the driving and rest time of truck drivers, (ii) the posting of drivers, and (iii) cabotage. The co-legislators also adopted: the rules for the Connecting Europe Facility for the years 2021-2027; changes to the charging of vehicles for the use of roads in the EU; and revised rail passenger rights.

Finally, in March 2024, TRAN and Council negotiators reached agreement on the new Single European Sky rules. The agreed text should improve climate-related and environmental performance in airspace management and introduce a performance review system. It was approved by the outgoing TRAN committee, and the new Parliament is expected to vote in October 2024 at second reading to adopt the final text.

Read this ‘at a glance’ note on ‘Transport and Tourism Committee in 2019-2024: Summary of key achievements‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.