European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Marketa Pape
EU policies – Delivering for citizens: Transport policy [Policy Podcast]
Transport is a strategic sector of the EU economy. Essential to ensuring free movement, it enables people and goods to overcome distances, borders and natural barriers, directly affecting the everyday lives of all EU citizens. Continue reading
Women in the maritime community – Closing a gender gap as wide as the ocean?
Onshore professions taken up by women include work in ship inspection, port services, logistics, research, legal and accounting services, ship classification and marine insurance. In comparison, few women are to be found among seafarers and most of these work in support services on ferries and cruise ships. Continue reading
Measures to advance the realisation of the trans-European transport network: Integrated and faster project procedures [EU Legislation in Progress]
With the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) policy, the European Commission seeks to develop a modern, efficient and climate-friendly network covering all transport modes. Continue reading
Port reception facilities for ship waste: Collecting waste from ships in ports [EU Legislation in Progress]
Marine litter and pollution put the marine environment at risk. While a great proportion of marine litter originates from land-based sources, limiting waste discharges from ships also plays an essential role in efforts to preserve marine and coastal ecosystems. Continue reading
European maritime single window: Harmonised digital reporting for ships [EU Legislation in Progress]
Every time a ship calls at a port, its maritime transport operator has to submit a set of pre-arrival information to a range of entities and agencies. Continue reading
Connecting Europe Facility 2021-2027: Financing key EU infrastructure networks [EU Legislation in Progress]
Strong, modern, and reliable infrastructure is essential to secure jobs, growth and competitiveness in the European Union. Given this need, the EU supports the development of high-performing, sustainable and interconnected trans-European networks in three areas: transport, energy and digital infrastructure. Continue reading
Combined transport directive review: Getting more goods off EU roads [EU Legislation in Progress]
The European Union’s efforts to reduce the negative impacts of transport include promoting a shift from road freight transport to lower-emission transport modes. This also includes combined transport operations, which consist of at least one road leg for initial or final haulage and one non‑road leg on rail or water. Continue reading
Goods vehicles hired without drivers [EU Legislation in Progress]
EU rules on the use of goods vehicles hired without drivers have been in operation for over 25 years without change and need to be reviewed to correspond to current and future needs in the transport sector. Continue reading
Recognition of professional qualifications in inland navigation [EU Legislation In Progress]
While inland navigation is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly mode of transport, it is not used to its full capacity. Apart from the need for significant infrastructure improvements, the sector is affected by limited labour mobility and shortage of qualified workers. Continue reading
Professional qualifications in inland navigation [Plenary Podcast]
As part of its efforts to reduce transport emissions, the EU wants to make better use of inland navigation. This requires addressing the limited labour mobility and shortage of qualified workers in the sector. Continue reading
Inspections of ro-ro ferries and high-speed passenger craft [EU Legislation in Progress]
The European Commission, in line with its regulatory fitness and performance programme (REFIT), has evaluated existing EU legislation on passenger ship safety and presented three proposals for directives, aimed at simplifying rules and cutting administrative costs, while at the same time making sea travel safer. Continue reading
Registration of persons on board passenger ships [EU Legislation in Progress]
The European Commission, in line with its regulatory fitness and performance programme (REFIT), has evaluated existing EU legislation on passenger ship safety and presented three proposals for directives, aimed at simplifying rules and cutting administrative costs, while at the same time making sea travel safe. Continue reading
Safety rules and standards for passenger ships [EU Legislation in Progress]
The European Commission, in line with its regulatory fitness and performance programme (REFIT), has evaluated existing EU legislation on passenger ship safety and presented three proposals for directives, aimed at simplifying rules and cutting administrative costs, while at the same time making sea travel safer. Continue reading
Safety rules and standards for passenger ships [Plenary Podcast]
After a review of the EU legislation on passenger ship safety, the European Commission proposed a number of changes to simplify the existing rules and cut administrative costs, while making sea travel safer. This proposed directive clarifies technical requirements for construction, stability and fire protection of vessels travelling on domestic routes. The newly defined standards should provide for uniform national interpretations and make the rules easier to update, monitor and enforce. Continue reading
Maritime matters matter – World Maritime Day, 28 September
Celebrated since 1978 as an official United Nations day, World Maritime Day draws attention to issues related to shipping safety and security, and the marine environment. Continue reading
EU strategy on cooperative intelligent transport systems
Written by Marketa Pape, Digital technologies, and systems based on them, are being rapidly introduced in transport all over the world. Cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) in road transport are part of this development, and one element in a wider drive towards vehicle automation. These systems use technologies allowing road vehicles to communicate with other … Continue reading
Charging infrastructure for electric vehicles
Written by Marketa Pape with Amalie Bjornavold, As most of the energy used for transport in the EU is dependent on oil, facilitating the transition to low-emission mobility is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40 % below 1990 levels by 2030. Although electric vehicles (EVs) are making inroads into the European automotive fleet, … Continue reading
Towards low-emission EU mobility
Written by Marketa Pape, While EU transport systems provide the mobility European society needs, they also create severe environmental pressures and are responsible for a quarter of EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Transport activity is expected to grow still further and become the largest source of EU GHG emissions after 2030. Meanwhile, the EU has … Continue reading
The liberalisation of EU port services [EU Legislation in Progress]
Written by Ivana Katsarova and Marketa Pape (6th edition) Serving as access points to Europe, the European Union’s approximately 1 200 seaports are crucial both for its transport sector and its competitiveness. They also have significant potential for creating jobs and attracting investors. The European Commission plans to redress the huge disparities in performance levels by modernising … Continue reading
Market access to port services [Plenary Podcast]
Written by Marketa Pape, To improve commercial efficiency and increase the financial transparency of the major EU seaports, the European Commission proposed a new regulation in 2013. Following agreement with the Council in trilogue the new regulation is now to be voted in plenary in December. In contrast to previous, rejected proposals on ports, this … Continue reading
Download the EPRS App
