Europe is on the move: new Commission transport modernisation initiatives
Nowadays, mobility has a massive bearing on the daily lives of European citizens, as well as being a sector that employs over 11 million people. Yet it is experiencing economic, technological, and social changes at an ever accelerating pace.
Recognising this and its potential impact on the European Union (EU) and its citizens, the European Commission recently revealed a broad set of new initiatives, entitled "Europe on the Move", whose aim is to bring about a socially fair transition towards clean, competitive and connected mobility.
The first eight legislative initiatives will focus on the area of road transport, with a particular emphasis on improving the road haulage market and providing workers with better social and employment conditions. Further proposals planned for the coming year include emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles, which marks the first time this has been done.
By promoting seamless mobility solutions, the Commission also hopes to ease the travel of citizens and businesses across Europe. For example, interoperability between toll systems will allow road users to drive through the EU without being affected by differing administrative procedures.
The long-term benefits arising from the initiatives reach far beyond transport. Among many other things, they will help to reduce health risks from pollution and noise, safeguard workers' rights, and promote growth and job creation.
The European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, commented that "theEU has a unique opportunity to not only lead the modernisation of road transport at home, but also globally... common standards and cross-border services will help make multimodal travel a reality across Europe."
To find out more and see all related policy documents, visit ec.europa.eu
