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The TRAN Committee of the European Parliament had an exchange of views with the Swedish Minister of Infrastructure Andreas Carlson on the priorities of the Swedish Presidency earlier this week. Minister Carlson stressed the ambition of his government to conclude trilogue negotiations that are ongoing, including FuelEU Maritime, ReFuelEU Aviation, AFIR and the ITS Directive review. He also informed MEPs that, as soon as the Parliament has approved its TEN-T revision report, inter-institutional negotiations between the Parliament and Council will start. On the revision of the Directive on Driving Licences, the Minister pointed to the wish of Sweden to have the rules modernised.

MEPs agreed with the ambitions of the Presidency. With regards to the TEN-T Revision, MEP Barbara Thaler (EPP) stressed that the Council General Approach has been perceived by some as more of a “patchwork than a network’. Minister Carlson indicated that the General Approach, reached under the Czech Presidency, aims at better accessibility, which is good for the single market and to develop infrastructure keeping the geographical differences between Member States into account. 

CLECAT is looking forward to the upcoming trilogue negotiations on the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), which will most likely start after the Parliament Plenary will vote in favour of the TRAN Committee report in March 2023.  CLECAT particularly considers the full compatibility between the TEN-T Regulation and alternative fuels infrastructure rules (AFIR), and the important targets for the green transition extremely important.   

With regards to safe and secure parking areas, the European Parliament supported a more ambitious position than what was originally proposed by the Commission, wanting them in place every 100 km by 2030, for both core and extended core network. Instead, the Council’s general approach, approved on 5 December 2022, confirmed the Commission’s proposed timelines for 2040 while removing any obligations to have safe and secure parking areas. The Council indicated that Member States should make all possible efforts to develop them on roads of the core and extended core network or within 3 km driving distance from the nearest exit route of the TEN-T network. The Council also increased the recommended distance for safe and secure parking areas from every 100 km to 150 km.