TRANSPORT MINISTERS EXCHANGE ON COMBINED TRANSPORT DIRECTIVE
On 5 December, Transport ministers convened in Brussels to exchange on the latest pending legislative initiatives, including the revision of the Combined Transport Directive, the Rail Capacity Regulation and the Driving Licence Directive.
Ministers took note of the progress report on the revision of the Combined Transport Directive, noting that the Hungarian Presidency had not achieved a general approach. Delegations expressed diverging opinions on the definition of combined transport operations, which impacts support mechanisms and measures to develop sustainable mode of transport. While some Member States expressed support for a modal share approach and flexibility, others reiterated their willingness to maintain a fixed limitation to the road leg. Discussions are expected to continue under the Polish Presidency of the Council.
The Hungarian Presidency reported on the ongoing trilogues, particularly on the Driving Licence Directive and the Rail Capacity Regulation. While work on the latter were still in the early stages as of late November, the Presidency noted that they had made significant progress on the Driving Licence Directive: negotiators form the Parliament and Council are expected to reach an agreement on several parts of the file on 11 December, notably on the validity of driving accompanied driving scheme, age limits and the recognition of certificates issued by third countries.
Finally, ministers held further discussions on the implications of extending the Emissions Trading System (ETS) to maritime transport. Some Member states including Spain, Portugal or Malta reiterated their concerns on the risk of traffic diversion from EU ports to non-EU ports, undermining the competitiveness of the EU maritime sector. DG MOVE Director General Magda Kopczynska reminded Member States that the results of the EC monitoring exercise would be published by the end of the year, but preliminary results have not proven a clear adverse effect of ETS on EU maritime traffic. The Commission remains committed to continue this exercise in the future and take actions if necessary.