SPANISH PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL KICKS OFF
Spain, taking over the reins of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, has presented its main priorities for the next six months, in the Presidency’s work programme.
In the area of transport, the Presidency will focus on implementing the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, which aims to foster resilient person-centred mobility as a means of promoting social and territorial cohesion. Special attention will be paid to supporting the role of women in the transport sector, both as users and providers. These issues will be at the centre of discussion at the Informal Ministerial Meeting on Transport, to be held in Barcelona on 21-22 September. The Presidency will work to align the policies of the main international transport organisations, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), with those of the European Union.
The Spanish Presidency will also seek to achieve the greatest possible progress in negotiations with the European Parliament on revising the regulation of the Trans European Transport Network (TEN-T). It should be noted that this is a difficult file and that the main political provisions need to be agreed. There is currently a total disagreement of Parliament with a provision the Council wants to introduce leading to a general exemption clause making the whole regulation an optional text for Member States. This is not acceptable for Parliament and the next trilogues will take place in September.
The Greening Transport Package, which is expected to be published next week by the European Commission, will be another key priority for the Spanish Presidency. The package gives continuity to the Fit for 55 initiatives and will play a significant role in decarbonising transport.
In the field of road safety, the Spanish Presidency will seek to strengthen cooperation and the exchange of good practices among the Member States. On top of that, it will promote European legislation on the topic, aiming to achieve a sustained reduction in the rate of traffic accidents and ultimately reach zero deaths by 2050.
Spain is also the first Presidency to discuss the Customs Reform Package which is on the agenda of the ECOFIN Committee on the 14th July for an exchange of views.
The full programme can be access via this link.