All news & events

n 17 June, the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism (TRAN) Committee adopted its negotiating mandate on the reform of the Single European Sky rules, which proposes ways to modernise the management of European airspace in order to reduce flight delays, optimise flight routes, cut costs and CO2 emissions in the aviation sector. The position’s main aspects refer to streamlining European airspace management, reaching a 10% reduction in climate-impacting emissions, as well as open up the market for air traffic navigation services.

On 14 June, the Council adopted in first reading the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility 2.0 (CEF 2.0) programme, worth €33.71 billion, to fund the development of high-performing, sustainable infrastructure in the fields of transport, digital and energy. This second edition of the programme will run from 2021 to 2027. Today’s vote by the Council will be followed by final adoption by the European Parliament.

The IMO adopted this week new mandatory measures to cut the carbon intensity of international shipping. The amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex VI will require ships to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The new measures will require all ships to calculate their Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) following technical means to improve their energy efficiency and to establish their annual operational carbon intensity indicator (CII) and CII rating.

FreightWaves reported on Tuesday 15 June that members of the US House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee are drafting a bipartisan legislation that would require ocean carriers to accept all US export container bookings. The legislation, to be proposed by John Garamendi and Dusty Johnson is in response to mounting complaints by US agricultural shippers that unscrupulous business practices by foreign container ship operators are causing them to lose money and market share overseas.

On 15 June, CLECAT participated in an online roundtable event hosted by MEPs Vera Tax (S&D, NL) and Jutta Paulus (Greens/EFA, DE) to debate the impact of mega-vessels on the maritime supply chain. This followed the grounding of the mega vessel ‘Ever Given’ in the Suez Canal at the end of March this year, which has led to long waiting times, further port congestion and delays.

The European Logistics Platform is organising an event entitled “ReFuel EU Aviation: a game-changing EU sustainable aviation fuel plan?” on 29 June from 15.30-17.00h.

CLECAT is pleased to announce that it has been welcomed as a new member of the European Clean Trucking Alliance, a group of over 20 companies and organisations from across Europe calling for zero-emission road freight. In doing so the association of European freight forwarders and logistics service providers underlines its support for the rapid development of a uniform European legal framework for the complete decarbonisation of road freight transport by 2050.

CLECAT welcomed earlier this week in a press release the political informal agreement on the Eurovignette Directive reached on 16 June between negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. The deal on new road charging rules supports the transition from time-based to distance-based charging, reducing CO2 emissions.