All news & events

At a webinar organised by the European Logistics Platform (ELP) on 26 April more than 75 EU policymakers and industry representatives met to discuss with experts the challenges of the maritime logistics supply chain. Over the past years, global supply chains have been under stress due to many disruptions. COVID-19 and measures related to the pandemic, such as lockdowns and border closures, have disrupted value chains and demonstrated the lack of resilience in global maritime supply chains. How can European economy sustain this situation and what can policy makers do to support business?

On 4 May, the European Parliament’s plenary approved the deal reached between Parliament and Council negotiators in February on a renewed mandate for Europol, granting the EU police agency new powers.

On 10 May, the Commission launched the new homepage of the Access2Marekts portal. On the new homepage, information is now organised in a clearer and more intuitive manner. New features have also been added, including a trade assistant for services and investment.

The European Commission has published a Recommendation to step up cooperation between the EU and Norway in the fight against VAT fraud and recovery of claims.

On 11 May, MEPs of the ENVI Committee adopted its report on the proposed rules to revise the Regulation on CO2 standards for new light-duty vehicles, by 46 votes in favour, 40 against and two abstentions. MEPs largely backed the Commission proposal on the emission reduction pathway for new cars and vans to reach zero-emission road mobility by 2035 but failed to raise the intermediary targets for 2027 and 2030.

Following the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has developed a safety risk portfolio to identify safety issues affecting commercial aviation which stem from or are associated with this conflict. EASA developed the portfolio in close cooperation with Member State regulators and industry partners to capture new or emerging safety issues.

On 3 May, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air cargo markets in March 2022, showing a drop in demand. According to the analysis, the effects of the Omicron variant in Asia, the war in Ukraine, and a challenging operating backdrop contributed to the decline.

The Loadstar reported on 10 May that ocean carrier alliances are preparing to blank more than a third of their sailings from Asia over the coming weeks in response to a reduction in export freight, according to the latest report from Project44. The blanking strategies by the alliances to mitigate the impact of the COVID lockdowns in China will further extend cargo lead times, particularly to North Europe.

On 5 May, the European Commission’s Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) published a report that compares the performance of different intermodal transhipment technologies in combination with various loading units. The study sheds light on which combinations are most used, how cost- and time efficient and available they are and what their future potential is. The study also analyses the available capacity and limitations of terminals on the TEN-T network.