News

TRANSPORT MINISTERS DEBATE FIT FOR 55 PACKAGE

On 9 December, the Transport Council held debates over a number of Fit for 55 Package, including ReFuelEU Aviation, FuelEU Maritime and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). Ministers took note of the progress made on each file by the Slovenian Presidency and gave guidance for the future negotiations that will be conducted under the French Presidency as of 1st January 2022.

JOINT CONTRIBUTION ON MARITIME RELATED ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSALS OF FF55 PACKAGE

CLECAT together with other associations representing different segments of the transport and logistics sector issued a joint contribution on the maritime related elements of the Fit for 55 Package. The coalition welcomes the European Commission’s Fit for 55 proposals as a key step to reach the EU’s enhanced climate goals for 2030.

EC LAUNCHES GLOBAL GATEWAY INITIATIVE

On 1st December, the European Commission launched the Global Gateway initiative, the new European Strategy aimed at boosting smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport and strengthen health, education and research systems across the world. The initiative aims to mobilise up to €300 billion in investments between 2021 and 2027.

US CONGRESS PASSES SHIPPING ACT REFORM

On 8 December, the House of Representatives adopted the Ocean Shipping Reform Act 2021 (OSRA) with 364 votes on favour and 60 against. The bipartisan bill, introduced by Congressmen John Garamendi (D-CA) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD) revises provisions related to ocean shipping policies and is designed to support the growth and development of US exports and promote reciprocal trade in the foreign commerce of the United States.

EC APPROVES €133 MILLION SWEDISH SCHEME TO SUPPORT RAIL

On 7 December, the European Commission approved, under EU State aid rules, a €133 million (SEK 1,370 million) Swedish scheme to support the rail freight sector and the rail passenger sector in the context of the coronavirus outbreak.

AIR CARGO DEMAND UP 9.4% IN OCTOBER

On 2 December, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air cargo markets in October 2021, showing that demand continued to be well above pre-crisis levels and that the capacity constraints have eased slightly.

IRELAND AND ITALY RECEIVE POST-BREXIT FUNDING

The European Commission has decided to allocate funding from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to Ireland, for a total of €920.4 million, and to Italy, for a total of €116 million. The funding will aim to compensate the consequences of Brexit and support EU Member States in the transition.

EU STRENGTHENS PROTECTION AGAINST ECONOMIC COERCION

On 8 December, the European Commission proposed a new tool to counter the use of economic coercion by third countries. The aim of the instrument is to deter countries from restricting or threatening to restrict trade or investment to bring about a change of policy in the EU in areas such as climate change, taxation or food safety.

COMMISSION REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN EU EXTERNAL TRADE

Earlier this week, the European Commission published a progress report of the second year of implementation of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The European Commission also published a progress report on the latest negotiation round to deepen the existing Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with five Eastern and Southern African partners.

EC PUBLISHES RESULTS OF OPEN CONSULTATION ON DATA ACT

On 6 December, the European Commission published the results for the open public consultation on the Data Act, the upcoming flagship initiative of the European Data Strategy. The responses show that while businesses engage in data sharing, data transactions are still held back by numerous obstacles of a technical or legal nature.

CLECAT Meetings

CLECAT Customs and Indirect Taxation Institute
14 December 2021, Online

CLECAT Maritime Logistics Institute
16 December 2021, Online

CLECAT Air Freight Institute
16 March 2022, location TBC

CLECAT Supply Chain Security Institute
16 March 2022, location TBC

EU Meetings

Council of the European Union

Environment Council
20 December 2021, Brussels

European Parliament

European Parliament Plenary
13-16 December 2021, Strasbourg

European Parliament Environment Committee
16 December 2021, Strasbourg

European Parliament Transport Committee
13 January 2022, Brussels