News

WORLD CUSTOMS DAY: STATEMENT BY MEMBERS OF THE TRADE CONTACT GROUP ADVISING DG TAXUD

World Customs Day was celebrated on 26 January. On this day, 21 Trade Associations, members of the European Commission's Trade Contact Group (TCG) issued a joint statement congratulating customs worldwide, subscribing to this year's theme of World Customs Day – ‘Nurturing the Next Generation: Promoting a Culture of Knowledge Sharing and Professional Pride in Customs’.

PUSH FOR TRANSITION TO ZERO EMISSIONS HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES

The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Luxembourg have published a joint non-paper calling for an ambitious revision of the emission standards for heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) which they consider to be much needed to contribute to a reduction of the emissions of road transport in line with the Paris Agreement, the European Climate Law and Member States targets under the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR).

UPCOMING TRILOGUES ON ON AFIR AND REFUEL EU MARITIME

In February, the negotiating teams form the European Parliament, Council and the Commission will meet again in trilogues in view of reaching an agreement on the remaining files of the Fit for 55 Package.

EU SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE IN NUMBERS

The European Commission published this week a factsheet summarising the EU actions in solidarity with Ukraine after Russian’s invasion. Since February 2022, the EU, Member States and European financial institutions have been making available up to €49 billion in financial, humanitarian, emergency budget and military support to Ukraine.

MAERSK AND MSC AGREE TO DISBAND THE 2M ALLIANCE

Maersk and MSC have announced this week they have mutually agreed to terminate, effective in January 2025, the present 2M alliance. Both companies are expected to pursue their individual strategies.

CARRIERS REFUND OVER $700,000 IN D&D CHARGES IN THE US

On 25 January, the US Federal Maritime Commissions (FMC) announced that more than $700,000 in detention & demurrage charges have been refunded by ocean carriers since June 2022, when the OSRA entered into force.

TRANSITION TO SAF RAISES INVESTMENTS DEBATE

At the Airline Economics conference in Dublin, which brings together the world’s largest aircraft owners, it was agreed that greener fuel was the only way for airlines to meet strict global carbon emission targets. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) rely on feedstocks to reduce emissions by up to 80% from conventional fuel.

SPANISH PORT OF CASTELLON RECEIVES €132 MILLION TO CONNECT TO THE TEN-T NETWORK

The Spanish port of Castellon, between Valencia and Barcelona, will receive €132 million as part of a joint investment by the Adif (Spanish state-owned railway infrastructure manager) and the Castellon port authority to provide seamless rail access to major freight routes.

ITF STUDY ON THE POTENTIAL OF E-FUELS TO DECARBONISE SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT

On 24 January, the International Transport Forum published a study on the potential of e-fuels to decarbonise long-haul aviation and maritime shipping. The report analyses how E-fuels - like hydrogen, ammonia, e-methanol or e-kerosene - can be produced from renewable energy and feedstocks in ways that are cheaper and maximise emissions cuts without direct electrification.

ECB ARGUES FOR SYNERGY BETWEEN EU ETS AND CBAM

On 23 January, the European Central Bank (ECB) published a working paper arguing for more synergy between the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which was agreed to by co-legislators in December.

CLECAT JOINS DTLF SUBGROUP MEETING ON EFTI-DA’S

CLECAT attended this week the meeting of the Digital Transport and Logistics Forum’s (DTLF) Subgroup 3 on Electronic Freight Transport Information (eFTI) Delegated Acts. The eFTI Regulation establishes the legal framework for electronic information exchanges between the economic operators and the Member States authorities on the movement of cargo in the European Union.

CLECAT Meetings

CLECAT Road Logistics Institute
8 February, Online

ICS2 coffee: updates and Q&A's
10 February, Online

CLECAT Maritime Logistics Institute
14 February, Online

Smart Maritime Network Rotterdam
15 February, Rotterdam

CLECAT Customs & Indirect Taxation Institute
17 February, Brussels (hybrid meeting)

21st Intermediary Task Force (ITF) meeting
28 February, Rotterdam

ESPORG Conference on SSTPA
1 March, Brussels

CLECAT Air Freight Institute
14 March 2023, Online

CLECAT Supply Chain Security Institute
14 March 2023, Online

CLECAT session: High-Capacity Transport in support of sustainable road freight
9 May, Munich

International IP Enforcement Summit
14-15 June, Sofia

EU Meetings

European Parliament

European Parliament Plenary
26 January 2023, Brussels

European Parliament Environment Committee
9 February 2023, Brussels

European Parliament Transport Committee
30-31 January 2023, Brussels

Council of the EU

Informal meeting of transport ministers
27-28 February, Stockholm (Sweden)

Environment Council
16 March, Brussels