CLECAT JOINS HIGH-LEVEL DEBATES ON EUROPE’S TRANSPORT FUTURE
The CLECAT team attended several high-level sessions at Connecting Europe Days, covering military mobility, infrastructure resilience, zero-emission transport and safe and secure truck parking. Across these discussions, a common message emerged: Europe needs transport corridors that can support competitive logistics in normal conditions and keep goods moving when disruption strikes.
Military mobility discussions highlighted the importance of incorporating military requirements into civilian infrastructure from the outset. Representatives of the Commission, NATO and national armed forces called for faster cross-border permissions, stronger infrastructure, alternative routes and better data-sharing. Closer involvement of commercial transport operators in preparedness planning was also identified as essential, with Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas calling for a “Military Schengen” by 2027.
For zero-emission road freight, discussions exposed the practical obstacles to scaling up deployment. Grid capacity, access to finance and reliable charging infrastructure remain major bottlenecks. Participants highlighted the need for investment guarantees and measures to reduce investment risks, alongside energy generation and storage along major corridors to strengthen resilience.
A session on “Safe truck parking as the backbone of resilient and green road freight corridors” placed parking firmly within this wider infrastructure debate. The continued shortage of safe and secure parking across Europe leaves drivers and cargo exposed, while inadequate facilities undermine working conditions and the attractiveness of the profession. Also for CLECAT certified parking areas are strategic transport infrastructure, supporting driver wellbeing, digitalisation, zero-emission freight and military mobility.
The discussion also highlighted evolving cargo theft risks. Alongside physical theft, deception-based schemes are causing substantial financial losses, reinforcing the need for robust verification procedures and due diligence throughout the supply chain.
For CLECAT, these discussions underline the need to connect infrastructure investment with the operational realities of freight transport. Resilient corridors depend on adequate capacity, reliable energy supplies, secure parking and effective cooperation with the logistics companies that use them every day.