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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered the annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament on 16 September 2026. The speech, accompanied by a letter of intent setting out the Commission’s priorities for the coming year, focused on European competitiveness, economic security, energy, artificial intelligence, employment and skills, defence, and international partnerships.

Several of the announced initiatives are relevant to the transport and logistics sector. The letter of intent confirms a forthcoming transport simplification package. It also announces a review of the CO₂ emission performance standards for heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), as well as proposals to accelerate permitting procedures.

Von der Leyen renewed the call to electrify Europe by investing more rapidly in energy infrastructure and accelerating grid connections. This will be important for the deployment of electric trucks and charging infrastructure, as well as for the wider decarbonisation of transport and logistics operations.

The Commission will also establish a European Corporation on Critical Raw Materials to help Europe obtain and stockpile materials required for electric vehicles, semiconductors, batteries, clean technologies, and defence.

Artificial intelligence was another prominent theme. Von der Leyen identified transport among five high-value sectors in which industrial AI offers significant potential. The Commission plans to present “game-changing initiatives” for these sectors in November, involving Member States, the European Parliament, as well as industry and entrepreneurs.

The Commission also intends to present a Quality Jobs Act by the end of 2026. The initiative will focus on skills, the quality of employment, and ensuring that workers have fair opportunities. Its potential implications for the transport and logistics labour market, where skills shortages remain a significant concern, are not yet known.

Von der Leyen proposed opening the door for Canada to become the first associate member of the EU. The planned Alliance for the Future would seek to create a common prosperity and economic security space, establish a technology alliance, and integrate European and Canadian defence industrial bases.

The Commission will furthermore invest in the Middle Corridor, connecting the South Caucasus and Central Asia directly with the European market. The objective is to diversify trade and transport routes, triple trade flows and substantially reduce freight transit times by 2030. A Regional Connectivity Summit, co-organised with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, will support this work.