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On 23 June, the Transport (TRAN) Committee of the European Parliament welcomed Georges Gilkinet, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mobility. The Minister presented the ambition of the Belgian Presidency to finalise transport related files which are currently debated in trilogue negotiations.  The Presidency aims to achieve a general approach on the Commission’s proposal on Rail Capacity Regulation and the CountEmissionsEU initiative and make progress on the amended Combined Transport Directive and revision of the Weights and Dimensions (W&D) Directive.

Also this week, in an exchange of the TRAN Committee with Commissioner Vălean, the Commissioner referred to the intention of the TRAN Committee to delay the presentation of a draft report on the Combined Transport proposal until after the European elections.  The TRAN Committee intends to produce a working paper by March.

The Commissioner recalled the recent interinstitutional agreement reached between the Council and the Parliament on the TEN-T Regulation, highlighting the importance of the deployment of safe and secure parking areas on the core and extended core network to ensure better working conditions and rest for professional drivers.

Several MEPs (EPP) expressed concern about the CountEmissionsEU initiative arguing that it might create unnecessary administrative burdens for companies. The Commissioner in response noted that the main goal of CountEmissionsEU is to establish a common methodology to ensure comparability of results, highlighting that it is not mandatory for SMEs. It should be noted that many other MEPs have submitted amendments calling for the mandatory use of primary data in greenhouse gas emissions calculation processes, but SMEs should be allowed to use secondary data under clear conditions.

In response to some MEPs noting that the revised W&D Directive could hinder the modal shift toward rail, the Commissioner stressed that the proposal only lays down the conditions for EMS vehicle circulation in the EU, with Member States to decide whether to authorise them or not at their networks.