Press releases

In anticipation of first exchanges in the European Parliament on the various legislative proposals of the Mobility Package this week and next, CLECAT has issued its detailed Position Paper on the package’s proposals relating to the internal market and the social pillar.

At a lunch debate in Brussels on 28 June organised by CLECAT and hosted by Wim van de Camp Member of the European Parliament, freight forwarders, MEPs and European policy-makers discussed the recently published Mobility Package and its impact on freight forwarding and logistics

CLECAT responds with mixed feelings to the publication of the long-anticipated proposals of the European Commission targeting the road transport sector. The 'mobility package' of the European Commission has proposed legislation that seeks to strengthen the internal market, support the roll-out of infrastructure for road charging and connectivity and clarify EU rules on posting of workers. There is clearly added value in better enforcement, simplification and harmonisation of the rules governing the various aspects of road transport but CLECAT had hoped that the European Commission would come out stronger in the defence of a competitive internal road freight market.

At the second Conference organised by TLF Overseas and CLECAT at the SITL in Paris, more than 80 participants came together to review progress and challenges on data exchange between government and business. Speakers explored and discussed the practical advantages of better exploiting available data and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in transport and logistics efficiency: simplification, lowering costs, and a better use of resources and existing infrastructures. The EU-funded research project CORE (www.coreproject.eu) continues to test concepts whereby the same information should be reported once-only for different purposes, whilst demonstrating both the integrity of data and security of goods.

Capacity for maritime shipments to Asia has decreased dramatically with repercussions on rates and service. Due to higher demand and capacity managed by carriers, shippers may have to wait for weeks to ship a container. CLECAT and FIATA express their Members’ concern about this situation. The European and the Global associations of freight forwarders stress the importance of the availably of sufficient capacity to ensure the facilitation of world trade. Carriers must respect ongoing agreements and contracts. FIATA and CLECAT are open to discuss with the ocean carriers these current developments and the difficulties they are facing, but they cannot ignore their members’ concerns with the level of service.

CONFIAD, the Pan European Network of Customs Brokers and Customs Representatives and CLECAT, the European association of freight forwarders, transport and customs-related services have welcomed the official publication of the CEN Standard of Customs Competency for Customs Representatives.

CLECAT, the European association of freight forwarders, transport and customs-related services, has welcomed today’s vote in the European Parliament to tackle emissions from maritime transport. The position adopted by the Parliament on reform of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) would include shipping emissions in the ETS from 2023 and create a “maritime climate fund” with a share of the proceeds, in the event that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has not adopted a comparable measure.

Those supporting the proposals of the European Ministers for a ’Road Alliance’, promoting a single road haulage market ensuring social rights and more efficient controls, should know that some of these proposals are counter-productive to the competitiveness of European transport and logistics and would frustrate ambitions to reduce carbon emissions through an efficient transport system. CLECAT calls on governments and policy makers to take a realistic and pragmatic approach at a time when Europe needs to refrain from further protectionism which will ultimately not bring benefits to the European economy and society at large.

30 European transport associations, representing infrastructure managers, operators, local authorities, users and equipment suppliers in the maritime, inland waterways, railways, road, cycling, aviation and intermodal sectors, call on the European Parliament and the Council to approve the initial Commission proposal for the review of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework. Nonetheless, the transport sector warns that this cannot be considered sufficient to complete the Trans-European Network for Transport (TEN-T). The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is the financial lifeline of the TEN-T network. From a CEF total budget of 31 billion euros (2.8% of the overall MFF), only EUR 2 billion are left to co-fund transport projects of high European added-value until 2020.