Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget
Delivering on low-emission mobility
Opinion factsheet
Sellel lehel
- Transport
- Rail transport
- Road transport
- Transport policy
- Environment
- Climate change policy
Objective
public procurement of clean vehicles
the opening up to competition of the bus market (liberalisation), which would have a significant impact on existing Public Service Obligation contracts of local and regional authorities with public transport providers.
combined transport
provision of alternative fuels infrastructure
Impact
Concerning clean vehicles, the final legislative act stipulates that "the Commission would be required to set up a Union platform for cross-border and joint procurement of clean vehicles, to present an action plan on charging and refuelling infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles and to propose a methodology for counting the life-cycle CO2 emissions and well-to-wheel CO2 emissions of vehicles.". This cross-border issue has been a key point in the CoR opinion.
The proposal for a regulation on "Access to the bus market" is still blocked at Council level where no common position could be found yet, while the European Parliament adopted its position at the 2019 February plenary session.
Essential points
- points out that the move towards low and zero emission of particulate matter and NOx benefits the lives of Europe's citizens, especially in cities, where dense, highly polluting urban traffic worsens people's lives and health;
- notes that, in connection with the greening of motor vehicle use, (cargo) cycling for short journeys, as well as railway and green shipping, should be promoted
- recognises that there needs to be an interoperable solution for the provision of alternative fuels. While the CoR acknowledges that the legislation and regulations for achieving low-emission mobility should be open to all kinds of technology, each local and regional authority could strive to attain economies of scale, possibly by cooperating with neighbouring and cross-border regions;
- thinks that plans for low-emission mobility should go beyond end-of-pipe solutions and be aligned with increased production and distribution of green electricity and renewable fuels;
- points out that refuelling should be easy to use and interoperable across borders. This requires European action in order to create a single market.