At a recent conference, the Commission revealed forthcoming road transport initiatives, which, while supporting sector’s development will provide competitive services for people and for businesses. The conferences’ details can be seen at:

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/road/events/2016-04-19-road-transport-conference_en.htm

Many stakeholders have been represented at the conference: vehicle manufacturers, member states' administrations, NGOs in many road sectors, trade unions and infrastructure owners, to name a few. This will allow the Commission to hear a wide range of views and opinions. Clear and common road transport rules are important for operators and workers, to allow transport operators to be as efficient as possible, supporting European jobs and growth, in transport directly and in sectors reliant on transport.

The context of the Road Initiatives

Commission President Juncker has identified ten overall priorities for the European Commission during this mandate. The new road initiatives directly contribute to these priorities, namely: = Deepening the Internal Market. = building the Energy Union while tackling Climate Change and = creating the Digital Single Market.  

These priorities are leading to increased jobs and growth and also strengthen Europe's role as a global actor. The road initiatives will result in: – improved energy efficiency, – reduced CO2 emissions, – increased competitiveness, – job creation, – innovation, and – new investment opportunities.

A strong transport sector is also necessary to support EU economy as a whole, to increase industry’s competitiveness as well as safeguarding the EU’s global presence. Transport can have a large impact on logistics costs; thus it can really make sure that it keeps developing and delivering value.

Perspective steps

1. A Well-functioning internal market. The EU member states need a well-functioning and fully integrated Internal Market for road transport to support people and businesses. Transport operations are cross-border for a large part; hence the need for common rules in EU-28 countries. Different rules create uncertainties, administrative burdens and costs for operators – many of whom are SMEs.

Unfortunately, there is a tendency among the EU states to impose their own transport rules. Different rules in different countries are problematic for transport operators who very often operate in several countries on a daily basis. This may endanger the single market. Operators have to keep track of all these different rules in order to be compliant and to avoid fines. This is not to be tolerated in an internal market. Instead of each state’s trying to clarify the EU rules, this should be done at the EU level to maintain a level playing field.

The Commission has already gathered evidence showing that current rules are unclear; this is the main reason that the member states impose their own rules. One example is cabotage transport. There is almost unanimity among stakeholders that the current rules are unclear and simply cannot be enforced. By ensuring better enforcement of EU rules, the Road Initiatives could help to establish a well-functioning Internal Market for road transport.

2. Rights of transport workers. This is particularly challenging in the transport sector with workers being highly mobile. For example, which salary should drivers be paid when working in 10 different countries during the same month? And how should such rules be enforced?

The EU must respond effectively to the concerns of citizens, workers and businesses to inspire confidence in citizens that the Single Market is protecting and empowering them.

It is clear that if a driver stays in a country for a long period, or carries out activities in a given country regularly, then this driver should receive the minimum salary of the country in question. On the other hand, any national measures to protect workers should not be allowed to adversely affect the Internal Market for road transport, for example to protect national interests.

It is crucial to find the right balance between adequate protection of workers' rights and the correct functioning of the Internal Market for road transport.

3. The Environment. This is the third area having serious challenges. If transport grows then its impact on Climate Change grows too. In 2013, GHG emissions from transport (excluding international maritime) represented about 22% of total emissions compared to 15% in 1990. Transport is therefore a sector with a significant role in energy and climate policy. At the Paris COP 21 conference, the agreement was reached between 196 Parties; now is the time to build on that political momentum to ensure that the EU delivers on its announced actions and ambitions under the 'Energy Union', in order to decarbonise transport. How can European road initiatives contribute to reducing the negative effects of road transport while maintaining competitive transport services for businesses and people?

Decarbonisation of transport will require measures aimed at promoting low carbon technologies for vehicles, alternative energy sources but also improving the efficiency of transport operations.

In this respect, road charging has a very strong potential. Road transport sector is very competitive and very cost-conscious: if road charges are properly designed to reward the cleanest trucks, then road operators would undoubtedly be encouraged to buy these to remain competitive. This would also benefit the environment and ultimately EU citizens.

However, road charges today do not provide such clear and coherent incentives to road operators; member states are setting road charges based on different parameters and with different costs. It may be cheaper to use a certain type of Heavy Goods Vehicle in one state but could be different in another, which does not support optimal investment decisions in the cleanest possible Heavy Goods Vehicles.

4^. Digital Technologies. These technologies can heavily contribute to transport in general and road transport in particular. The EU has already invested to make road transport more efficient and environmentally friendly. But at the same time, if not properly managed, it could turn out to create new problems: there are numerous different systems each requiring the use of different on-board devices. This explains why operators need at least dozen on-board devices to drive on all tolled EU roads. This is cumbersome and costly: an integrated, interoperable digital solution is the way forward. It’s necessary to eliminate the current patchwork and ensure interoperability between tolling systems. The technology is ready and there are plenty of available solutions; the biggest obstacle is the protection of national markets where traditionally has been no competition.

Important advantages for transport are through mobile telephony and the solutions it provides for roaming, which show many similarities with electronic tolls. Some key lessons relate to the importance of standards and of strong independent regulators, as well as other rules that facilitated roaming.

Interoperable tolling systems in the EU will provide room for digital and technical innovation. Rethinking the current patchwork will also allow tolling providers to provide other value-added services to better manage their businesses.

Besides, Heavy Goods Vehicles in future will be connected to the internet; there are already trials ongoing of trucks driving in platoons through Europe, and at some stage Heavy Goods Vehicles may be able (and allowed) to drive autonomously. All these technological innovations, which also provide new possibilities for road tolling, are clearly transport future.

Safety is another area that will benefit from the internet of things and digital advances for transport: for example to use innovative and digital means of control, such as smart tachographs together with e-documents. Member states must be better at cooperation in exchanging information to better target potential offenders, so that genuine law-abiding operators can travel hassle-free.

The importance of the road initiatives is in a well-functioning, competitive, fair, clean and innovative transport sector. Transport is essential for the functioning of supply chains and for enabling the free movement of goods and people – two EU founding principles.

Market integration, economic growth and transport activity are strongly related: efficient transport connections have facilitated the creation and deepening of the EU internal market. Transport infrastructure investments boost economic growth, create wealth, enhance trade, geographical accessibility and people mobility. The demand for road transport has kept increasing due to its competitiveness, to its capacity to improve accessibility and to adjust to the demand from its customers.

Reference: Speech by Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc at the 2016 Road Transport Conference, Brussels, 19 April 2016, in:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-16-1481_en.htm?locale=en