This implies that all policy levers must be pulled: (1) measures to significantly reduce the current dependence on fossil fuels (by replacing existing fleets with low- and zero-emission vehicles and boosting the use of renewable and low-carbon fuels); (2) decisive action to shift more activity towards more sustainable transport modes (notably increasing the number of passengers travelling by rail and commuting by public transport and active modes, as well as shifting a substantial amount of freight onto rail, inland waterways, and short sea shipping); and (3) internalization of external costs (by implementing the ‘polluter pays’ and ‘user pays’ principles, in particular through carbon pricing and infrastructure charging mechanisms).
WE NEED TO MAKE ALL MODES OF TRANSPORT MORE SUSTAINABLE
Transport modes are indispensable for our transport system and this is why they must all become more sustainable. As the first pillar of our approach, we must boost the uptake of low- and zero-emission vehicles as well as renewable and low-carbon fuels for road, waterborne, air and rail transport, without further delay. We must support research and innovation (R&I) on competitive, sustainable and circular products7 and services, ensure that the right vehicles and fuels are supplied by the industry, put in place the necessary infrastructure, and incentivize demand by end-users. This is essential to reach our 2030 and 2050 climate targets as well as zero pollution ambition and to enable European companies to remain industrial leaders globally. Maintaining technology-neutrality across all modes is key, but this should not lead to inaction on eliminating fossil fuel-based solutions.
Boosting the uptake of zero-emission vehicles, renewable & low-carbon fuels and related infrastructure
Although it is growing rapidly, the proportion of low- and zero-emission vehicles in the vehicle fleet is far too low today. Standards on CO2, air pollutant emissions, and public procurement rules, such as those in the Clean Vehicle Directive8, will continue to be key policy-drivers in our transition towards zero-emission mobility in road transport and through the increased supply of zero-emission vehicles, will make sustainable mobility more affordable for all. Therefore, in order to meet the targets, put forward in the 2030 climate target plan and ensure a clear pathway from 2025 onwards towards zero-emission mobility, the Commission will propose a revision of the CO2 standards for cars and vans by June 2021. The Commission will also review the CO2 standards for heavy duty vehicles in this direction.
Significant efforts have been made over the last 5 years to reduce emissions of air pollutants from motor vehicles. Cars sold today emit significantly less pollutants than those in 2015. But more can be done: the upcoming proposal for more stringent air pollutant emissions standards for combustion engine vehicles (Euro 7) will ensure that only future-proof low-emission vehicles come to the market.
The partnerships envisaged for Horizon Europe, such as ‘Batteries’, ‘2Zero’ and ‘Clean Hydrogen’, could contribute to the supply of innovative vehicle technologies. At the same time, a comprehensive policy is needed to stimulate demand for zero emission vehicles, without barriers across our single market, while fully respecting the Union’s international obligations. The above environmental standards should be accompanied by measures that increase demand for these vehicles, such as carbon pricing, taxation, road charging, and the revision of rules on the weights and dimensions of heavy-duty vehicles. The Commission will propose actions to boost the uptake of zero-emission vehicles in corporate and urban fleets. In addition, the new regulation on batteries will ensure that batteries placed on the EU market are sustainable and safe all along their entire life cycle. Sustainability and end-of-life cycle requirements, including on carbon footprint and ethical and sustainable sourcing of raw materials, are essential to reduce environmental footprint of electric vehicles.
Our roadworthiness legislative framework should be adjusted to ensure the lifetime compliance of vehicles with emission and safety standards. A single faulty vehicle can pollute our air more than several thousand clean ones.
The evolution of road vehicle engines towards zero emission does not as such solve issues raised by the use of tires, which still cause noise and microplastics. The latter pollute our waters and seas, and can ultimately enter the food chain. High-performing tires should be further promoted as they reduce energy consumption and emissions (including of rolling noise) while maintaining vehicle safety. The upcoming revision of the Directive on end-of life vehicles will also aim at reducing the overall environmental footprint of the production and dismantling of cars.
Fuel suppliers and operators should now have a clear signal that transport fuels must become carbon-neutral, and that sustainable renewable and low-carbon fuels must be deployed on a large scale without delay. The Commission will consider additional measures to support these fuels, possibly through minimum share or quotas through the revision of the recast Renewable Energy Directive.
For road transport, zero-emission solutions are already in deployment. Manufacturers are now heavily investing into battery-electric vehicles. Market take-up is already growing, particularly for cars, vans and buses used in cities, while lorries and coaches are emerging. Manufacturers are also investing into hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, particularly for use in commercial fleets, buses and heavy-duty transport. These promising options are supported under the EU energy system integration10 and hydrogen11 strategies as well as the strategic action plan on batteries12. Energy efficiency shall be a criterion for prioritizing future choice of suitable technologies looking at the whole life-cycle. Transitional technological solutions should fully respect the CO2 and pollution standards. Rail transport will also need to be further electrified; wherever this is not viable, the use of hydrogen should be increased.
Air and waterborne transport have greater decarbonization challenges in the next decades, due to current lack of market ready zero-emission technologies, long development and life cycles of aircraft and vessels, the required significant investments in refueling equipment and infrastructure, and international competition in these sectors. EU international emissions from navigation and aviation have grown by more than 50% since 1990. Action in these sectors is urgently needed, including as they recover from the current crisis. These modes must have priority access to additional renewable and low-carbon liquid and gaseous fuels13, since there is a lack of suitable alternative powertrains in the short term. The ReFuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime initiatives will boost the production and uptake of sustainable aviation and maritime fuels and address this issue. Furthermore, the Commission will consider to establish a Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels Value Chain Alliance, within which public authorities, industry and civil society, will cooperate to boost the supply and deployment of the most promising fuels, complementing action under the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance and building on the success of the European Battery Alliance.
In order to improve the energy efficiency and reduce emissions of aircraft and vessels, ambitious standards for their design and operation must be promoted. The EU must continue working closely with all international organizations, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), on concrete measures aimed at reaching science-based global emission reduction goals consistent with the Paris Agreement.15 Significant efforts are also needed to develop disruptive technologies to bring zero-emission vessels and aircraft to the market. The Union should create the enabling environment to achieve this, including through adequate carbon pricing policies and research and innovation (R&I) in particular through the partnerships that could be put in place under Horizon Europe (such ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’, ‘Clean Aviation’ and ‘Clean Hydrogen’). In addition, more efficient traffic management, such as through the Single European Sky, can bring about substantial environmental gains16. These activities are essential items in the ‘basket of measures’ needed to decarbonize aviation and maritime transport, where global actions remain critical.
The increased deployment and use of renewable and low-carbon fuels must go hand-in-hand with the creation of a comprehensive network of recharging and refueling infrastructure to fully enable the widespread uptake of low- and zero-emission vehicles in all transport modes. “Recharge and refuel” is a European flagship under the Recovery and Resilience Facility17: by 2025, the aim is to build half of the 1 000 hydrogen stations and one million out of 3 million public recharging points18 needed by 2030. The ultimate goal is to ensure a dense, widely-spread network to ensure easy access for all customers, including operators of heavy-duty vehicles. The Commission will publish a strategic roll-out plan to outline a set of supplementary actions to support the rapid deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, including in areas where persistent gaps exist. These would include recommendations on planning and permitting processes as well as on financing, developed in collaboration with the Sustainable Transport Forum of the Commission that brings together key public and private representatives of the entire value chain.
Europe also needs to end the persistent fragmentation and pervasive lack of interoperable recharging/refueling services across Europe for all modes. In the context of the upcoming revision of the Directive on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure (AFID), the Commission will consider options for more binding targets on the roll-out of infrastructure, and further measures to ensure full interoperability of infrastructure and infrastructure use services for all alternatively fueled vehicles. Adequate information for consumers to end the current lack of transparency on pricing, and facilitating seamless cross-border payments are among the key issues to tackle. Furthermore, the expected major uptake of battery-electric vehicles and other forms of e-mobility requires the smooth integration into the electricity grid. The deployment of smart recharging infrastructure will help to provide storage capacity and flexibility to the electricity system. Next to the revision of AFID, a revision of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Regulation and other policy instruments such as the recast Renewable Energy Directive and its accounting mechanism for electricity, as well as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive with a view to increasing the goals for charging points in our buildings. The Commission will ensure alignment with the necessary grid investments under its initiatives under the EU energy system integration and hydrogen strategies.
Creating zero-emission airports and ports
he Commission will propose measures to make our airports and ports clean, by incentivizing the deployment of renewable and low-carbon fuels and feeding stationed vessels and aircraft with renewable power instead of fossil energy, incentivizing the development and use of new, cleaner and quieter aircraft and vessels, revising airport charges, greening ground movements at airports as well as port services and operations, optimization of port calls, and through a wider use of smart traffic management. The Commission will also follow-up on the measures suggested in the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) report in relation to the updated analysis of the non-CO2 climate impacts of aviation.
Public and private investment in local renewable energy production, in more sustainable multimodal access and in fleet renewals22 in aviation and waterborne transport must increase. Some of these investments would benefit from the establishment of relevant sustainable taxonomy criteria that covers the specificities of each mode, including during transition to zero emissions. The revised lending policy to be decided by the European Investment Bank (EIB) can equally be expected to be helpful.
In synergy with the deployment of alternative marine fuels, efforts under the zero-pollution ambition should be made to drastically reduce the broader environmental footprint from the sector. Delivering on the establishment of wide ranging ‘Emission Control Areas’ in all EU waters ultimately aiming at zero pollution to air and water from shipping for the benefits of sea basins, coastal areas and ports should be a priority. In particular, the Commission has spearheaded efforts for covering the Mediterranean Sea and it aims to start similar work for the Black Sea. Furthermore, the EU legislation on ship recycling23 will be reviewed, in order to determine possible measures to strengthen that legislation, i.e. to further promote safe and sustainable ship recycling practices.
Making interurban and urban mobility more sustainable and healthier
Decisive action is needed to transform the transport sector into a truly multimodal system of sustainable and smart mobility services. To achieve this, Europe should build a high-quality transport network with high-speed rail services on short-haul distances and with clean aviation services improving coverage of long-haul routes. The Commission will work towards creating enabling conditions for transport operators to offer travelers by 2030 carbon-neutral choices for scheduled collective travel below 500 km within the EU. In 2021-2022, the Commission will pursue this ambition, when revising the relevant EU legislation. Subject to compliance with competition law, airlines should sell an increasing number of multimodal tickets. Investment should be geared towards upgrading the necessary TEN-T infrastructure to enable the shift towards more sustainable links. Action will be taken to build an overall transport system where EU investments, State aid, rules for capacity allocation and public service obligations (PSOs) are geared towards fulfilling mobility needs and incentivizing different multimodal options.
The European Year of Rail of 2021 is an excellent opportunity for Member States, the Commission and the rail sector to boost cross-European connections. With the implementation of the Fourth Railway Package and through the opening of rail markets to competition, railway operators will become more responsive to customer needs, and improve the quality of their services and their cost-effectiveness. Harmonized EU-wide vehicle approval will also reduce costs for cross-border trains. Completing the TEN-T, including the high-speed lines, will provide better connections along the main corridors. Improving passengers’ awareness about their rights and ensuring non-discriminatory provision of travel information, including through-ticket offers, will further boost the rail attractiveness for customers.
In 2021, the Commission will propose an action plan to boost long-distance and cross-border passenger rail services. This plan will build on efforts by Member States to make key connections between cities faster by better-managed capacity, coordinated timetabling, pools for rolling stock and targeted infrastructure improvements to boost new train services including at night. Platforms or other organizational structures for this purpose should be open to all Member States. Pilot services on some routes involving all interested stakeholders should be supported, and a combination of public service contracts and open access services could test different models for new connections and services, with the aim of boosting 15 pilots by 2030.
The Single European Rail Area needs to be enhanced and the Commission will consider measures to expand the rail market27, addressing the needs of railway undertakings for access to high quality capacity maximizing the use of rail infrastructure. Cross-border tickets should become easier to use and to buy. Starting in 2021, the Commission will propose regulatory measures to enable innovative and flexible tickets that combine various transport modes and give passengers true options for door-to-door travel.
As set out in the 2030 climate target plan, increasing the modal shares of collective transport, walking and cycling, as well as automated, connected and multimodal mobility will significantly lower pollution and congestion from transport, especially in cities and improve the health and well-being of people. Cities are and should therefore remain at the forefront of the transition towards greater sustainability. The Commission will further engage with cities and Member States to ensure that all large and medium-sized cities that are urban nodes on the TEN-T network put in place their own sustainable urban mobility plans by 2030. The plans should include new goals, for example on having zero emissions and zero road fatalities. Active transport modes, such as cycling, have seen growth with cities announcing over 2300 km of extra cycling infrastructure. This should be doubled in the next decade towards 5000 km in safe bike lanes. The Commission is also considering developing a mission in the area of Climate-neutral and Smart Cities28 as a strategic priority for joint action to accomplish decarbonization within a large number of European cities by 2030.
The EU and Member States must deliver on our citizens’ expectations of cleaner air, less noise and congestion, and eliminating fatalities on our city streets. By revising the Urban Mobility Package to promote and support these sustainable and healthy transport modes, the Commission will contribute to the improvement of the current European framework for urban mobility. Clearer guidance is needed on mobility management at local and regional level, including on better urban planning, and on connectivity with rural and suburban areas, so that commuters are given sustainable mobility options. European policies and financial support should also reflect the importance of urban mobility for the overall functioning of the TEN-T, with provisions for first/last mile solutions that include multimodal mobility hubs, park-and-ride facilities, and safe infrastructure for walking and cycling.
The Commission will look into ways to ensure that passenger transport-on-demand (taxis and private hire vehicles) can become more sustainable and deliver efficient services to citizens while maintaining a smoothly functioning single market and addressing social and safety concerns. The Commission will also help cities modernize their policy toolbox, including in areas such as micro mobility, support for the procurement29 of zero-emission vehicles, including buses and ferries, and associated infrastructure. Better information on low and zero emission zones and common labels as well as digital solutions for vehicles can help maintain a well-functioning single market and ease the exercise of fundamental freedoms.
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