Yesterday, the European Commission unveiled its long-awaited proposal for Greening Freight Transport!
As the EU’s economy grows, freight volumes are on the rise – and with them, their CO2 emissions. Therefore, decarbonizing the freight sector is crucial to deliver on the Union’s climate and environmental objectives. With this proposal, the Commission moves forward along the path set out by the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, towards achieving the European Green Deal.
The package includes a draft Regulation on the use of railway infrastructure capacity in the Single European Railway Area. The need to set up modern transport infrastructure and relevant traffic management systems was already addressed in the 2021 TEN-T Regulation revision currently under interinstitutional negotiations. Now, the Commission puts forward measures to better manage and coordinate international rail traffic, revising the entire capacity management framework and consolidating it into one single legal text.
Repealing and replacing the RFC Regulation (effective December 9, 2029), the legislative initiative contains specific provisions on capacity management, traffic and disruption management, performance review, coordination between IMs, and regulatory oversight.
Specific objectives include:
- Enabling more effective capacity management procedures within the legal framework
- Strengthening incentives to improve performance of rail infrastructure and rail transport services
- Introducing more effective mechanisms for cross-border coordination between stakeholders
- Supporting the deployment of digital tools enabling better capacity and traffic management
ScanMed RFC welcomes the Commission’s initiative and wishes for a quick start of negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Meanwhile, the Corridor will continue doing its share in the effort to reduce the environmental impact of freight transport while fostering economic growth.
For more information about the Greening Freight Transport package and its pillar initiatives, head to the Commission’s website here.