The European Commission on 29 April 2020 adopted a package of measures aimed at providing “significant” relief to the transport sector, which has suffered greatly as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic. The measures are designed to ease the regulatory burden and reduce costs for transport companies; they may be followed by more proposals in the coming weeks. In March, the commission said it would implement “green lanes” for cross-border transport in order to ease the flow of goods within the region (see Plasteurope.com of 26.03.2020).

Commissioner for transport Adina Vălean said, “Today’s proposals put forward concrete ways to ease the daily operations in the transport sector, across modes. This should also allow companies in the sector to start focusing on their much-needed recovery.” One proposal will allow certain certificates, authorisations and licenses to be extended across all transport modes. Certain periodic checks in road, rail, inland waterways transport and maritime security will also be postponed temporarily. A plan to amend the regulation on port charges will also give member states and port authorities the flexibility to defer, reduce or lift port infrastructure charges for users, providing shippers with much-needed liquidity, the commission said. For the rail sector, the commission is proposing to extend by three months the deadline by which member states must transpose EU law on rail safety and interoperability.

Speaking at the European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) on 28 April, commissioner Vălean said rail freight transport has been faced with numerous restrictions and disruptions in supply chains, a situation that has been particularly difficult for smaller, open-access operators, quickly becoming a question of survival. She added that the commission has adopted a new temporary framework to remedy the liquidity shortage faced by companies.

An exemption from EU rules on driving times and rest periods has also been put in place, in response to requests from 11 member states. The commission said a further nine states that have also requested temporary exemption will receive a positive decision in the coming weeks.

Commissioner Vălean noted that waiting times for hauliers at most borders were now usually no more than the 15 minutes targeted. She conceded, however, that there were still some persistent traffic tailbacks at certain borders.

As European countries start to ease their lockdowns and reopen borders, Vălean said coordination will be key to allow a smooth and gradual reinstating of connectivity across all transport modes. Consequently, the commission is working on a set of recommendations for each mode.