Heavy goods vehicles cause more than 6% of all greenhouse gases in Europe – and the trend is rising. The Commission wants to reduce CO₂ emissions by promoting zero-emission vehicles and more efficient road freight transport. The Centre for European Policy (cep) supports the proposal but calls for fair competitive conditions for rail and inland waterway transport.

Berlin/Freiburg. Heavy duty vehicles are responsible for a significant share of CO₂ emissions in the EU. For this reason, the Commission wants to set new CO₂ limits for trucks, vans and buses. In view of other, more efficient instruments, the Centre for European Policy (cep) considers the Commission proposal to be one-sided, anti-technology and superfluous - and therefore rejects it.

The Commission wants to reduce emissions of traffic-related air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and ozone still further. To this end, Brussels is counting on the introduction of so-called Euro 7 standards. The Center for European Policy (cep) sees the stricter requirements as a premature end to combustion engines through the back door. The current standards suffice to drastically reduce traffic-related pollutants.

The EU wants to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 and by 55 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990. To this end, the European Commission has proposed an extensive set of measures ("Fit for 55"). The Centrum für Europäische Politik (cep) welcomes the highly controversial Emissions Trading System for Road Traffic and Buildings (EU EHS II) but calls for social cushioning of exploding energy prices.

The European Union wants to reduce CO₂ emissions to zero by 2050. The transport sector shall also make a greater contribution to this. With its "Sustainable Mobility Strategy", the EU Commission is counting on a further tightening of CO₂ limits for passenger cars, vans and trucks. For the first time, the EU Commission is also considering the use of an emissions trading scheme (ETS) for road transport.

The European Union wants to reduce CO₂ emissions in the shipping sector. Brussels plans to include unilaterally emissions of the greenhouse gas in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), probably in mid-2021. The Centre for European Policy (cep) criticises the plan as inappropriate.

For the first time, the EU wants to take measures to reduce CO₂ emissions from maritime transport. This cepInput takes stock of the current climate policy situation at global and EU level and assesses the impact of possible measures.

The pricing of CO₂ emissions in the transport and building sectors dominates the climate policy debate both in France and in Germany. With a cepInput, cep and cepFrance jointly analyse and evaluate strategies and instruments of carbon pricing in both countries, highlighting differences and similarities.

The cep evaluates in five cepAdhocs Ursula von der Leyen's central work assignments to the new EU commissioners. The second one deals with the topic "A European Green Deal", for which Frans Timmermans will be responsible as Executive Vice-President.

The EU has reformed the rules guaranteeing the safety of road infrastructure. cep provides the following assessment of the amendments that have been passed to the Road Safety Management Directive.

The EU Commission proposed a directive on the posting of drivers in 2017. In the meantime, the Council and the EU Parliament have defined their positions.

Standard EU provisions on the electronic transmission of regulatory freight transport information will promote digitalisation in the freight transport sector. Electronic freight information provided by companies in compliance with these EU rules must be accepted by the authorities.

The safety of road vehicles as well as vehicle occupants, pedestrians and two-wheel vehicles in the EU is to be improved. For this, the EU Commission proposes a range of new technical requirements for motor vehicles as of 2024. These include the obligation to equip new vehicles with assistance systems.

In order to reduce CO₂ emissions in the road transport sector, CO₂emission targets for lorries are to be introduced for the first time. The EU Commission has therefore submitted a proposal for a Regulation.

The EU Commission wants to promote the uptake of zero-emission and low-emission cars, lorries and buses by way of strict rules on public procurement. For this the Directive on the promotion of clean and energy-efficient road transport vehicles is to be amended.

The EU Commission wants to further deregulate international bus and coach services. In addition, national bus and coach services are to be opened up to foreign competition and inter-urban buses and coaches guaranteed fair access to bus stations.  

By introducing new support criteria for "combined transport", the EU Commission wants to shift more freight traffic off the roads and onto railways and waterways. In cep's view, this may reduce CO₂ emissions, but there is also a risk that inefficiencies will be subsidised.