Vulcan Consulting | European Commission proposes greening freight measures

On 11 July, the EU Commission proposed measures to make freight transport more sustainable and efficient, aiming to improve rail infrastructure management and offer stronger incentives for low-emission lorries. Further, the proposal seeks to empower the sector in increasing efficiency which would help reduce transport emissions by 90% by 2050, which has been highlighted in the European Green Deal. 

Freight transport is essential in supporting the EU’s single market, allowing for supermarkets, pharmacies, and factories to be stocked whilst equally enabling European companies to sell their products throughout the entirety of Europe. The freight sector was reported to be responsible for around six million workers in 2020 and is “responsible for an annual turnover of €938 billion”, according to the European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean. Moreover, the Commissioner pointed to the fact that with this new proposal they strive to enlarge “the availability of rail capacity for freight and cross-border trains” and “make road transport more efficient”.

In more detail, the proposal will prove essential as it aims to address all current issues with freight transport whilst also benefiting passengers by including additional rail services with better use of the capacity of the network. This will enable more frequent connections, earlier ticket booking, and more. While the current rules on capacity management do not favour the cross-border traffic, hindering the functioning of the single market through delays caused by uncoordinated maintenance work, the proposed green freight measures would strengthen the EU single market and allow it to keep growing.

Additionally, the proposal puts forward new incentives for the use of low-emission lorries as over 50% of freight is carried out by road and contributes enormously to greenhouse gas emissions. The proposal addresses rules around the weight of the transport vehicles. Once lighter zero-emission propulsion systems are made available, they will enable vehicles to benefit from additional loading payload. This, paired with a better use of aerodynamic cabins and other energy saving devices, will guarantee the safety and the efficiency of zero-emission powertrains. In other words, trains and lorries will be able to carry out heavier loads, which will ensure fewer trips for the same amount of cargo. Moreover, it will encourage the use of intermodal transport as extra weight and height will facilitate the transport of high-cube containers by standard vehicles.

Going forward, this week’s proposed measures by the EU Commission will now be further discussed and considered by the European Parliament and Council in the regular legislative procedures.