News
Vice-President Kallas sends condolences to Italian transport minister
29/07/2013
Egregio Ministro,
Con grande sgomento e tristezza sono stato informato del tragico incidente, che ha coinvolto un autobus carico di passeggeri nella tarda serata di ieri nei pressi di Avellino.
Lo sgomento e' ancora più grande nell'apprendere che alcune delle vittime sono bambini.
Il mio pensiero va alle vittime della tragedia ed ai loro familiari. Desidero esprimere, a nome della Commissione Europea, il mio più profondo cordoglio alle famiglie e agli amici delle vittime.
Voglia gradire la manifestazione del mio profondo rispetto.
Siim Kallas
Letter sent to Mr LUPI 
[38 KB]
Vice-President Kallas sends condolences to Spanish Minister
25/07/2013
Estimada Sra. Ministra,
Recibo con profunda tristeza la noticia del trágico accidente ferroviario acontecido en la tarde de ayer en las inmediaciones de Santiago de Compostela.
Deseo presentarle mis más sinceras condolencias y nuestro más sentido pésame para los familiares de las víctimas del accidente.
La Comisión Europea y la Agencia Ferroviaria Europea seguirán con toda atención la investigación del accidente que conducirán las autoridades españolas.
Le ruego acepte, Sra. Ministra, la expresión de mi más alta consideración.
Siim Kallas
Letter sent to Ms PASTOR JULIÁN [39 KB]
European Commission invests €600 million in new research to unblock congestion in Europe's airspace
10/07/2013
The European Commission has today announced €600 million of new funding to unblock congestion in Europe's airspace. The Commission is looking to head off a capacity crunch as the number of flights is forecast to increase by 50% over the next 10-20 years. The goal is to develop the new technology needed to deliver Europe's Single Sky – the ambitious project to reform Europe's airspace, doubling capacity and halving air traffic management costs.
Aviation safety: Commission updates the European safety list of banned airlines
10/07/2013
The European Commission has updated today for the 21st time the European list of airlines subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union, better known as "the EU air safety list". Following improvements in the safety situation in the Philippines, Philippine Airlines is the first airline from this country allowed back into European skies since 2010. The same is true for the Venezuelan airline Conviasa, which was banned in 2012. Progress was also noted in Libya but the Libyan authorities agreed that Libyan airlines would not be allowed to operate in Europe until they are fully recertified to the satisfaction of the European Union.
Blue Belt: Commission eases customs formalities for ships
08/07/2013
The Commission has today set out plans to ease custom formalities for ships – reducing red tape, cutting delays in ports and making the sector more competitive. Today, freight forwarders and exporters complain that if they chose to send goods across Europe by short sea shipping, the heavy administrative burden at ports causes additional costs and significant delays - ships can wait for hours and sometimes days in ports for customs clearance. These make the maritime sector less attractive compared to other forms of transport, especially road, unnecessarily bringing more trucks on our already congested roads. With today's new Commission proposals, shipping transport will face less administrative hurdles and therefore be able to be used to its full potential in the EU internal market and beyond.
Commission welcomes agreement on Connecting Europe Facility
05/07/2013
Siim Kallas, Commission Vice-President responsible for transport, welcomes the agreement reached on 27 June between the Commission, the Council and the Parliament on the Connecting Europe Facility, a key proposal for achieving the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the most innovative element of the next multiannual financial framework. This Facility will help to build the railways, inland waterways, ports, electricity grids and gas pipelines. It will also contribute to the Digital Single Market that is so important to our citizens and businesses. The financial envelope for the implementation of the Connecting Europe Facility for the period 2014 to 2020 has indicatively been agreed to be EUR 29 299 million including EUR 10 000 million that will be transferred from the Cohesion Fund.
