Mobility and transport

Between 6–9 June 2024, millions of Europeans will help shape the future of European democracy by taking part in the European elections. This is a special moment for EU citizens, who get to collectively decide on the future of the European Union. Don’t forget to use your vote!

Connecting Europe Days took place in Brussels from 2 to 5 April at different venues, including an airport, port, and a museum. Participants from 82 countries participated in over 50 sessions on topics related to safe, sustainable, competitive, and inclusive transport, that is fit for tomorrow.

Secure your spot now at the Transport Cybersecurity Conference in Brussels! Organised in collaboration with DG CNECT and key EU transport and cybersecurity stakeholders, the conference will provide a platform for European transport and cybersecurity actors to meet, share valuable insights, and exchange best practices and ideas.

The agenda for the 2019-2024 mandate was set by the adoption of the European Green Deal in 2019. It tasked the EU with cutting transport emissions by 90% by 2050. The focus was not only on sustainability, but also on digital technologies for greater efficiency, safety and convenience; on solidarity with Ukraine; on support to the EU’s transport sector as it recovered from COVID-19; and on conditions for Europe’s travelling public and transport workers. Check the Commission’s work to create a sustainable, smart, safe and resilient transport network!

The EU has taken another important step in reducing transport emissions by adopting the European Declaration on Cycling. In the margins of the Informal Transport European Council, Adina Vălean, Commissioner for Transport, signed the declaration together with Karima Delli, Chair of the Transport Committee of the European Parliament, and Georges Gilkinet, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) came into force on 13 April 2024, supporting the transition to more sustainable transport by setting obligatory targets for recharging and refuelling transport infrastructure. It is a step towards seamless zero-emission passenger and freight road transport, dismantling trade barriers, and creating economies of scale for manufacturers and infrastructure operators. A new Commission document answers questions on the operation of recharging infrastructure.

As part of the activities linked to the 10th anniversary of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Programme, CINEA has launched a new interactive webpage to showcase its contribution to greening and decarbonising the transport sector. CEF is a key EU funding instrument for delivering the European Green Deal and an important enabler for the Union’s decarbonisation objectives for 2030 and 2050.

The European Commission has adopted a set of measures to address the unique safety challenges of new emerging air mobility concepts and services and ensure that their operations are as safe as those in manned aviation. The package targets two emerging areas in aviation: manned aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing, as well as higher-risk unmanned drone operations. The aim is to unify and streamline the regulatory landscape across Member States, improving oversight and operational safety standards.

The European Commission Expert Group on Urban Mobility (EGUM) has made recommendations to the European Commission on ‘urban vehicle access regulations (UVARs)’. The recommendations entail best practices and possible actions from stakeholders on operating more seamless UVARs from a personal mobility and freight dimension. They cover improved information for road-users, non-resident stakeholder methodologies, demonstrations of user-friendly compliance and enforcement practices, and continued dialogue within urban mobility forums.

For two decades, the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) has been at the forefront of transforming Europe's railway landscape. With a team of 200 dedicated professionals representing 23 nationalities, ERA has been instrumental in advancing the vision of a sustainable and safe railway system without borders.

The EU Road Safety Conference on 16 April 2024 was an opportunity to engage with EU Member State authorities and all stakeholders on the progress being made with implementing the Safe System approach and with achieving the goal of halving road deaths by 2030.

20 years ago, our European family grew bigger. On 1 May 2004, the citizens of Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia became citizens of the EU. Overnight, our Union became a greater political, economic and cultural entity, stretching from Tallinn to Lisbon, from Valletta to Stockholm, from Dublin to Nicosia. Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia’s accession a few years later has made our Union even stronger.

In the face of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU, together with Ukraine and Moldova launched the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes in May 2022, establishing new transport routes to keep Ukraine’s imports and exports flowing via rail, road and inland waterways. Today, the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes have become a lifeline for Ukraine’s economy.

The European Commission has announced the selection of 42 new projects deploying alternative fuels infrastructure that will receive over €424 million in EU support. The projects will aid the installation of electric recharging points and hydrogen refuelling stations, as well as the electrification of airports, taking Europe closer to its Green Deal goals. Financing will come from the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) of the Connecting Europe Facility.

This year EU Open Day in Brussels will be held on Saturday 4th May. With the European Elections (6-9 June) around the corner, join a vibrant array of events and activities held in Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, and across the EU Member States. Use this opportunity to better understand how the European Union shapes our daily life and how you can contribute to it!

The European Commission, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, EUROCONTROL, SESAR Deployment Manager and SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking are jointly organising the world’s first trajectory-based operations (TBO) symposium. The aim of the event is to showcase TBO’s benefits, and the progress being made towards realising the global TBO concept.

This conference organised by the EU Agency for Railways aims at providing practical examples of how Human and Organisational Factors (HOF) is integrated daily within risk management. HOF are at the heart of safety operations and management and play a key role in both operational safety and occupational safety. You can also submit a proposal to share your good practice at the conference – deadline: 15 May 2024.

In Europe, women only account for around 20% of the railway sector workforce. Against this background, several stakeholders from the rail sector have united for the next edition of the Women in Rail Award. The award, divided into three categories, promotes fairness, diversity, and equality, and celebrates outstanding and inspiring women and their achievements in the rail sector. Apply before 31 May and join the award ceremony in September!

The European Road Safety Charter, the largest civil platform dedicated to road safety and led by the European Commission, opened applications for the 2024 Excellence in Road Safety Awards. These awards celebrate the outstanding contributions made by organisations, authorities, and companies within the European Road Safety Charter community towards fostering safer roads across Europe.

The corporate fleet markets for light and heavy-duty vehicles have a high yearly mileage and rapid vehicle turnover. They may therefore be well-suited to accelerating the move towards zero-emission mobility. Due to the broad role played by corporate vehicles across a spectrum of economic activities, the consultation aims to collect feedback from a spectrum of diverse stakeholders, considering the impacts an initiative in this field could have on all of them, as well as on society more broadly.