Positions 19 May 2021

Decarbonisation of EU transport requires fair and transparent intermodal conditions

For more than two decades, internalisation of external costs has been high on the agenda of European transport and environment policy but so far little progress has been achieved. Most recently re-confirmed in the EU Mobility Strategy, the “polluter-pays” and “user-pays” principles should be reflected in transport policy measures for all modes, including through carbon pricing and infrastructure charging mechanisms. Overall there are numerous good reasons to use revenues from smart and green pricing measures to help finance Europe’s economic recovery after COVID-19.

CER, ERFA and UIRR call on the European Commission to pursue a comprehensive and ambitious approach to internalisation of external costs in 2021 when it comes to the political negotiations on the revision of the Eurovignette Directive and upcoming legislative proposals on the “Fit for 55 Package”.

In this joint position paper, the European rail freight and intermodal rail community outlines concrete messages to deliver the EU’s modal shift objectives introduced under the European Commission’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy.