European Commission completes ambitious agenda for mobility modernisation

The European Commission has revealed the third and final measures in delivering clean, safe and connected mobility across the continent.

In his State of the Union address on September 2017, President of European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, set the EU and its industries a goal to become a world leader in innovation, digitisation and decarbonisation. In May and November 2017, ‘Europe on the Move’ measures were put forward. 

Vice-President responsible for Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič, said: “Mobility is crossing a new technological frontier. With this final set of proposals under the Energy Union, we help our industry stay ahead of the curve. By producing key technological solutions at scale, including sustainable batteries and deploying key infrastructure, we will also get closer to a triple zero: emissions, congestion and accidents.”

The objective is to allow all Europeans to benefit from safer traffic, less polluting vehicles and more advanced technological solutions, while supporting the competitiveness of the EU industry.

Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, said: “All sectors must contribute to meet our climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. That’s why, for the first time ever, we are proposing EU standards to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles. These standards represent an opportunity for European industry to consolidate its current leadership position on innovative technologies.”

The newest initiatives include an integrated policy for the future of road safety with measures for vehicles and infrastructure safety, the first ever CO₂ standards for heavy-duty vehicles, a strategic Action Plan for the development and manufacturing of batteries in Europe and a forward-looking strategy on connected and automated mobility. 

Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc said: “Over the past year, this Commission has put forward initiatives addressing the challenges of today and paving the way for the mobility of tomorrow. Today’s measures constitute a final and important push so that Europeans can benefit from safe, clean and smart transport. I am inviting the Member States and the Parliament to live up to our level of ambition.”

With these new initiatives, the Commission aims to ensure a smooth transition towards a mobility system which is safe, clean, connected and automated. Through these measures, the Commission is also shaping an environment allowing EU companies to manufacture the best, cleanest and most competitive products.

Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, said: “Ninety per cent of road accidents are due to human error. The new mandatory safety features we propose today will reduce the number of accidents and pave the way for a driverless future of connected and automated driving.”