Freight
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Europe-Baltic states high-speed rail link moves one step closer
Est. 3minEuropean Commission and Baltic countries' representatives gathered in Tallinn on Wednesday (29 May) to lay the foundation stone for the Ülemiste passenger terminal, a key part of the 'Rail Baltica' project that aims to connect Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with the European network via high-speed rail.
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EU Parliament adopts 90% phase-out of new diesel trucks by 2040
Est. 4minAverage emissions of new trucks will have to be reduced by 90% by 2040, compared to 2019, the European Parliament decided on Wednesday (10 April), adopting a law that will drastically reduce the number of new diesel trucks.
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Carbon pricing crucial to deliver on greening transport, Volvo boss says
Est. 4minThe implementation of the EU’s carbon pricing scheme for road transport is crucial to drive the business case for electric and hydrogen trucks, Martin Lundstedt, CEO of the Volvo Group, told Euractiv in an interview.
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EU Parliament set to vote on truck CO2 emissions after green light from committee
Est. 5minThe European Parliament’s environment committee has greenlit a new law to drastically reduce the number of newly sold diesel trucks in Europe, after a deal with Germany was struck between EU ambassadors last Friday (9 February).
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Deal reached to boost number of zero-emission trucks and buses on EU roads
Est. 5minEU countries and the European Parliament reached an agreement on Thursday (18 January) on new rules tightening CO2 limits on heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), paving the way for a significant increase in the number of clean trucks and buses across the bloc.
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Will longer trucks harm Europe’s rail freight push?
Est. 5minThe road freight industry has challenged a study put forward by the rail sector which found that permitting heavier and longer trucks on EU roads will decrease the percentage of goods moved by trains, increasing emissions and raising societal costs.
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Truck drivers, farmers protest in Romania, block border with Ukraine
Est. 3minRomanian truck drivers and farmers on Sunday (14 January) slowed traffic around several cities, including the capital Bucharest, voicing a string of grievances from high tax rates to slow compensation payouts.
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Lawmakers narrowly back mandatory medical checks for EU driving licences
Est. 5minBy a single vote, the European Parliament’s transport committee agreed its position on the EU driving licence directive update on Thursday (7 December), supporting controversial provisions that would make medical checks obligatory to obtain a new licence.
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Safety groups urge ministers not to allow teenagers to drive trucks
Est. 4minSafety campaigners have written to EU ministers urging them to reject moves to lower the age at which young people can begin training to drive a heavy-duty vehicle, arguing it could lead to higher numbers of serious road accidents.
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EU Parliament support for renewable fuel-powered trucks prompts controversy
Est. 5minGreen campaigners have condemned the European Parliament’s proposed provisions for trucks running solely on renewable fuels, though the fuels industry insists the move is in line with Europe’s climate goals.
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EU Parliament agrees stance on reducing truck CO2 emissions
Est. 5minThe European Parliament finalised its position on CO2 emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles on Tuesday, agreeing to slash the carbon footprint of new trucks whilst controversially permitting a new class of vehicles that run exclusively on renewable fuels.
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Shipowners challenge green fuels’ inclusion in truck CO2 standards
Est. 5minScarce e-fuels and sustainable biofuels should be reserved for hard-to-decarbonise transport modes such as shipping, rather than going to trucks and buses where electrification is a viable option, shipowners argue.
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EU lawmakers agree on proposal to boost uptake of clean trucks and buses
Est. 5minThe European Parliament’s Environment Committee voted Tuesday (24 October) to support Commission targets to reduce the carbon footprint of heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), making it a near certainty that clean trucks will make up the majority of new HDVs post-2040.
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Global companies push EU Parliament to favour zero-emission trucks
Est. 5minFour major companies have called on EU lawmakers to adopt ambitious CO2 standards that will boost the production of zero tailpipe emission trucks, urging them to reject renewable fuels to decarbonise heavy-duty vehicles.
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After fraught discussions, EU countries reach deal on truck CO2 standards
Est. 5minEU countries reached a common negotiating position on draft rules to reduce the carbon footprint of heavy-duty vehicles on Monday (16 October), following a long evening of contentious discussions.
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Italy leads charge to allow more diesel trucks under new CO2 targets
Est. 5minAhead of a meeting of EU environment ministers on Monday (16 October), an Italian-led coalition of nations has formed to push for synthetic fuels and biofuels to be counted towards heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) carbon standards – a move welcomed by …
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Truck manufacturing job losses will be absorbed by energy sector, finds study
Est. 5minWhile heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers will shed thousands of workers in the shift to zero-emission offerings, these job losses will be more than compensated through new positions in the growing energy and infrastructure sectors, a new study has found.
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Motorway investments outweighed rail by 66% in twenty years: study
Est. 5minEuropean countries allocated around two thirds more money to roads than railways between 1995 and 2018, a period which saw the construction of an extra 30,000 km of motorways and a contraction of the rail network by over 15,000 km, according to a new study.
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EU transport policy to continue green trajectory post-Fit for 55
Est. 8minAs the "Fit for 55" legislative package fades from the spotlight, EURACTIV explores what’s next for EU transport policy in 2023.
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EU Commission tables new measures to make freight transport greener
Est. 5minThe European Commission unveiled a package of laws on Tuesday (11 July) aimed at slashing the carbon footprint of the freight sector, cutting red tape in the transport of goods across borders, and cracking down on greenwashing.
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Expect a second battle on the combustion engine, EU lawmaker says
Est. 6minCentre-right lawmaker Jens Gieseke (EPP) said he regrets the ban on the sale of new fossil-fuelled cars by 2035 and would fight for a “technology open” approach for a similar regulation for trucks and buses.
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Transport MEPs vote to cut rail waiting times along key EU routes
Est. 5minLawmakers in the European Parliament's transport committee adopted their position on a review of the core EU transport network Thursday (13 April), seeking to cut border-crossing times, boost green travel modes, and expand links with Ukraine and Moldova.
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Iveco CEO says Euro 7 vehicle emissions regulation is ‘plain stupid’
Est. 3minThe CEO of Italian truck and bus maker Iveco has condemned as "plain stupid" the Euro 7 standards which tighten vehicle emission limits for pollutants including nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide in the European Union from 2025.
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Stricter EU truck rules will drive investment in combustion engine, warns Volvo
Est. 5minEU rules setting stricter pollution standards for trucks will pull resources from the production of zero-emission vehicles, slowing the shift to electrification, the vice president of Volvo group has said.