Future of mobility
Outgoing EU parliament transport chair Karima Delli talks trains, planes and automobiles
Est. 5minSet to bid farewell to the European Parliament after three successive terms, French Green MEP and chair of the Transport Committee Karima Delli told Euractiv that the biggest achievement of her time there is bringing transport high on the agenda.
Rolling out EV charging points – learning from Germany
Est. 5minAs the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) surges across Europe, attention is being drawn to the readiness of multifamily buildings and the persistent challenges consumers face in installing EV charging within them to accommodate this shift. This raises questions about the significance of EU legislation, particularly the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), in addressing this issue – as well as considerations regarding its implementation across the continent.
EU Parliament endorses new bloc-wide Disability Card
Est. 4minEU lawmakers agreed on Thursday (11 January) on their position for the first EU-wide Disability Card that aims to guarantee a minimum standard of support for persons with disabilities across Europe.
French city is latest in Europe to make public transport free
Est. 2minThe French city of Montpellier on Thursday (21 December) became the latest European metropolis to allow all its residents to ride public transport for free.
What previous failures tell us about Europe’s green steel ambitions
Est. 5minWhile Europe has neither the cash bazooka of the United States Inflation Reduction Act, nor the state capitalism of China, the automotive industry can be the lead market to boost Europe’s green steel plans, writes Julia Poliscanova of Transport & Environment.
The Brief – Car Wars: The EPP strikes back
Est. 6minCities across Europe are increasingly challenging the dominance of automobiles by restricting their access to urban centres. But as a recent campaign decrying automotive bans by the centre-right EPP group shows, the issue risks descending into a left-vs-right culture war …
How the Innovation Fund can supercharge our critical minerals aspirations
Est. 5minA beefed up Innovation Fund that has a clear focus on metals processing and gets European know-how off the ground is needed to ensure Europe's place in the glocal critical minerals race, writes Julia Poliscanova.
Improving air quality is also a regional task
Est. 5minTo protect the health of EU citizens, the European Commission has proposed new limits for air pollutants. To improve air quality, a lot can and should be done on a regional level too, writes Winfried Hermann, transport minister of Baden-Württemberg.
Stakeholders divided on fairness, practicality of Parisian e-scooter ban
Est. 5minAs the Parisian ban on self-service scooters enters into force on 1 September, the city hall calls the move revolutionary amid an urban jungle, while stakeholders remain divided on the pros and cons.
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.
Lack of EU-made batteries could delay end of fossil fuel cars: Report
Est. 5minThe EU is at risk of long-term dependence on outside nations for batteries, slowing the switch to zero-emission vehicles and extinguishing the bloc’s ambition to become a global battery powerhouse, a new European Court of Auditors report has found.
Playing politics with e-mobility transition puts our economies at risk
Est. 6minEU regulations to cut vehicles' carbon emissions have proven controversial across the Visegrad nations. But the critical narrative put forward by some parties overlooks the economic potential in the automotive transition, write Patrik Krizansky and Aleksander Rajch.
‘Choose France’: record-high €13bn pledged at Macron’s flagship investment conference
Est. 3minMore than 200 chief executives from across the world attended France's flagship investment conference "Choose France" in the Versailles Palace on Monday (15 May), as France yet again ranks as the top EU destination for Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs).
The Brief — Is perfect the enemy of feasible?
Est. 6minAs exemplified in the debate about banning internal combustion engines, many experts still hope for an “efficient” way to reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector. But for ambitious climate targets to be realistic, we will have to live with somewhat messy, imperfect solutions.
EU drafts plan to allow e-fuel combustion engine cars – document
Est. 3minThe European Commission has drafted a plan allowing sales of new cars with internal combustion engines that run only on climate neutral e-fuels, in an attempt to resolve a spat with Germany over the EU's phasing out of combustion engine cars from 2035.
Rail giants clash with ticketing platforms ahead of new EU travel law
Est. 5minAs the EU prepares to table legislation to make it simpler to book long-distance journeys across the bloc, a fierce debate has broken out between rail companies and independent booking platforms over the provision of data.
EU Parliament gives green light to combustion engine ban from 2035
Est. 4minEU lawmakers in the European Parliament narrowly voted in favour of phasing out internal combustion vehicles in passenger transport from 2035, ensuring the political compromise from October 2022 is now a legal reality.
Europe’s car industry must look to the future, not the past
Est. 6minMost European car makers have already declared that they will go full electric by 2035, some of them sooner. The EU’s task is to ready for this transformation, writes Frans Timmermans.
Regions eye energy supplier role in switch to clean planes
Est. 4minThe lower barriers to electricity production compared to oil refining may see local and regional authorities partly take over from major energy companies in refuelling zero-emission aircraft in years to come, according to the Airport Regions Council (ARC).
E-scooter parking controversy part of ‘learning curve’, says Bolt
Est. 9minAs the number of shared vehicles has increased, so too has scrutiny from regulators and citizens alike. EURACTIV spoke with Welmoed Neijmeijer of Bolt about changing transport habits, finding a place for shared vehicles in cities, and safety concerns.
Spanish PM: Ukraine war no excuse to postpone sustainable transformation
Est. 5minThe dual crises of the war in Ukraine and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic "should not delay" Europe's transformation to sustainable mobility, Spanish leader Pedro Sánchez has said.
Renault gambles on the end of car ownership in cities
Est. 5minFrench carmaker Renault is shifting part of its business model away from selling cars towards offering individual journeys without ownership, a move company chiefs say reflects evolving customer demand.
Spain aims to become world leader in sustainable mobility
Est. 4minSpanish Transport Minister Raquel Sánchez Jiménez has repeated her commitment to turn Spain into a reference point for innovative sustainable mobility, pledging to invest heavily to help position the country as an international leader.
“The energy transition will not happen without a transport transition”
Est. 6minREN21, as the only global renewable energy community of actors from science, governments, NGOs and industry, is at the heart of enabling the transport transition. Its Executive Director, Rana Adib, shares her perspective on mobility, renewable energy, and how both are inter-related to effect deep, positive change.