EU | Brussels

EU industry leaders and legislators unite on future of road transport

22 Oct 2024 · People, Prosperity, Environment

Road transport leaders from across the EU and members of the new European Parliament came together last week for a dinner debate on the sector’s top priorities for this legislative term.

IRU’s Manifesto Dinner Debate, held at the European Parliament in Brussels, featured 32 speakers alongside 250 key figures from across the sector and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Eleven MEPs from four political groups and 21 industry leaders had an insightful exchange on the future of EU road transport.

At the heart of the evening was the IRU EU Manifesto, which sets policy actions for the 2024-2029 legislative term. It tackles the industry's most pressing challenges – from driver shortages to decarbonisation and in-vehicle data – to ensure that road transport can continue to deliver for the EU’s economies and communities.

IRU’s President and EU Director as well as two MEPs who hosted the event kicked off the debate with opening statements.

IRU President Radu Dinescu said, “Today is an important day for road transport and the EU. Our manifesto outlines how MEPs can support our industry to better serve the EU. I look forward to building on our long-standing relationship with EU institutions.”

IRU EU Director Raluca Marian said, “We are here today to debate the future of one of the EU’s most critical sectors: road transport. Now more than ever, we need empowerment from policymakers to sustain the EU economy while advancing the transition to a greener future.”

Vice-President of the European Parliament Roberts Zile said, “We believe in cutting red tape. We need to ease and harmonise procedures in the EU”.

Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi said, “We look forward to working with IRU and the industry to increase driver recruitment and improve the resilience of the sector, achieve our crucial climate targets, and continue advancing digitalisation.”

After these opening remarks, the discussions followed the structure of the IRU EU Manifesto: people, environment and prosperity.

People

With driver shortages projected to continue worsening, this session explored solutions to improve access to the profession, particularly for younger generations and women.

Member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism Jan-Christoph Oetjen, who also hosted the event, said, “Addressing driver shortages is crucial to ensuring competitiveness, the well-being of the EU economy, and all the jobs that come with it.”

Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs Elena Donazzan said, “Training is the backbone of any technical profession like road transport. We need to improve the current legislation to update and digitalise driver training rules and curricula to ensure road safety.”

Co-treasurer, Member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism Kosma Złotowski said, “I fully recognise the difficulties transport operators and drivers experience across Europe. It is essential for industry and policymakers to collaborate closely in addressing these issues and improving conditions for everyone in the sector.”

Member of the Committee on Regional Development Andrey Novakov said, “It does not matter the base or political parties we are from; transport is essential to all of us. Supporting opportunities for young people to train and join the sector is crucial.”

Other interventions on how to enhance training and improve drivers’ working conditions were made by Paul Jackman (IRU member IRHA), Luc Peeters (Ninatrans, transport company), Elisabeth Post (IRU member Transport en Logistiek Nederland) and Vincenzo Loria (IRU member TN Torello).

Environment

The debate then shifted to the environmental challenges facing the sector, particularly how to balance sustainability with economic growth.

The need for more realistic CO₂ standards for heavy-duty vehicles and the development of a robust EU-wide charging infrastructure for zero-emission transport were also central themes.

Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Ana Vasconcelos said, “There is a long road ahead for the decarbonisation of road transport. The European Parliament must keep listening to the sector to enable a successful transition.”

Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy Ondrej Krutilek said, “We need competition between different powertrains and different technologies. The revision of the CO₂ standards should come earlier to determine the most realistic decarbonisation path.”

Other speakers who engaged in the decarbonisation debate included Chris Vanhoegaerden (IRU member UPS), Benny Smets (Ninatrans, transport company), Nathalie Poissionier (IRU member FBAA), Elise Ekström (IRU member The Swedish Confederation of Transport Enterprises) and Michael Nielsen (IRU member Dansk PersonTransport).

Prosperity

The final session focused on the need to embrace digital technologies to drive efficiency in road transport.

The speakers were IRU Vice-President and President of the Passenger Transport Council Patrick Westelinck, Joanna Popiolek (IRU member ZMPD), Adrian-George Axinia (MEP, Romania), Torsten Laksafoss Holbek (Nordic Logistics Association), Asger Christensen (MEP, Denmark), Andreas Zink (IRU member LKW Walter) and Daniel Attard (MEP, Malta). As this important section was cut short due to a technical issue at the Parliament, IRU will publish a separate article with the speakers’ interventions.

Raluca Marian concluded the evening with a simple remark, “Now, the work begins.”

The road transport sector’s calls for the 2024-2029 parliamentary term are laid out in the IRU EU Manifesto.