IRU is calling for the inclusion of road-only transport, representing almost half of EU transport, on an equal basis with rail and inland waterway transport in new EU state aid exemptions to promote decarbonisation.
The European Commission has proposed a Council Regulation enabling the Commission to exempt the need for prior notification under EU state aid rules of certain types of aid for rail, inland waterways and multimodal transport.
IRU EU Advocacy Director Raluca Marian said, “We welcome the Commission's proposal to make state aid procedures easier when it comes to decarbonising transport, and that multimodal, including intermodal, transport is included. However, it is wrong to exclude road-only modes of transport from subsidies that are designed to support the green transition of the whole transport sector.
“Decarbonisation without investing in road-only transport is futile, considering that road-only transport accounts for more than 45% of EU transport. All modes of transport need incentives if the EU is to achieve its Green Deal objectives,” she concluded.
The Commission says that such state aid facilitation would not cause competitive distortions. But the opposite is true. Excluding road-only transport will merely create competitive disadvantages among operators, as some may be involved in multimodal operations while others are not. It is also unclear how participation in multimodal transportation will be evaluated and how the legislation will be enforced.
IRU will actively follow negotiation progress with the Council concerning the Commission’s proposal.