New EU Transport Commissioner Pledges Commitment to Sustainable Mobility and Digital Transformation

In the European Parliament's confirmation hearing, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the recently appointed EU Transport Commissioner, shared insights into his vision for the future of the EU’s transport sector. Key focus areas include sustainable mobility and tourism, infrastructure development, and the digitalization of transport systems.

Tzitzikostas expressed a commitment to creating an ambitious European high-speed rail network to connect EU capitals, including the night trains integration and the rail freight operations acceleration. He also mentioned the necessity of enhancing rail safety through the deployment of ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System).

The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) has long advocated for improvements in high-speed rail, underscoring its significance as a gap covered in former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s High-Level Report on the Future of the Single Market. The report pointed out that the Smart and Sustainable Mobility strategy aims to double high-speed rail traffic by 2030 and triple it by 2050. CER is eager to learn how the Commission plans to engage all necessary stakeholders, including political, operational, and financial partners, to meet these ambitious targets.

Commitment to Digitalization and Gender Balance

During the hearing, Tzitzikostas drew attention to his focus on a transport system that promotes competitiveness for businesses and connectivity for citizens, while also respecting climate commitments. He stated, "This goal can only be achieved through continued efforts to successfully achieve the twin green and digital transitions of the sector." The Commissioner-designate acknowledged that digitalization is critical for modernizing the transport system and stressed the importance of breakthrough innovations.

To achieve meaningful reductions in #EUtransport emissions, it is essential that the EU regulatory framework supports a level playing field between transport modes🤝@tzitzikostas

Energy taxation, VAT, social dumping, #megatrucks...

Policy proposals:
➡️//t.co/rPfQbUkT5X pic.twitter.com/NP7L6ThJNA

— CER🚆 #OnTrackForEurope (@CER_railways) November 4, 2024

The deployment of digital enablers like ERTMS, Digital Capacity Management (DCM), and Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) will play transformative roles in optimizing rail freight operations. For instance, DCM can increase rail capacity at only 5% of the cost of new infrastructure construction.

In its press release, CER also praised Tzitzikostas for his commitment to improving gender balance within the transport sector, aligning with the objectives of the CER Women in Rail Autonomous Agreement signed in 2021.

Sustainable Transport Investments and Future Collaboration

Tzitzikostas also expressed his intention to develop a Sustainable Transport Investment Plan to scale-up and prioritize investments in decarbonization solutions for the transport sector. He said, "I will work to increase investment and deployment of rail infrastructure and high-speed rail services." According to him, to leverage their potential as the backbone of sustainable mobility and net-zero logistics in Europe, the rail sector requires fair, long-term financing.

The European Rail Community aims to achieve seamless cross-border rail ticketing by 2025, focusing on the Open Sales and Distribution Model (OSDM) implementation and the CIT Agreement on Journey Continuation expansion. In response to Tzitzikostas’s priorities, CER Executive Director Alberto Mazzola expressed strong support, stating, "European railways stand ready to work with and support the Commissioner designated in achieving these ambitious and necessary priorities." Mazzola pointed out the focus on increasing modal shifts towards sustainable mobility, accelerating the rollout of trans-European infrastructure, and optimizing digital tools for inter-connected networks. He emphasized that these ambitions align perfectly with the CER Manifesto On Track for Europe.

CER Manifesto: Key Points

As RAILTARGET previously informed, the CER Manifesto advocates for placing rail at the center of all policy tools aimed at these goals. The manifesto identifies four fundamental pillars to guide future policy actions: fair competition between modes, which seeks to address regulatory imbalances affecting railways; adequate financing of railways, highlighting the need for a larger EU transport budget to meet infrastructure investment demands; deployment of digital enablers, such as ERTMS and DAC, to enhance operational efficiency; and a greener approach to market policies, ensuring climate and environmental considerations inform competition policy. CER calls for increased support for rail projects on the TEN-T network and urges Member States to prioritize these initiatives.

Apostolos Tzitzikostas: Background and Priorities

Often referred to as Tzitzi, Apostolos Tzitzikostas is the newly appointed EU Commissioner for Transport and Tourism. He began his political career in 2007 and has held various positions, including regional councilor and deputy governor. Tzitzikostas’s appointment has elicited mixed reactions regarding his capabilities in this significant role. His mission includes aligning the transport sector with the Green Deal, reducing bureaucratic burdens for businesses, and completing the TEN-T core network corridors by 2030. He is tasked with accelerating the development of high-speed rail, freight rail, and unified ticketing systems while addressing transport safety and transport systems digitization.

Source: CER; RAILTARGET