[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The subject of gigaliners, the giant trucks about which so much has been written in recent months (for or against their crossborder circulation) still sparks impassioned debate, as seen once again in the European Parliament, on 5 September. In the Committee on Transport (TRAN), on 5...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Global efforts to battle trade protectionism need to be reinforced to help shield the fragile economic recovery across the world. In a report released today, the European Commission identified about 150 new trade restrictions introduced over the last year, whereas only 18 existing measures have...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The member states agreed, on 15 July, their negotiating position on the Union’s 2014 budget with the European Parliament. The Council’s figures are €141.7 billion in commitments (legal ceilings to spend money) and €134.8 billion in payments (money EU actually expects to pay). This initial...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The EU yesterday launched a challenge to Russia’s so-called “recycling fee” on vehicles by requesting consultations in the World Trade Organisation. The EU has repeatedly raised the issue of the fee in bilateral talks with Moscow but this has not brought any concrete solution. This leaves...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As part of its three-year Sustainable Urban Mobility campaign "Do The Right Mix", the European Commission has today released the names of another 18 campaigner-led actions to be awarded funding. Each action will receive up to EUR 7000, which can be used to strengthen activities...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Parliament endorsed the outcome of its negotiations with the Council on the EU's long-run budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2014-2020 on Wednesday Negotiations had led to an outcome on 19 June that Parliament deemed insufficient, but they resumed last week in the run-up to...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]EU Transport Commissioner, Siim Kallas, welcomes today's vote in the European Parliament to endorse proposals for tougher vehicle testing rules to save lives, including for motorcycles. More than 5 people die on Europe's roads every day in accidents linked to technical failure of vehicles. The proposed...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On Monday 1 July Croatia becomes the 28th Member State of the European Union. Croatia's accession marks another milestone in the construction of a united Europe. It also provides fresh evidence of the transformative power of the European Union: torn by conflict only two decades...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The Irish EU presidency yesterday (25 June) reached an agreement in principle with the European Parliament and the Commission to ring-fence €70.2 billion for the research budget from 2014-2020, resolving a number of squabbles over the so-called Horizon 2020 programme. The broad agreement, reached after nine...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The new regulation will govern the means by which car manufacturers are allowed to meet the year 2020 target for CO2 emissions (95g/CO2/Km). These modalities of implementation impact on how the target is to be achieved, such as adapting vehicle specifications and altering incentives so...