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Logistics in the EU and multimodal transport in the new TEN-T corridors

2015/2348(INI)

The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted an own-initiative report by Inés AYALA SENDER (S&D, ES) on logistics in the EU and multimodal transport in the new TEN-T corridors.

This report aims to formulate the European Parliament’s position and stimulate initiatives to promote the field of freight transport logistics.

Logistics include the services and processes of planning, managing and carrying out the flow of goods and information between the point of origin and the point of destination.

The third goal of the Commission’s White Paper on Transport aims to shift 30 % of road freight over 300 km to more sustainable modes such as rail and waterborne transport by 2030, and more than 50 % by 2050, requiring also the development of appropriate infrastructure.

The report addresses the following key issues:

EU freight logistics strategy: given the key role of logistics in relation to efficient and sustainable freight transport operations in the EU, the Commission should put forward a renewed EU strategy to:

  • take account of the new TEN-T infrastructure policy,
  • further reduce regulatory, operational and technical barriers, designed to ensure optimal use of resources,
  • apply and implement new technologies and innovative solutions that will strengthen the sector’s performance and accelerate the shift towards a secure and low-carbon transport system,
  • increase connectivity and develop infrastructure in areas where it is missing,
  • promote and support the European rail supply industry as well as boosting a European rail reindustrialisation policy, with the win-win perspective of making EU logistics more sustainable and obtaining a better competition position for rail products on the global market,
  • take into account from the outset drones as a future mode of transport,
  • promote continued development of academic research and education in the area transport and logistics,
  • present an independent scientific study detailing: (i) the extent to which road freight could be transferred to rail and inland waterways by 2030 and by 2050, the costs associated with this, and; (ii) the extent to which environmental damage such as noise and air pollution can be avoided.

The report stressed that the implementation of the TEN-T network, with particular emphasis on cross-border connections and within the time-frames laid down and completed by 2030, will reduce bottlenecks, improve interoperability between the various modes of transport and contribute to delivering integrated multimodal freight transport in the EU. It called for increased involvement of multimodal platforms in Member States’ planning and in the further development of routes.

Moreover, Members regretted that Member States’ national infrastructure plans are too often decided without reference to the TEN-T objectives. They considered that an efficient EU logistics system requires further coordination beyond physical connectivity and an operational TEN-T network.

The Commission is called upon to strengthen the sphere of action of the TEN-T European coordinators to look beyond the geographical scope of the corridors under their respective responsibility, and to cover horizontal policy issues such as multi-modality and efficient freight logistics.

Improved simplification and a new framework for digitalisation: the report stressed the urgency of greater simplification of documents and administrative and customs procedures across all modes and across the different stages in logistics chains. The Commission is called upon to:

  • analyse redundant EU legislation on transport and mobility,
  • propose, by the end of 2017, a digital framework for electronic information exchange and transport management in multimodal transport (efreight) with a view to facilitating a simplified, paperless, seamless, transparent, secured and trusted information flow between businesses, customers and authorities, building on established services (such as SafeSeaNet, River Information System, intelligent transportation systems, etc).

Investing in the European Transport System with logistics as a focal point: Members underlined the need to ensure enough EU funding for the implementation of the TEN-T beyond the present MFF. The Commission is expected to:

  • present the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) mid-term review in 2017, proposing a streamlining of measures and resources for the implementation of the priority projects in good time;
  • urge Member States to make the requisite investments in order to finalise the connections of the EU’s core corridors;
  • take fully into consideration automation and its impact in its logistic strategy, ensuring its smooth and efficient integration into the TEN-T, and to support research on, and investment in, the development of these key technology.

Particular focus should be put on TEN-T core network corridors on the coordinated development of projects that promote multi-modality in freight logistics, in particular terminal hubs, logistic platforms and urban nodes.

Urgent and more efficient integration of transport modes: the report insisted on the need to concentrate major efforts on the revitalisation of railways and on the strengthening of inland waterways (IWW) as a priority for the EU’s sustainable transport strategy. It called on the Commission to come forward with specific funding solutions to ease access to European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) funding for European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) deployment in favour of both infrastructure and locomotive installations.

In view of reducing CO2 emissions in general, as well as local pollutant and noise emissions in particular, the Commission is asked to: (i) foster the development of electric modes of transport and the necessary infrastructure along the whole TEN-T network, and, especially in town centres; (ii) foster the development of innovative transport schemes involving, for example, the use of electric vehicles and renewable energy sources, and (iii) the development of alternative fuels and the necessary infrastructure.

Members noted that the digitalisation of services has a role to play in encouraging more environmentally friendly transport solutions. They called on the Commission to facilitate, also through a coherent legislative approach at EU level, the access to and sharing of data concerning traffic flows along the corridors and the use of multimodal transport, especially for SMEs, and to secure greater involvement of local operators and public authorities in this sector.

Better training and job conditions to attract new professionals: the report noted that the working and living conditions of the workforce in the logistic chain have deteriorated substantially in the past years, making this sector less attractive for new generations, in particular for mobile workers.

The Commission and the Member States are called upon to:

  • propose, as a matter of urgency, measures to make the sector more attractive to young people and to future generations;
  • evaluate the possibility of financial investment in dual and vocational training in the transport sector;
  • provide sufficient and safe parking space in the TENT-t corridors to avoid increasing security issues with mobile transport workers;
  • take into consideration Parliament’s recent recommendations on social-economic aspects in the transport sector and on combating unfair practices in the labour market.

Lastly, the Commission is called upon to work with stakeholders to develop an EU-wide framework for multimodal transport and logistics statistical data, including developing new indicators that better reflect real freight trends.