Statement by Commissioner Vălean on the final adoption of the Mobility Package I by the European Parliament - Main contents

The social improvements of the Mobility Package I are significant, and to this end, I welcome the Parliament's vote.

The Commission regrets that the new set of rules includes elements that are possibly not in line with the European Green Deal's ambitions and the European Council endorsement of the objective of achieving a climate-neutral EU by 2050.

These are the compulsory return of the vehicle to the Member State of establishment every eight weeks and the restrictions imposed on combined transport operations. These measures were not part of the Commission's proposals adopted on 31 May 2017 and have not been the subject of an impact assessment. The obligation of return of the truck may lead to inefficiencies in the transport system and an increase in unnecessary emissions, pollution, and congestion, while the restrictions on combined transport could diminish its effectiveness to support multimodal freight operations.

We are currently assessing the expected impact of these two aspects on the climate, the environment, and the functioning of the Single Market, and we are gathering all the necessary information.

I encourage the road transport sector and the national authorities to support this work by providing relevant data for the assessment.

We will have the conclusions of the studies ready before the end of this year. The Commission, if necessary, will exercise its right to come forward with a targeted legislative proposal before the two provisions enter into force.