Regulation 2024/1679 - Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network

Official Journal

of the European Union

EN

L series

2024/1679

28.6.2024

The Commission Communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘The European Green Deal’ sets a climate neutrality objective to be achieved by the Union by 2050, as well as a clear objective to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Those objectives are set as a target in Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4).

Transport emissions represent around 25 % of the Union’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and these emissions have increased over recent years. The European Green Deal therefore calls for a 90 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport in order for the Union to become a climate-neutral economy by 2050, while working towards the zero-pollution ambition, as expressed in Commission Communication of 12 May 2021 entitled ‘Pathway to a Healthy Planet for All EU Action Plan: “Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil”’.

The Commission Communication of 9 December 2020 entitled ‘Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy — putting European transport on track for the future’ (‘Commission Communication on Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy’) sets out milestones to show the European transport system’s path towards achieving the objectives of a sustainable, smart and resilient mobility. It envisages that rail freight traffic should increase its market share by 50 % by 2030 and double by 2050; while transport by inland waterways and short-sea shipping should increase its market share by 25 % by 2030 and by 50 % by 2050 and traffic on high-speed rail should double by 2030 and triple by 2050. Also, at least 30 million zero-emission cars and 80 000 zero-emission trucks should be in operation on Union roads by 2030, and nearly all cars, vans and buses and new heavy-duty vehicles should be zero-emission by 2050. Moreover, scheduled collective travel under 500 km should be carbon-neutral by 2030 within the Union and by 2030, there should be at least 100 climate-neutral cities in Europe.

The realisation of the trans-European transport network creates the enabling conditions in terms of infrastructure basis allowing to make all transport modes more sustainable, affordable and inclusive, to make sustainable alternatives widely available in a multimodal transport system and to put in place the right incentives to drive the transition, notably by ensuring a fair transition, in line with the objectives presented in the Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022 on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality (5).

The planning, development and operation of the trans-European transport network should enable sustainable forms of transport, provide for improved multimodal and interoperable transport solutions and for an enhanced intermodal integration of the entire logistic chain, thereby contributing to a smooth functioning of the internal market by creating the arteries that are...