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Commission acts to make transport more crisis-resilient

[ May 23, 2022   //   ]

The European Commission adopted a Contingency Plan for Transport on 23 May to strengthen resilience in times of crisis. It draws lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, both of which severely affected the transport of goods and people, it said.

The plan proposes a toolbox of 10 actions to guide the EU and its Member States when introducing emergency response measures. It stresses the relevance of the Green Lanes principles, which ensure that land freight can cross borders in less than 15 minutes, and reinforces the role of the Network of Contact Points in national transport authorities, which have proved crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as in Ukraine.

The Commission says that a key lesson is the importance of coordinating crisis response measures – to avoid, for example, situations where lorries, their drivers and essential goods are stuck at borders, as observed during the early days of the Covid pandemic. The Contingency Plan for Transport introduces guiding principles that ensure crisis response measures are proportionate, transparent, non-discriminatory, in line with the EU Treaties, and able to ensure the Single Market continues to function as it should. 

It also highlights the importance of ensuring minimum connectivity, building resilience to cyberattacks, and resilience testing.

Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean said: “These challenging and difficult times remind us of the importance of our EU transport sector and the need to work on our preparedness and resilience. The Ovid-19 pandemic was not the first crisis with consequences for the transport sector, and Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine shows us that it will definitely not be the last.

“This is why we need to be ready.  Today’s Contingency Plan, notably based on lessons learnt and initiatives taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, creates a strong framework for a crisis-proof and resilient EU transport sector. I firmly believe that this plan will be a key driver for transport resilience since many of its tools have already proven essential when supporting Ukraine – including the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes, which are now helping Ukraine export its grain.”

The Commission will support Member States by coordinating the Network of National Transport Contact Points and maintaining regular discussions with international partners and stakeholders including the Ukraine Solidarity Lanes contact points network and the Solidarity Lanes matchmaking platform.

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