17 April - 21 April 2023

ESC’ weekly Sustainability Newsletter contains a selection of the week’s most relevant information, webinars, and events in the sustainability field. It will typically be published at the end of the week. Any upcoming important developments will be announced within our regular news posts.

The newsletter provides an information update (news, press releases, regulations, and reports) as well as an overview of past and upcoming events (conferences, workshops, meetings). An overview of previous sustainability newsletters can be found here.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

14 April 2023
News
EUR-Lex

Invitation for comments on a potential state aid measure for Fret SNCF (rail freight operator) in France: The Official Journal of the European Union (OJ) has published an invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 108(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union regarding a potential state aid measure for Fret SNCF. Interested parties may submit their comments on the measures in respect of which the Commission is initiating the procedure within one month of the date of publication of this summary (see link on the left). The comments will be communicated to France.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

18 April 2023
Vote
European Parliament
Report

Vote on regulation 2021/0211B(COD) dealing with "Monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport":  The vote was scheduled for Tuesday in the European Parliament. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) has drafted a report (see left side) which will be the basis for a debate in Parliament on 17 April 2023 and a vote on 18 April 2023. The regulation was adopted by 500 votes to 131 and 11 abstentions. More detailed information about the EU plans to cut emissions can be found here.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

18 April 2023
Vote
European Parliament
EP News

Vote on directive 2021/0207(COD) dealing with "Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) for aviation": This vote was also scheduled for Tuesday in the European Parliament. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) has agreed to a text in 1st reading of interinstitutional negotiations. A debate in Parliament is scheduled for 17 April 2023 and a vote for 18 April 2023. The Parliament has adopted the reform with 413 votes in favour to 167 against and 57 abstentions.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

18 April 2023
Press release
EBU & ESC

Press release by ESC and EBU on the free movement of goods after the long-lasting strikes in France: ESC, the European Shippers Council, representing the interests of cargo owners in Europe, and EBU, the European Barge Union, representing barge owners and operators in Europe, have published a press release regarding the free movement of goods after the long-lasting strikes in France. Background is that since the beginning of the strikes in France Inland waterway transport (IWT) is targeted and restricted in its free movement both on the river Rhine and the French waterways. Due to this still lasting situation, the barge owners and operators sailing on these waterways face blockades at locks with serious consequences in terms of delays and additional costs. EBU and ESC have therefore addressed the European Commission to call upon France for taking actions to end the infringement of the free movement of goods.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

18 April 2023
Market report
IWT platform
CCNR report

CCNR together with EC published their latest Market Insight Report on European Inland Navigation: The report focusses on three aspects (1. freight and passenger transport on inland waterways, 2. Operating conditions, and 3. Focus on Italy) . From the sustainability perspective, the second chapter on operating conditions highlights that oil prices early 2022 have reached their highest level since 2006, and that the low water period in summer 2022 has triggered average loading degree of inland vessels on the Upper Rhine to drop by 45%.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

19 April 2023
Press release
European Parliament

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

19 April 2023
Press release
European Commission
Directive 2019/1161

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

21 April 2023
Meeting
Website
Dods

Meeting of the "Working Party on Transport - Intermodal Questions and Networks": The working party meets today, agenda items include high-level agreement between the EU and Western Balkan countries for the adaptation of indicative maps within the meaning of Article 49(6) of Regulation No 1315/2013 (the TEN-T Regulation), and Association of Ukraine and Moldova to the CEF programme.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

17 April 2023
Conference
TRA2024
Abstracts

Extension of deadline to submit abstracts for TRA2024:  The next Transport Research Arena (TRA) conference takes place in Dublin, Ireland from the 15th – 18th of April. TRA is the foremost European transport event that covers all transport modes and all aspects of mobility. TRA2024 is inviting all people working in transport and mobility research to contribute, and is designing a flexible programme that will allow all stakeholders to be heard. The link to submitting an abstract can be found on the left.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

17 April 2023
Meeting
EU
Dods

Invitation to join the 'DG Trade - Joint EU-U.S. Stakeholder Event - Transatlantic cooperation on digital initiatives to facilitate trade': The event will be held on 4th May 2023, the invitation to join this online meeting has now been published (see links on the left). The representatives from the EU and the U.S. can be joined for an online stakeholder meeting to discuss possible transatlantic cooperation on digital initiatives to enhance trade.