Skip to main content

Stakeholders lobby EU for electrification of transportation

Ahead of its discussion on the European Union’s key priorities for the next decade, seven stakeholder organisations from industry, transport and cities have written to the College of the European Commission regarding the creation of a European Energy Union with a forward-looking climate change policy. They called on the commissioners to focus on the transport sector, which represents about a third of the EU’s overall energy consumption and is almost exclusively dependent on imported fossil fuels. The let
February 11, 2015 Read time: 2 mins

Ahead of its discussion on the 1816 European Union’s key priorities for the next decade, seven stakeholder organisations from industry, transport and cities have written to the College of the 1690 European Commission regarding the creation of a European Energy Union with a forward-looking climate change policy. They called on the commissioners to focus on the transport sector, which represents about a third of the EU’s overall energy consumption and is almost exclusively dependent on imported fossil fuels.

The letter goes on to say that a European Energy Union represents a unique opportunity to move towards a comprehensive strategy for the electrification of transport. It claims a progressive electrification of transport, ranging from private vehicles to public transport and rail can help diversify energy sources, improve energy efficiency, air quality and reduce oil imports.

The letter goes on to say that electrification of transport should be a key EU political priority to maintain the competitiveness of European industry and stimulate innovation, jobs and growth.

It concludes that electrification of transport represents a significant opportunity for decarbonisation of transport by 2050, as highlighted in the transport white paper and urges the EU to make electrification of transport one of the its flagship initiatives within an EU Energy Union and develop a holistic European strategy to accelerate its uptake within the emerging plans for an energy union.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Europe spends €112 billion per year on fossil fuels despite Phase-out plans
    September 29, 2017
    The European Governments and EU are subsidising €112 billion each year for the production and consumption of fossil fuels, claims a new report from the Overseas Development Institute and Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe – violating the Paris Agreement’s phase-out plan 2020. The report, Phase-Out 2020: Monitoring Europe’s fossil fuel subsidies (PH20202) gathered the information from 11 European countries between 2014 – 2016.
  • Increased use of bio-fuels would enable Finland to achieve EU emissions goals
    June 16, 2014
    Finland’s technical research centre VTT and the Government Institute for Economic Research (VATT) have completed a study commissioned by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy and the Ministry of the Environment, assessing the impact of the EU's 2030 Climate and Energy Framework on Finland's energy system and national economy. The increased use of second-generation bio-fuels in road transport would provide Finland with the most cost-effective way of achieving the greenhouse gas emissions goals presente
  • EU sets emissions targets to 2030, richer countries bear the burden
    July 22, 2016
    The UK’s Freight Transport Association (FTA) and FIA Europe have welcomed the European Commission’s package of measures, presented this week, to accelerate the transition to low carbon emissions in all sectors of the economy in Europe. The EU says the measures set clear and fair guiding principles to Member States to prepare for the future and keep Europe competitive. Responding to the announcement, the FTA said that the proposed measures are a step in the right direction to reducing freight carbon e
  • ETSC welcomes EU plans for safer cars, vans and lorries
    December 20, 2016
    The European Commission has published a list of 19 lifesaving safety technologies that could be made mandatory on new vehicles in the next update of EU vehicle safety rules expected next year. The European Transport Safety Council (ETCS) welcomes the announcement but says several critical areas for action are missing, and the proposed timescale is far too long considering that most of the technologies are already available. ETSC says 26,000 people die on European Union roads annually, with at least