COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A contingency plan for transport
Date: 2022-05-23
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: Ukraine, coronavirus disease, crisis management, epidemic, free movement of goods, free movement of persons, freedom to provide services, organisation of transport, territorial dispute, trans-European network, transport policy

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 23.5.2022  COM(2022) 211 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A contingency plan for transport  
 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

A contingency plan for transport 

1 

INTRODUCTION  

In the past two years, the EU transport sector has been deeply affected by two major crises – the 
COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. The COVID-19 pandemic 
has  severely  affected  society,  including  the  transport  sector1.  To  contain  the  outbreak,  a  number  of 
measures restricting international and domestic travel were taken, such as physical distancing, stay-at-
home orders, public transport closures, contact tracing and quarantine, and border closures. The lack of 
coordination  of  national  measures  further  affected  the  transport  sector  by  hampering  cross-border 
transport operations2, which often amplified the effects of the initial shock on people and the economy.3 

The full effect of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine is yet to unfold. Since the invasion 
began,  Member  State  authorities  and  EU  transport  companies  –  in  particular  in  countries  bordering 
Ukraine – have been providing humanitarian aid on an unprecedented scale. The war and sanctions have 
also created many challenges for EU transport: truck drivers stuck in a conflict zone, closure of Russian 
airspace, destruction of Ukrainian transport infrastructure, supply chains cut, and upward pressure on oil 
prices.  

These two events are not the first major disruptions to the EU transport system. The eruption of 
the  Icelandic  volcano  Eyjafjallajökull  on  14 March 2010  and  the  Rastatt  Tunnel  collapse  on 
12 August 2017 also had a systemic impact on the transport sector, both for passengers and freight.  

The  contingency  plan  for  transport,  presented  in  this  Communication,  proposes  a  toolbox  for 
dealing  with  any  type  of  transport  crisis4.  It  responds  to  the  Council’s  call5  on  the  Commission  to 
draw up a European freight transport contingency plan for pandemics and other major crises. Moreover, 
the sustainable and smart mobility strategy6 provided that the Commission prepare a crisis contingency 
plan  to  ensure  business  continuity  and  coordinate  a  response  in  the  transport  sector.  The  plan  is 
designed  based  on  lessons  learnt  and  initiatives  taken  during  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  such  as  the 
Communication  on  Green Lanes7,  Guidelines  on  Seafarers8  and the  ‘Omnibus’  COVID-19  legislation 

1  In  2020,  European  air  traffic  was  45%  of  2019  levels,  with  a  consequent  passenger  reduction  of  over  70% 
(EUROCONTROL). In some months of 2020, the number of passengers embarking and disembarking in EU ports 
almost  halved  (by  45%)  compared  to  2019.  There  were  also  42%  fewer  rail  passengers  (Eurostat).  The  total 
turnover in the transport services sector decreased by 13% between 2019 and 2020. 

2 For a database of measures, see: https://covid-statistics.jrc.ec.europa.eu/RMeasures.  
3 The impact of COVID-19 on the Internal Market, IPOL_STU(2021)658219_EN. 
4  Examples  of  possible  crises  are  natural  disasters,  pandemics,  terrorist  attacks,  cyberattacks,  ransomware,  military 

conflicts, bridge or tunnel collapses or other infrastructure failures, and power outages.  

5 Council Conclusions, ST 12391/20. 
6 COM(2020) 789 final 
7 C(2020) 1897 
8 C(2020) 3100 

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introducing  temporary  transport  measures9.  The  plan  is  one  of  the  deliverables  under  ‘Flagship  8  – 
Reinforcing  the  Single  Market’  (Action  58)  of  the  sustainable  and  smart  mobility  strategy.  It 
complements Action 56 to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on transport connectivity and 
competition in the single market. It focuses on the transport sector – the Commission will address the 
broader  issues  the  free  movement  of  goods,  services  and  persons  in  the  EU  Single  Market  and  the 
availability of products and services in the forthcoming Single Market Emergency Instrument10.  

Many of the tools and principles proposed in this plan have already  proven useful to help solve 
problems caused  by  Russia's  military  aggression  against  Ukraine.  While  some  of  the  preliminary 
conclusions are presented below, a continuous re-assessment of the unfolding challenges is warranted. 
Thus, the next section below predominantly focuses on the EU response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It 
is followed by a forward-looking section on crisis preparedness that identifies principles in addressing 
transport contingencies and offers a toolbox of actions. 

2  SUPPORTING THE TRANSPORT SECTOR IN TIMES OF CRISIS 

The  EU  acted  quickly  to  address  problems  caused  by  COVID-19  and  restore  transport 
connectivity. The response focused on ensuring the uninterrupted flow of goods and supply of transport 
services,  without  delays.  However,  the  COVID-19  pandemic  also  showed  how  the  division  of 
responsibility  between  the  EU  and  Members  States  on  important  issues,  such  as  health  and  border 
control, can create challenges in delivering a fast and coordinated policy response.  

2.1 Coordinating, monitoring and providing information 

The  Network  of  National  Transport  Contact  Points  improved  coordination  in  the  transport 
sector. It was set up under the Green Lanes Communication to address specific transport issues and has 
been coordinated by the Commission. The Network has had a crucial impact on managing the crisis and 
complements  the  EU’s integrated  political  crisis  response  mechanism  (IPCR),  which  was activated  at 
the very start of the crisis in January 2020. 

However,  providing  real-time  information  has  been  challenging.  Up-to-date  information  has  been 
essential  because  of  the  ever-changing  pandemic  situation,  requirements  and  rules.  The  Re-open  EU 
website11  and  mobile  app  have  provided  information  to  people  and  businesses  across  the  EU.  The 
Commission’s Your Europe portal12 was an important information channel, and it received 9.9 million 
visits in July 2021. These tools have played an important role in bringing back safe travel and tourism. 
At  the  same  time,  due  to  rules  changing  often  and  the  imperfect  information  flow  between  national 
authorities  and  the  Commission,  information  on  certain  rules  has  been  sometimes  outdated13.  The 
website has helped passengers, but it does not include rules for transport workers.  

Russian aggression against Ukraine: coordinating, monitoring and sharing information  

9 Regulation (EU) 2020/698 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 2020 laying down specific and 
temporary  measures  in  view  of  the  COVID‐19  outbreak  concerning  the  renewal  or  extension  of  certain 
certificates, licences and authorisations and the postponement of certain periodic checks and periodic training in 
certain areas of transport legislation, OJ L 165, 27.5.2020, p. 10–24. 

10  https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13181-Single-market-new-EU-instrument-

to-guarantee-functioning-of-single-market-during-emergencies_en  

11 Re-open EU provides COVID-19 information on travel and health measures in EU and Schengen Area countries 
(Iceland,  Liechtenstein,  Norway,  and  Switzerland).  Information  is  updated  frequently  and  available  in  24 
languages.  

12 https://europa.eu/youreurope/index_en.htm 
13 Assessment by the European Court of Auditors of Re-Open.eu, Special Report 15/2021: Air passenger rights during 

the COVID-19 pandemic: Key rights not protected despite Commission efforts. 

2 

 
 
 
                                                 
The  Network  of  National  Transport  Contact  Points  was  brought  together  again  in  the  first  days 
following  Russia’s  military  aggression  against  Ukraine.  It  has  been  a  forum  for  Member  States,  the 
Commission, other EU bodies, and even Ukraine representatives at times. The Network has discussed 
and coordinated action to set up new transport routes and supply chains and preserve existing ones to 
and from Ukraine. 

2.2 Unblocking freight transport  

The  Green  Lanes  system14  has  kept  EU  traffic  flowing  and  enabled  transport  workers  cross 
borders  in  a  non-discriminatory way. The  Commission  invited  Member  States  to  designate TEN-T 
network  internal  border  crossings  as  ‘green  lane’  border  crossings  where  certain  rules  apply.  Passing 
through these green lanes should take less than 15 minutes on internal land borders, and these crossings 
should be open to all freight vehicles carrying any type of goods.  

As  widely  recognised  by  stakeholders15,  the  Green  lanes  had  an  immediate  effect  in  ensuring 
uninterrupted transport services and limiting disruption to supply chains. This has reduced the economic 
impact  of  COVID-19  restrictions  on  transport  companies  and  has  supported  the  EU’s  economic 
recovery. The lanes have also ensured transport workers' health and safety thanks to rules on sanitation 
and rest facilities. The measure has been a success: daily monitoring – developed by the EU Agency for 
the Space Programme – has shown that average waiting times at intra-Schengen border crossing points 
remained below the 15-minute threshold16.  

Green Lanes 15-min compliance 

20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

w1 w3 w5 w7 w9 w11 w13 w15 w17 w19 w21 w23 w25 w27 w29 w31 w33 w35 w37 w39 w41 w43 w45 w47 w49 w51

2020

2021

2022

Table 1: Average border crossing time in minutes (all EU border crossing points) and its linear trend between June 2020 and 
May 2022 – weekly basis.   

In  addition,  the  EU  took  concrete  measures  to  ensure  that  legislation  could  be  amended  or 
interpreted  in  a  way  that  maintained  transport  connectivity  during  the  crisis.  Certain  transport 
companies were unable to complete the necessary procedures to comply with EU rules on renewing or 
extending certificates (e.g. safety certificates), licences (e.g. driving licences) or authorisations. Due to 
lockdown  measures,  Member  States  could  not  ensure  that  the  relevant  tests,  training  or  inspections 
required under EU transport rules would be carried out by the applicable deadlines. With the adoption 

14 C(2020) 189, COM(2020) 685 final 
15 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13056-Contingency-plan-for-transport_en 
16 The daily average border crossing time was 15.5 minutes at all EU border crossing points along the TEN-T network 
between 3 June 2020 (when monitoring began) and 30 September 2021, with a standard deviation of 2.8 minutes. 
The same figures in 2021 were 15.1 and 2 minutes respectively. 

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of  Regulation  (EU)  2020/69817  (Omnibus  I)  and  Regulation  (EU)  2021/26718  (Omnibus  II),  the  EU 
extended  the  periods  set  in  the  relevant  EU  transport  laws  for  training,  inspections,  and  issuing 
certificates  licences  and  authorisations.  These  measures,  which  carefully  considered  transport  safety, 
were widely welcomed by the stakeholders19 and have ensured that transport companies and individuals 
concerned can continue their activities.  

2.3 Coordinating travel measures for passengers and transport workers  

Since  the  pandemic  began,  the  Commission  has  promoted  a  coordinated  approach  to  free 
movement restrictions in the EU, made necessary by the pandemic. To avoid disrupting transport, 
Council  Recommendation  2020/147520  and  its  subsequent  revisions  confirmed  that  transport  workers 
are, in principle, not required to test or quarantine, and if a test is needed, a rapid antigen tests can be 
used. Its successor, Council Recommendation 2022/10721, provides that transport workers should not be 
required to be in the possession of an EU Digital COVID Certificate. 

In  response  to  the  Ukraine  crisis,  the  Commission  confirmed  that  transport  workers  were  crucial  to 
supply  chains  in  its  Communication  on  operational  guidelines  for  external  border  management  to 
facilitate  border  crossings  at  the  EU-Ukraine  borders22.  The  Commission  also  proposed  simplifying 
border crossing procedures for transport workers working in Ukraine.  

EU Digital COVID Certificate and EU Digital Passenger Locator Form  

The secure and interoperable EU Digital COVID certificate23 and other health protocols, developed by 
the  Commission  and  the  European  Centre  for  Disease  Prevention  and  Control  with  the  relevant 
transport agencies,  have  been  instrumental  in  resuming  –  where  possible  –  safe travel  across  the  EU. 
The EU Digital COVID Certificate and efforts to establish a coordinated approach to travel at EU level 
have  been  broadly  welcomed  by  travel  and  tourism  associations  as  an  important  tool  to  allow  and 
encourage citizens to travel, by providing for the necessary predictability. To ensure that citizens are not 
deprived  of  this  effective  and  privacy-preserving  way  of  proving  one’s  COVID-19  status,  in  case 
certain restrictions to free movement based on public health would still be in place after 30 June 2022, 
the Commission proposed to extend the legal basis of the EU Digital COVID Certificate until 30 June 
2023.  

17 Regulation (EU) 2020/698 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 2020 laying down specific and 
temporary  measures  in  view  of  the  COVID‐19  outbreak  concerning  the  renewal  or  extension  of  certain 
certificates, licences and authorisations and the postponement of certain periodic checks and periodic training in 
certain areas of transport legislation, OJ L 165, 27.5.2020, p. 10 

18  Regulation  (EU)  2021/267  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  16 February  2021  laying  down 
specific  and  temporary  measures  in  view  of  the  persistence  of  the  COVID-19  crisis  concerning  the  renewal  or 
extension  of  certain  certificates,  licences  and  authorisations,  the  postponement  of  certain  periodic  checks  and 
periodic  training  in  certain  areas  of  transport  legislation  and  the  extension  of  certain  periods  referred  to  in 
Regulation (EU) 2020/698, OJ L 60, 22.2.2021, p. 1 

19 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13056-Contingency-plan-for-transport_en  
20  Council  Recommendation  of  13  October  2020  on  a  coordinated  approach  to  the  restriction  of  free  movement  in 

response to the COVID-19 pandemic, OJ L 337 14.10.2020, p. 3  
21 Council Recommendation (EU) 2022/107 of 25 January 2022 on a coordinated approach to facilitate safe free 
movement  during  the  COVID-19  pandemic  and  replacing  Recommendation  (EU)  2020/1475  (available  here: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reco/2022/107/oj ) 

22 C(2022) 1404 final 
23 Regulation (EU) 2021/953 on a framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of interoperable COVID-
19 vaccination, test and recovery certificates (EU Digital COVID Certificate) to facilitate free movement during 
the COVID-19 pandemic was adopted by the Parliament and Council. 

4 

 
 
                                                 
However, several Member States introduced passenger locator forms and other declarations (e.g. health 
declarations, declarations of entry into a territory) in an uncoordinated manner. These are in different 
formats,  and  some  are  only  on  paper.  This  has  created  unnecessary  inconvenience  and  confusion  for 
travellers, which could have been avoided with proper coordination.   

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the joint efforts of the EU and Member States enabled 650 000 
EU  citizens  return  home  safely.  Over  100,000  people,  of  which  90,060  were  EU  citizens,  were 
repatriated  through  the  EU  Civil  Protection  Mechanism.  The  COVID-19  pandemic  has  also  affected 
transport workers considerably. These workers are on the frontline of the crisis, and they have suffered 
from restrictions when moving around the EU, including increased waiting times at borders and limited 
accommodation  and  rest  facilities.  Seafarers  have  been  particularly  affected,  and  they  have  been 
prevented  from  returning  home  for  several  months  because  of  restrictions  and  limited  transport 
connectivity. The Commission has provided guidance to Member States on travelling within the EU24, 
highlighting  the  need  to  ensure  safe  passage  transit  corridors.  The  Commission  has  also  supported 
seafarers  by  recommending  certain  health,  repatriation  and  travel  arrangements25.  It  has  called  on 
Member  States  to  create  a  network  of  safe  ports  where  crews  could  change  without  restrictions.  The 
Commission has also eased visa requirements and introduced quarantine exemptions, including for non-
EU seafarers. 

COVID-19 and passenger rights 

The  Commission  provided  early  guidance  on  applying  EU  passenger  rights  legislation  related  to 
COVID-1926.  It  issued  a  Recommendation  on  vouchers  offered  to  passengers  and  travellers  as  an 
alternative to refunds for cancelled travel and transport services. It also highlighted how Member States 
could  support  transport  companies’  financial  liquidity27.  The  Commission  alerted  the Consumer 
Protection Cooperation enforcement network in December 2020 about several airlines’ cancellation and 
refund  policies.  This  led  to  discussions  between  the  Commission,  national  consumer  protection 
authorities, and 16 major airlines. As a result, these airlines committed to provide better information and 
timely refunds to passengers for cancelled flights.28 

The Commission asked Member States to use the EU Pilot platform to provide information on applying, 
monitoring and enforcing EU passenger rights laws during the COVID-19 crisis. Particular attention is 
given to transport companies and if they give passengers the choice between refunds or vouchers. The 
Commission  launched  infringement  proceedings  against  Member  States  that  had  introduced  rules 
breaching EU passenger rights laws. This resulted in the withdrawal of these conflicting national rules. 

2.4 Maintaining transport connectivity 

The  EU  has  also  provided  regulatory  relief  to  transport  companies  through  its  legislative 
amendments.  If  an  air  carrier  can  no  longer  meet  its  financial  obligations  for  a  12-month  period, 

24 C(2020) 1897 final 
25 C(2020) 119/01 
26 Interpretative Guidelines of 18 March 2020, followed by a Recommendation on vouchers on 13 May 2020. 
27 Commission Recommendation (EU) 2020/648 of 13 May 2020 on vouchers offered to passengers and travellers as 
an alternative to reimbursement for cancelled package travel and transport services in the context of the COVID-
19 pandemic C/2020/3125, OJ L 151, 14.5.2020, p. 10–16. 

28  For  more  information  on  specific  airlines’  commitments:  https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/consumer-

rights-and-complaints/enforcement-consumer-protection/coordinated-actions/air-travel_en. 

5 

 
 
 
                                                 
Member  State  licensing  authorities  have  the  option  not  to  suspend  or  revoke  its  licence.  The  laws 
introduced  measures  to  support  airports  and  ground  handling  companies,  in  particular  by  allowing 
airports to award ground handling contracts in an emergency if a company ceases its activities due to 
the COVID-19 crisis29.  

Amendments to the Slots Regulation30 

The  EU  quickly  adopted  legislative  amendments  that  allow  air  carriers  keep  their  slots  in  the  next 
corresponding scheduling season, even when they cannot operate the minimum 80% of slots as usually 
required. These amendments aim to provide financial relief to airlines and avoid them having to operate 
flights just to keep their slots. They also ensure that airport capacity is used competitively for the benefit 
of consumers and connectivity.  

The legislative relief in the maritime sector has made it possible for a managing body of a port or the 
authority in charge  to waive, reduce or defer  payments for seaport infrastructure charges31. In the  rail 
sector,  temporary  rules  benefiting  rail  companies  have  been  introduced,  for  example  by  allowing 
infrastructure  managers  to  set  access  charges  below  operating  costs32.  Transposing  and  implementing 
some EU rules has been postponed to reduce the burden on Member States so they can focus on fighting 
the spread of the virus33.  

EU  State  aid  rules  have  allowed  Member  States  to  provide  temporary  emergency  relief  to 
compensate a sudden loss of liquidity or to compensate damages directly linked to COVID-19. On 
19 March 2020,  the  Commission  adopted  a  Temporary  Framework  for  State  Aid34  to  support  the 
economy  in  the  COVID-19  crisis.  It  set  out  State  aid  conditions  to  ease  any  serious  disruption  in  a 
Member State’s economy. It applies to almost all sectors and companies, including transport companies, 
which it recognises as one of the most affected sectors. It aims to ease companies’ liquidity shortages by 
allowing, for instance, direct grants, tax advantages, State guarantees for loans, subsidised public loans, 
and recapitalisation.  

The  Commission  has  also  clarified  how  to  interpret  key  EU  transport,  State  aid  and  public 
procurement  rules  in  a  crisis  by  adopting  guidance  for  Member  States.  This  has  enabled  Member 
States to amend existing public service obligation contracts, for land35, air36 and maritime transport37, to 

29 Regulation (EU) 2020/696 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 2020 amending Regulation 
(EC) No 1008/2008 on common rules for the operation of air services in the Community in view of the COVID-
19 pandemic, OJ L 165, 27.5.2020, p. 1. 

30  Regulation  (EU)  2020/459 of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  30  March  2020  amending  Council 
Regulation  (EEC)  No  95/93  on  common  rules  for  the  allocation  of  slots  at  Community  airports,  OJ  L  99, 
31.3.2020, p. 1; Regulation (EU) 2021/250 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2021 
amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 95/93 as regards temporary relief from the slot utilisation rules at Union 
airports due to the COVID-19 crisis, OJ L 58, 19.2.2021, p. 1. 

31  Regulation  (EU)  2017/352  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  15  February  2017  establishing  a 
framework for the provision of port services and common rules on the financial transparency of ports, OJ L 57, 
3.3.2017, p. 1. 

32  Regulation  (EU)  2020/1429  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  7  October  2020  establishing 

measures for a sustainable rail market in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, OJ L 333, 12.10.2020, p. 1 

33  See,  for  example,  Directive  (EU)  2020/700  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  25  May  2020 
amending Directives (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2016/798, as regards the extension of transposition periods, OJ L 
165, 27.5.2020, p. 27. 

34 OJ C 91I, 20.3.2020, p. 1. The Temporary Framework was amended several times.  
35https://ec.europa.eu/competition-policy/system/files/2021-

03/land_transport_overview_rules_during_coronavirus.pdf  

36 https://ec.europa.eu/competition-policy/system/files/2021-05/air_transport_update_March_2021.pdf 

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the  needs  brought  about  by  the  COVID-19  crisis.  The  Commission  has  also  issued  guidance  on  the 
procedure  for  urgent  awards  of  new  public  service  obligation  contracts  so  that  basic  transport 
connectivity  can  be  maintained  if  commercial  services  are  unable  to  because  of  the  crisis.  These 
legislative  measures  are  temporary  and  limited  to  the  duration  of  the  COVID-19  crisis.  Their  fast 
adoption  demonstrates  that  the  Commission  and  the  Parliament  and  the  Council  are  able  to  react 
effectively to such crises. 

Member States can designate new public service obligations, especially when there is a risk of a 
sudden loss of connectivity. The Commission has provided guidance on compensating public service 
obligations  during  the  COVID-19  outbreak38  and  has  held  a  number  of  bilateral  discussions  with 
Member States.  

2.5 Providing targeted funding for key transport operations 

As  part  of  the  EUR  2.7  billion  allocated  under  the  Emergency  Support  Instrument  (ESI)  to  help 
Member States respond to the COVID-19 crisis, the flexibility of the ESI allowed EUR 220 million to 
quickly be made available for transport related actions. This was then structured as the ESI “Mobility 
Package”, which, when launched on 19 June 2020, provided needs-based support to Member States for 
transport of cargo related to the COVID-19 crisis, for transport of patients, and also medical teams. In 
total, more than 2000 operations via air, land or sea for transport of medical equipment and teams and 
the transfer of patients have been supported. Overall, cargo operations have been financed with more 
than  EUR  164  million.  Over  EUR  9  million  has  also  been  awarded  so  far  to  Member  States  for  the 
transport  of  medical  teams  and  transfer  of  patients,  supporting  the  transport  of  more  than  450  health 
workers and approximately 350 patients. The number of Member States having benefitted from the ESI 
Mobility Package is 21. 

EU response to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine  

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion against Ukraine. In the first weeks 
of the conflict, more 3.9 million people have fled from Ukraine to the EU. The EU provided EUR 1.2 
billion  macro-financial  assistance  to  Ukraine,  where  600  million  in  concessional  loans  has  been 
disbursed  in  March  and  the  second  EUR  600  million  instalment  is  yet  to  be  disbursed.  In  addition, 
emergency  support  of  EUR  120  million  in  grants  was  transferred  to  Ukraine’s  budget  on  7  April, 
supporting  provision  of  basic  government  expenditures.  EU  is  re-purposing  the  ongoing  projects 
(between  EUR  100-200  million)  to  deliver  emergency  assistance  and  to  meet  pressing  needs  by 
population  and  authorities.  The  Commission  has  also  adopted  new  emergency  package  of  EUR  330 
million.  The  EU  has  taken  several  measures  to  sanction  Russia  and  help  Ukraine.  Transport-related 
measures include:  

(-)  The  EU  has  advised  against  operating  commercial  flights  over  the  entire  airspace  of  Ukraine, 
Belarus and parts of Russia in a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin by the EU Aviation Safety Agency. 
This advice was quickly extended to include Moldovan airspace. 

(-) The EU has closed its airspace to Russian carriers and companies39. 

(-) On 9 March, the EU has adopted a prohibition for: 

37https://ec.europa.eu/competition-policy/system/files/2021-05/maritime_transport_update_March_2021.pdf  
38 https://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/what_is_new/air_transport_overview_sa_rules_during_coronavirus.pdf  
39 RU and BY both have closed theirs to the EU flights. The EU-flagged aircraft have been reflagged and reinsured in 

RU against international law. 

7 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                           
(i) Selling, supplying, leasing, transferring and exporting, directly or indirectly, all aeronautical goods 
and technologies (aircraft, spacecraft and their parts);  

(ii) Providing insurance and reinsurance, directly or indirectly, for any of these aeronautical goods and 
technologies;   

(iii) Providing repair and maintenance services for these aeronautical products. 

(-) The EU has added Russian Railways on the list of bodies subject to financial sanctions. Individuals 
linked to Russian Railways and their subsidiaries have been added to the list of people covered by the 
EU’s restrictive measures. 

(-) The EU introduced sanctions on marine navigation and radio equipment prohibiting;  

(i) Selling, supplying, transferring or exporting these products to any natural or legal person, entity or 
body in Russia, for use in Russia, or for the placing on board of a Russian-flagged vessel.  

(ii)  Provision  of  technical  assistance,  brokering  services  or  other  services  as  well  as  financing  and 
financial assistance related to these products.  

(-)  The EU adopted further sanctions on 8 April prohibiting Russian flagged vessels to call in an EU 
port (including yachts) and a prohibiting road transport undertakings established in Russia and Belarus 
from carrying goods by road within the territory of the European Union.  

(-) On the Ukraine’s request the EU activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) providing 
support related to the consequences of the Russian military aggression. Thousands of tons of assistance 
from all EU Member States has been shipped to Ukraine via UCPM logistics hubs in Poland, Romania 
and  Slovakia.  Neighbouring  countries  have  also  requested  UCPM  assistance  related  to  the  Migration 
inflow. Besides Ukraine, the UCPM is also being used to provide different forms of critical support to 
Moldova,  Poland,  Slovakia  and  the  Czech  Republic,  all  of  which  are  major  destination  countries  for 
refugees fleeing the conflict. The UCPM was also relied upon facilitate the repatriation of EU citizens 
when  possible.  Logistic  hubs  for  relief  items  were  established  under  the  responsibility  of  local 
authorities in Poland, Slovakia, and Romania and were fully funded by the UCPM  

(-) Activation of the Temporary Protection Directive40 for Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians if they cannot 
return safely to Ukraine. 

(-)  Operational  guidelines  for  external  border  management  to  facilitate  border  crossings  at  the  EU-
Ukraine borders. These guidelines include transport workers41. 

(-)  Helping  stranded  EU truck  drivers return  home  from  Ukraine,  Russia  and  Belarus,  by  simplifying 
procedures for them. 

(-) All Northern Dimension partnership transport and logistics activities involving Russia and Belarus 
have been suspended. 

40  This  law  was  the  EU’s  response  in  2001  to  the  inflow  of  displaced  people  following  the  conflict  in  the  former 
Yugoslavia. It had never been triggered until 3 March 2022. Until 7 April 2022 more than 1.6 million people have 
registered. 

41 C(2022) 1404 final.  

8 

 
 
                                                 
 (-)  Some  Member  States  have  provided  free  public  transport  to  Ukrainians.  In  addition,  many  EU 
transport companies have introduced measures, such as free air, bus or rail tickets, to help Ukraine and 
its people; or to deliver humanitarian aid.  

(-) Member States bordering Ukraine have set up reception facilities/transport hubs.  

(-) the Commission has activated the Network of National Transport Contact Points. 

 (-)  The  European  Commission  has  proposed  an  outline  of  a  plan  (RePower  EU)  to  make  Europe 
independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, starting with gas, in light of Russia’s invasion 
of Ukraine42. 

(-) As part of the EU's support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s military aggression, on 12 May, the 
Commission  established  Solidarity  Lanes43  consisting  of  a  set  of  actions  to  help  Ukraine  export  its 
agricultural  produce.  Following  Russia’s  invasion  of  Ukraine  and  its  blockade  of  Ukrainian  ports, 
Ukrainian  grain  and  other  agricultural  goods  need  to  find  alternative  logistics  routes  to  reach  their 
destination. With the Communication, the Commission sets out an action plan to establish ‘Solidarity 
Lanes’ to ensure Ukraine can export grain, but also import the goods it needs, from humanitarian aid to 
animal feed and fertilisers. This will contribute to supporting Ukraine’s economy as well as global food 
security.    The  Commission,  together  with  Member  States  and  stakeholders,  identified  some  priority 
actions: 

•  Make available additional freight rolling stock, vessels and lorries:  

Ensure  sufficient  capacity  of  transport  networks  and  transhipment  terminals  for  Ukrainian 

• 
agricultural export; 

• 

• 

Promote maximum flexibility and adequate staffing for customs operations and other inspections; 

Identify possibilities for storage of Ukrainian agricultural goods on the territory of the EU;  

• 
Improve EU-Ukraine connectivity in the medium term by increasing the infrastructure capacity of 
new  export  corridors  and  establish  new  infrastructure  connections  in  the  framework  of  the 
reconstruction of Ukraine. 

 (-) On 12 May, the Commission approved a high-level understanding44 with Ukraine agreeing on new, 
indicative  maps  for  the  Trans-European  Transport  Network  (TEN-T)  for  Ukraine,  as  part  of  the 
Commission’s policy on extending the TEN-T to neighbouring countries. 

3  CRISIS PREPAREDNESS 

Russia’s  war  on  Ukraine  has  shown  the  importance  of  being  prepared.  Thanks  to  existing 
capacities, the EU was able to quickly put in place effective assistance for Ukraine and refugees fleeing 
the country. We do not yet know the full impact of the war or the next crisis that could affect transport. 
An  effective  response  mechanism  should  not  target  just  one  transport  mode  because  systemic 
disruptions in one mode can affect the whole network.  

42 COM(2022)108 final 
43 COM(2022) 217 final 
44 C(2022) 3204 final 

9 

 
 
                                                 
The  2021  EU  Strategic  Foresight  Report45  highlights  factors  that  could  impact  EU  transport, 
including  climate  change  and  other  environmental  challenges,  security  threats  and  terrorism, 
digital hyperconnectivity, and technological transformation. In the past, several terrorist attacks or 
attempts were aimed at the EU transport, as transport is an effective target due to the large number of 
people who use it daily46. During the COVID-19 pandemic, telecommunications, including 3G/4G/5G 
infrastructure  (e.g.  repeaters,  repeater  bridges  and  cell  towers)  and  other  network  components  (e.g. 
relays and cables) were targeted. In July 2021, floods in Belgium and Germany caused many deaths and 
severe, long-lasting disruption to transport.  

Cybersecurity needs particular attention. The sustainable and smart mobility strategy recognises the 
need  to  treat  transport  cybersecurity  with  a  high  priority  to  tackle  cyberthreats.  According  to  the  EU 
Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA)47, cybercriminals are targeting more critical healthcare, transport48, 
and  energy  infrastructure.  The  Russian  aggression  against  Ukraine  has  increased  the  concerns  of  the 
cyberthreat, also against EU targets.  

3.1 Transport contingency principles  

To prepare for and respond to major events, in addition to other relevant EU principles, the contingency 
principles described below should always be respected.  

I.  Proportionality:  Introduce  measures  restricting  the  transport  of  goods  or  people  only  as  a  last 
resort. All measures must be duly justified, evidence-based and proportional, subject to regular 
monitoring and review, quickly communicated, temporary, and lifted as soon as possible49. 

II.  Non-discrimination: Measures should not unduly discriminate on grounds of nationality, origin 
of  goods,  or  discriminate  between  different  modes  of  transport  or  transported  goods.  They 
should ensure non-discriminatory treatment of transport workers (including non-EU residents) 
and  waive,  where  possible,  travel  or  traffic  restrictions  or  any  other  administrative  burdens 
affecting them, given their crucial role in freight vehicle supply chains. The same extends to the 
non-discrimination of passengers.  

III.  Coordination: All measures should be coordinated with transport authorities through the Network 
of  National Transport  Contact  Points.  Communication  channels should  be  set  up  between  the 
Network,  the  EU  and  international  horizontal  crisis management  forums.  Coordination  has to 
start between the relevant authorities from the very beginning in particular when it affects the 
TEN-T network and more than one Member State.  

IV.  Transparency, communication and dialogue: All measures should be clearly communicated to 
affected  stakeholders  before  they  come  into  force50,  discussed  with  them,  and  adjusted  if 
necessary.  Continuous  dialogue  with  stakeholders,  including  international  partners,  should  be 
ensured. 

45 https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/strategic-planning/strategic-foresight/2021-strategic-foresight-report_en  
46 Madrid (2004), London (2005), Glasgow (2007), Frankfurt airport (2011), Oignes (Thalys, 2015), Brussels (2016), 

Würzburg (2016), Brussels (2017) or London (2017). 

47 https://www.enisa.europa.eu/publications/enisa-threat-landscape-2021 
48 In the maritime sector, for instance, four of the biggest maritime shipping companies (APM Maersk, CMA CGM, 

COSCO, Mediterranean Shipping Company) have all been hit by cyberattacks since 2017. 

49 The same applies to temporary suspensions of environmental, social or health protective measures. 
50  In  specific  situations,  such  as  economic  sanctions  against  Russia,  certain  prior  consultations  might  need  to  be 

limited. 

10 

 
 
                                                 
V.  Consistency  with  EU  policy:  National  and  local  measures  that  damage  the  functioning  of  the 
Single  European  Transport  Area  must  be  avoided.  Once  there  are  transport  contingency 
measures at EU level, relevant authorities should lift national measures immediately. 

VI.  Integrity  of  the  transport  system:  Measures  responding  to  problems  in  one  transport  mode 

should take into account and make full use of all transport modes. 

VII.  Care  for  passengers  with  specific  needs:  Particular  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  needs  of 
passengers and groups of passengers in vulnerable situations (e.g. people with reduced mobility 
and/or persons with disabilities), stranded passengers, travellers with essential jobs, and cross-
border workers. 

VIII.  Care  for  transport  workers:  Transport  workers  should  have  safe,  secure  and  suitable  working 

conditions51. 

3.2 Transport contingency toolbox 

The  Commission  proposes  a  toolbox  with  [10]  measures  to  step  up  the  transport  sector’s  crisis 
preparedness and its response capacities. The toolbox should be used in line with the principles listed 
above.  The  measures  range  from  a  longer-term  preparatory  actions  to  tools  that  can  be  used  for  an 
immediate measures. The common objective is to be better prepared for a swift response to any accident 
or  event  capable  of  causing  severe  disruption  to  the  EU  transport  system.  This  disruption  could  be 
caused  by  natural  disasters,  pandemics,  terrorist  attacks,  cyberattacks,  ransomware,  military  conflicts, 
infrastructure failure (such as bridge or tunnel collapses), or power outages.  

1)  Making EU transport laws fit for crisis situations  

Some  transport  laws  already  have  emergency  clauses.  Examples  include  Article  21  of  the  Air 
Services  Regulation52,  Article  5(5)  of  the  Regulation  on  awarding  public  service  contracts  for  land 
transport53, Article 7(4) of the Regulation on port services54, and Article 10 of the Regulation on access 
to the international road haulage market55. Some current legislation already mentions the obligation to 
provide  contingency  plans.  Under  the  fourth  railway  package56,  railway  companies  have  to  draw  up 
contingency plans to protect and assist passengers if there are major transport disruptions57.  

51 Including adherence to relevant EU and national legislation in the area of occupational safety and health, including 
in  relation  to  Council  Directive  89/391/EEC  of  12  June  1989  on  the  introduction  of  measures  to  encourage 
improvements in the safety and health of workers at work, OJ L 183, 29.6.1989, p. 1–8. 

52 Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 2008 on common 

rules for the operation of air services in the Community (Recast), OJ L 293, 31.10.2008, p. 3. 

53  Regulation  (EC)  No  1370/2007  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  23 October  2007  on  public 
passenger  transport  services  by  rail  and  by  road  and  repealing  Council  Regulations  (EEC)  Nos 1191/69 
and 1107/70, OJ L 315, 3.12.2007, p. 1. 

54  Regulation  (EU)  2017/352  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  15  February  2017  establishing  a 
framework for the provision of port services and common rules on the financial transparency of ports, OJ L 57, 
3.3.2017, p. 1. 

55  Regulation  (EC)  No  1072/2009  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  21  October  2009  on  common 

rules for access to the international road haulage market, OJ L 300, 14.11.2009, p. 72. 

 56 Article 54 of Directive 2012/34/EU establishing the single European railway area. 
57 In addition, the new Rail Passenger Rights Regulation (EU) 2021/782, which will apply from 7 June 2023, obliges 
railway  companies  to  cooperate  with  station  and  infrastructure  managers  when  drawing  up  those  plans.  The 
contingency plans must also take into account the need for accessible alert and information systems. 

11 

 
 
                                                 
Where appropriate, EU transport laws need to be amended to introduce provisions to better cope 
with a major crisis. However, these provisions should not result in undue exceptions to the application 
of  EU  law.  Therefore,  introducing  such  clauses  should  be  carefully  considered  when  amending  or 
adopting  a  specific  regulation  or  directive.  Impact  assessments  should  evaluate  whether  emergency 
clauses are necessary and how they should be designed.  

Following this approach, the Commission has proposed certain provisions in the recent revisions to the 
TEN-T  and  Intelligent  Transport  System  laws58.  Reinforcing  the  cross-border  TEN-T  sections,  the 
increase  of  multimodality  through  the  terminals  and  the  shift  to  sustainable  modes  of  transport  are 
examples  of  longer-term  actions  needed  for  better  preparedness.  The  Commission  intends  to  analyse 
whether  it  is  appropriate  to  offer  additional  temporary  flexibility  in  applying  road  transport  rules  on 
driving restrictions and driving times, while ensuring the safety of transport operations at all times.  

These  permanent  provisions  could  reflect  the  temporary  measures  introduced  in  response  to  the 
COVID-19 crisis, such as those introduced under Omnibus I and II or under the amendments to the Air 
Services Regulation and the Slots Regulation59 (see Section 2.4). Similarly, the lessons learnt from the 
COVID-19 pandemic  should kick-start the long overdue discussions on revising Regulation 261/2004 
on air passenger rights to make it fit for future crises. Introducing contingency plans will also be part of 
the ongoing assessment of EU passenger rights legislation.   

2) 

Ensuring adequate support for the transport sector  

Strengthening  the  resilience  of  the  transport  sector  goes  hand  in  hand  with  improving  the 
connectivity and sustainability of the EU transport system. The Commission will continue to closely 
follow  and  support  implementation  of  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  (RRF),  which  will  help 
make  the transport  sector across all  modes  more  resilient. Member  States  plan to  dedicate  significant 
parts  of  the  RRF  to  transport,  placing  it  among  the  top  sectors  of  the  economy  to  benefit  from 
investments  under  NextGenerationEU.  In  the  24  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plans  (RRPs)  approved  by 
the  Council,  national  RRPs  will  dedicate  a  significant  amount  to  improve  the  sustainability  of  the 
European  mobility  system.  Overall,  Member  States  will  spend  EUR  70.7  billion  on  investments  and 
reforms related to green transition of transport, about 15.7% of the allocation. Additional investments 
and reforms in the transport sector address other priorities, such as its digital transformation and social 
and territorial cohesion.  Every national plan dedicates some of its allocation to this field. In the current 
geopolitical context considerably impacted by the Russian military aggression in Ukraine, the reduction 
of  the  EU’s  dependency  on  fossil  fuels  is  even  more  urgent.  To  address  these  challenges,  the 
Commission published on 18 May 2022 a REPowerEU60 plan setting out joint European actions in this 
area. The RRF will play a central role in mobilising and implementing available resources at European 
and  national  levels  to  achieve  the  objectives  of  the  REPowerEU  plan.  Furthermore,  financial 
instruments such as the Connecting Europe Facility, including its digital part CEF Digital, the Cohesion 
Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and InvestEU, are crucial for improving the resilience 
of  the  single  market  through  investments  in  connectivity,  digitalisation  and  digital  connectivity 

58 COM(2021) 812 and COM(2021) 813 
59  Regulation  (EU)  2020/459 of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  30  March  2020  amending  Council 
Regulation  (EEC)  No  95/93  on  common  rules  for  the  allocation  of  slots  at  Community  airports,  OJ  L  99, 
31.3.2020, p. 1; Regulation (EU) 2021/250 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2021 
amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 95/93 as regards temporary relief from the slot utilisation rules at Union 
airports due to the COVID-19 crisis, OJ L 58, 19.2.2021, p. 1 

60 COM(2022) 108 final 

12 

 
 
                                                 
infrastructures  and  multimodality  of  the  EU  transport  system,  as  well  as  reducing  its  dependence  on 
fossil fuels.  

To respond quickly to a future crisis, the Commission and Member States should mobilise other 
funds as appropriate, depending on the nature of the crisis. The response could also take the form of 
financial  relief,  by  temporarily  relieving  payment  obligations.  The  Commission  could  also  consider 
legislative measures providing financial relief to the transport sector. These measures could allow the 
managing  body  of  a  port  or  the authority  in  charge  to  waive,  reduce  or  defer the  payment  of  seaport 
infrastructure charges or allow rail infrastructure managers to set access charges below operating costs 
(see  Section  2.4).  Given  that  each  crisis  is  different  and  may  require  different  action,  the  need  for 
temporary  State  aid  will  be  analysed  case  by  case  rather  than  setting  up  a  permanent  and  inflexible 
framework for the future. 

3) 

Ensuring free movement of goods, services and people  

The  Green  Lanes  system,  which  was  successfully  put  in  place  during  the  COVID-19  pandemic, 
can be reactivated when necessary to address any new crisis affecting EU transport. To ensure that 
internal  border  controls  remain  a  last  resort  measure,  the  Commission’s  proposal  for  the  Schengen 
Borders  Code61  clarified  and  expanded  the  list  that  a  Member  State  must  assess  when  deciding  to 
temporarily  reintroduce  border  controls.  The  new  rules  also  introduce  common  tools  for  managing 
external  borders  more  efficiently  in  a  public  health  crisis,  which  builds  on  lessons  learnt  from  the 
COVID-19  pandemic.  The  Commission  is  planning  to  propose  a  Single  Market  Emergency 
Instrument in 2022. It will provide a framework for implementing crisis response measures important 
for  the  transport  sector,  in  particular  free  movement  of  goods,  services  and  persons,  availability  of 
products and services, and transparency and coordination. 

The  Commission  has  called  on  Member  States  to  ensure  the  contingency  principles  are  applied 
and to minimise checks, screenings and other formalities in order to reduce delays at green lane 
border  crossings  and  respect  the  15-  minute  time  limit.  Member  States  may  also  consider 
suspending all road access restrictions in their territory (weekend bans, night-time bans, bans on certain 
transport  sectors  to  reduce  noise,  etc.)  to  facilitate  road  freight  transport  and  the  necessary  free 
movement  of  transport  workers.  They  should  also  ensure  that  the  electronic  submission/display  of 
documents is deemed  sufficient and encouraged. Member States should also continue recognising the 
certificate for international transport workers carrying out cross-border services, as proposed in Annex 3 
to  the  Green  Lanes  Communication62.  This  certificate  has  already  been  added  to  the  EU  Practical 
Handbook for Border Guards63. 

If  a  similar  crisis  to  COVID-19  occurs,  the  Commission  and  Member  States  should  build  on  the 
experience in developing a common template for EU digital passenger locator forms64 and a platform to 
share  passenger  data  for  cross-border  contact  tracing.  The  tools  developed  at  EU  level  should  be 
reactivated rapidly and easily if necessary.  

Setting up emergency support lanes for humanitarian convoys and trucks 

61 COM (2021)891 final 
62 C(2020) 1897  
63 C(2019) 7131 final 
64 Implementing Decision 2021/858 and Implementing Decision 2021/1212 define the legal basis for exchanging data 

of infected passengers and exposed people for cross-border contact tracing. 

13 

 
 
                                                 
To  help  humanitarian  convoys  cross  EU-Ukraine  borders  fast  and  safely,  the  Communication  on 
operational  guidelines  for  external  border  management  instructs  Member  States  to  designate  special 
lanes at their border crossing points as emergency support lanes. Designating similar lanes for trucks is 
also  encouraged  to  ensure  a  continued  supply  of  goods  and  services  and  the  safe  return  of  transport 
workers from Ukraine65. 

4)  Managing refugee flows and repatriating stranded passengers and transport workers  

In  non-EU  countries,  EU  Delegations  and  Member  States  with  embassies  or  consulates  should 
continue  to step  up consular  crisis  preparedness, notably  through  local  contingency  plans.  Joint 
EU  Consular  Crisis  Response  Teams,  including  the  possible  participation  of  unrepresented  Member 
States,  should  be  considered  and  set  up.  The  EEAS  has  strengthened  its  consular  response  and 
preparedness by setting up a Consular Crisis Team, ready to come into action and coordinate, with EU 
Delegations’ network, repatriations efforts organised by Member States (UCPM sponsored or not). 

The  EU  Civil  Protection  Mechanism  and  the  rescEU  reserve  will  be  mobilised  as  necessary. 
Passengers or workers can end up stranded inside or outside EU territory. To prepare for and respond to 
future  crises,  the  EEAS  will  continue  to  contribute  to  crisis  cooperation  and  coordination,  working 
closely  with  Member  States.  In  future  crises,  the  EU  Civil  Protection  Mechanism  will  support 
repatriating EU citizens stranded outside the EU. The Mechanism needs to be activated quickly by the 
government(s)  of  the  affected  citizens.  A  Member  State  coordinating  assistance  for  all  affected  EU 
citizens can also send a request to the Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre.  

Evacuation  can  be  carried  out  by  Member  States  and/or  participating  states66  to  the  Mechanism  on  a 
voluntary  basis,  and  the  Commission  can  co-finance  up  to  75%  of  transport  costs. The  revised 
Mechanism  legislation67  provides  for  the  possibility  to  develop  multi-purpose aircraft for  the 
rescEU reserve for medical evacuation. In the future, the Commission could use these aircraft, as a last 
resort, to respond to Member States requests for assistance in consular evacuations. In case of health-
related  crisis,  medical  evacuation  of passengers  and  EU  transport  workers  can  be  activated as part of 
medical  evacuation  operation  and  through  the  EU’s  Early  Warning  and  Response  System  in 
coordination with the Commission.  

The  Commission  and  the  EEAS  will  coordinate  and  monitor  the  set-up  of  safe  passage  transit 
corridors.  In  line  with  the  March  2020  Green  Lanes  Communication,  Member  States  should  set  up 
transit  corridors  for  private  drivers  and  their  passengers  (regardless  of  their  nationality)  and  all  EU 
citizens being repatriated68. Member States should also ensure that at least one airport is dedicated to 
repatriation and international relief flights. Such corridors should be part of national emergency plans. 

Member States should allow people to travel and help them get back home. EU citizens, who have 
been transported back from crisis zones and have not yet reached their EU country of residence, should 

65  In  addition,  special  arrangements  have  been  made  in  order  to  facilitate  transfer  flights  of  people  fleeing  from 
Ukraine  who  reached  Moldova  on  their  way  to  the  EU.  Moldova  had  issued  a  flight  ban,  which  needed  to  be 
amended in order to allow for these flights.  

66 Participating states to the Mechanism (Iceland, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Turkey). 
67 Regulation (EU) 2021/836 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 amending Decision No 

1313/2013/EU on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism,  L 185/1, 26.5.2021 

68 Member States must assist unrepresented EU citizens in a non-EU country under the same conditions as they assist 

their own nationals.  

14 

 
 
 
                                                 
not  travel  together  in  large  numbers  as  this  may  congest  infrastructure/logistic  hubs.  Member  States, 
whose citizens are in transit in another EU country, should try to help that other country repatriate the 
affected citizens.  

Member  States  should  help  non-EU  nationals  arriving  from  conflict  zones  or  other  distressed 
areas and help them travel onwards. This may include setting up reception facilities and safe transit 
corridors,  temporarily  waiving  specific  requirements  (e.g.  transit  permits),  and  carrying  out  border 
checks  in  a  safe  location  away  from  the  border  to  avoid  long  queues  forming.  In  line  with  the 
Communication on operational guidelines for external border management69, Member States should use 
Frontex  and  Europol’s  standing  corps  that  can  be  deployed  to  manage  and  improve  traffic  flows  at 
borders (checking travel documents, COVID-19 certificates etc.). The operational guidelines shall apply 
in all Member States and not just those bordering with conflict area. This facilitates crossing internal 
EU borders, avoids congestion and helps people fleeing conflict zone to travel onwards. This includes 
border crossings between non-Schengen and Schengen countries.  

Persons with disabilities may be in a primarily vulnerable situation during crises. Passengers with 
disabilities may face barriers in access to transport in emergency situations. Therefore, Member States 
shall  ensure  both  targeted  action  and  mainstreaming  of  disability  in  each  of  the  actions  above.  It  is 
necessary to take into account their specific needs, to ensure accessibility, reasonable accommodation 
and  their  safety  during  crises  management  in  line  with  the  UN  Convention  on  the  Rights  of  Persons 
with Disabilities. 70 

Ensuring smoother crew changes and repatriation of seafarers 

Providing support for seafarers requires a specific mechanism. The Commission proposes to base it 
on three features. 

•  A  maritime  stakeholder  forum:  Set  up  by  the  Commission,  the  forum  will  regularly  and  closely 
coordinate  crew  change  and  seafarer  travel  problems  in  an  emergency.  The  forum  will  be  activated 
quickly and will include all stakeholders, including national crisis centres and social partners, to ensure 
that they can discuss and address any emerging issues timely and appropriately. It will identify potential 
issues, make the shipping industry’s labour system more resilient, and strengthen the EU supply chain’s 
stability. 

• Closer cooperation with countries of origin: Building on outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic, 
the Commission and the EEAS will work with EU Delegations in labour-supplying countries. They will 
draw  on  lessons  learnt  from  seafarer  travel  during  the  COVID-19  crisis  and  identify  ways  to  ensure 
smoother crew changes and repatriation to those countries. This will facilitate a swift return home for 
seafarers due to disembark, especially during emergencies. 

•  Improved  data:  One  significant  problem  is  the  lack  of  data  on  where  seafarers  are  working  and 
travelling. These data are essential to assess the scale of any crew change and seafarer travel issues and 
then evaluate and address them. The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) will therefore make an 
effort to gather and analyse this information. This database can then feed into Commission and Member 
State initiatives to prepare contingency measures for future crises. 

69 C(2022) 1404 final. 
70 The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD)’s articles 2, 9 and 11  

15 

 
 
                                                 
5) 

Ensuring minimum transport connectivity and passenger protection  

When  transport  services  are  under  pressure,  it  is  important  to  maintain  adequate  collective 
public transport in and between cities and regions. This might be particularly challenging for border 
areas, where providing essential services may depend on cross-border workers. Member States should 
therefore  consider  urgent  awards  of  public  service  contracts  for  collective  transport  services  or 
amending existing contracts for the  public’s travel  needs. The EU public transport rules for  rail, road 
and maritime transport already provide for an urgent procedure under certain conditions. As part of the 
revision of the Air Services Regulation, the Commission will  consider options to facilitate the urgent 
award by Member States of public service contracts to ensure basic connectivity in a crisis. 

The  Commission  also  calls  upon  regional  and  local  authorities  to  step  up  their  preparedness. 
Following  the  guidance  on  planning  for  more  resilient  and  robust  urban  mobility71,  the  Commission 
pointed to the need to prepare for any contingency and the importance of urban mobility in the overall 
resilience  of  urban  areas.  This  would  be  reflected  in  follow-up  action,  such  as  a  Commission 
recommendation on sustainable urban mobility plans scheduled in 2022 and dedicated discussions with 
Member State and city experts on additional measures to make urban mobility more resilient. 

Another  way  of  ensuring  minimum  connectivity  in  crises  is  by  strengthening  the  resilience  of 
transport infrastructure and operators to the shocks. In the Commission’s proposal for a new TEN-
T  regulation,  Member  States  would  have  to  improve  the  TEN-T  network’s  security  and  resilience  to 
climate  change,  environmental  and  human-made  disasters,  and  other  exceptional  events  affecting  the 
EU’s transport system.  

The  Commission  is  exploring  legislative  initiatives  to  protect  passengers  against  the  risk  of  a 
liquidity  crisis  or  the  insolvency  of  transport  carriers  –  a  situation  often  linked  to  a  crisis.  The 
Commission will also clarify and protect passengers' rights when a crisis puts them under pressure as 
well as clarify how to protect them from risks not covered by current EU passenger rights rules.  

6) 

Sharing transport information  

Information  sharing  among  the  main  actors  is  key.  The  Commission,  Member  States’  authorities 
(including  those  at  subnational  level),  EU  agencies,  other  EU  institutions  (including  Parliament  and 
Council),  transport  companies,  passengers,  transport  workers,  businesses,  and  transport  organisations 
and associations should share and have access to up-to-date information so that they can be partners in 
solving  problems.  Regular  discussion  and  cooperation  at  international  level  (e.g.  International  Civil 
Aviation  Organisation,  International  Maritime  Organisation  and  World  Health  Organisation)  is  also 
important  for  an  effective  crisis  response.  To  be  ready  for  all  possible  crises  (e.g.  from  internet 
blackouts 
suitable 
communication), 
communication/dissemination channel and related issues will need to be established as part of the crisis 
scenario  work.  If  key  communication  systems  are  attacked,  alternative  and  backup  systems  with 
Member  States’  authorities  should  be  set  up  to  ensure  efficient  communication  among  stakeholders. 
Alternative ways to communicate and collect information will be considered to give access to 
real-time information if there is a breakdown in the usual channels. 

the  most 

protocols 

satellite 

loss 

on 

of 

to 

The Galileo Green Lanes app  

71 COM (2021) 811 final 

16 

 
 
                                                 
The  EU  Agency  for  the  Space  Programme  developed  the  Galileo  Green  Lane  mobile  app.  It  gives  a 
real-time  view  of  the  EU  borders  and  monitors  them  to  provide  waiting  times.  It  has  helped  truck 
drivers and transport companies plan travel and address the difficulties caused by travel restrictions. It 
has also helped national authorities manage more efficiently the transit of goods. The Commission and 
the EU Agency for the Space Programme have secured resources to improve the Galileo Green Lanes 
app.  The  development  of  this  improved  app  is  underway,  and  it  should  include  features  and 
geographical coverage identified in the updated Green Lanes Communication. 

7) 

Strengthening transport policy coordination  

The Network of National Transport Contact Points will continue to be the centre point for transport 
crisis  discussions. This  will  avoid  parallel  decision-making,  and  allow  to  react quickly,  and deal  with 
specific features of transport in a forum with technical knowledge of the sector. Following the positive 
experience  with  the  Network  and  in  line  with  stakeholder  views  on  the  need  to  better  coordinate 
national measures and reduce reaction time, the Commission proposes reinforcing its role by making it 
a  more  permanent  network  with  a  wider  range  of  tasks,  ready  to  react  quickly  at  any  moment.  The 
Network should continue to work flexibly and informally to respond quickly to a crisis that causes 
lasting and severe disruption to the EU transport system. It should serve as a forum to discuss and 
implement  contingency  measures  and  their  deactivation.  The  Commission  will  chair  the  Network, 
which will bring together representatives of Member States’ transport ministries and agencies and EU 
transport  agencies.  Other  parties,  such  as  other  EU  agencies  and  bodies,  representatives  of  other 
Member State ministries, and transport stakeholders, could be invited to participate in discussions on a 
case-by-case basis. 

The Commission will ensure information flow between the Network, IPCR, other Council groups 
and EU and international forums. The Network will also report on the results of crisis preparedness 
tests organised by EU agencies and international partners. It may also propose and coordinate dedicated 
training to test protocols and improve crisis preparedness. The Network will participate in preparedness 
tests when appropriate. The Commission will also continue to regularly monitor waiting times at green 
lane  border  crossing  points  and  report  on  them  to  the  Network.  This  will  make  it  possible  to  react 
promptly to any emerging issues.  

8) 

Strengthening cybersecurity  

The Commission will step up cybersecurity cooperation with the European Union Aviation Safety 
Agency  (EASA),  the  European  Maritime  Safety  Agency  (EMSA),  the  EU  Agency  for  Railways 
(ERA), the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems 
in  the  Area  of  Freedom,  Security  and  Justice  and  ENISA.  Current  EU  aviation  and  maritime 
legislation  obliges  authorities  and  stakeholders  to  perform  risk  assessments  that  identify  critical  data 
and systems and put in place suitable measures addressing any residual risks. These measures should be 
further  developed  to  improve  cyber  awareness,  cyber  resilience,  training  and  information  sharing.  In 
line  with  Action  3,  future  revisions  of  EU  transport  legislation  should  take  cyberattack  risks  into 
account and address them where necessary.  

The  Commission  proposed  a  comprehensive  legislative  framework  to  protect  the  critical 
infrastructure,  covering  also  the  resilience  of  the  transport  sector.  The  proposal  for  a  revision  of 
Directive on the resilience of critical entities72 requires critical entities identified by Member States as 

72 COM(2020) 829 final 

17 

 
 
                                                 
providing  essential  services  in  the  internal  market  do  risk  assessments  and  take  resilience  enhancing 
measures in order to become more resilient against all relevant man-made and natural non-cyber risks. 
Once  the final text  has  been  adopted, the  Commission  will  work  to  ensure  its timely  implementation 
and  provide  support  to  Member  States  and  critical  entities,  including  a  Union-level  risk  overview, 
sharing  of  best  practices,  tests,  as  well  as  facilitating  cooperation  with  Member  States.  In  its  parallel 
proposal  for  the  revision  of  the  Network  and  Information  Security  Directive,  the  Commission73 
proposes  to  strengthen  resilience  and  preparedness  by  requiring  organisations,  including  those  in  the 
transport sector, to put in place business continuity and crisis management measures. 

The  Commission  and  EU  agencies  will  continue  supporting  the  development  of  cybersecurity 
protocols  to  ensure  business  continuity  in  an  incident.  ENISA  issued  guidance  on  managing 
cybersecurity risks in the rail sector74 and in ports75. EASA is working on legislation to ensure safety in 
civil  aviation.  EMSA  is  working  with  Member  States  and  the  maritime  industry  to  identify  potential 
cybersecurity gaps and steps to address them. This work will serve as a basis for further work with the 
Commission, such as cybersecurity measures for ships. 

The Commission will also work with international partners. OECD adopted a guidance in 2021 to 
facilitate international travel, inspired by the EU DCC and other EU guidance76. The International Civil 
Aviation  Organization  (ICAO)  adopted  standards  on  preventive  cybersecurity  measures,  which  were 
transposed into EU aviation security law in 201977. In addition, the ICAO resolution A40-12/1, called 
on  countries  and  industry,  among  others,  to  identify  cybersecurity  threats  and  risks  on  civil  aviation 
operations and critical systems and their consequences. The Commission and Member States are also 
actively working in several ongoing ICAO cybersecurity activities, including implementing the ICAO 
cybersecurity action plan78. The Commission will continue to work closely with EUROCONTROL to 
promote a harmonised approach to cybersecurity and cyber resilience by raising awareness and working 
with  the  stakeholders  to  develop  cyberthreat  defences.  Similarly,  the  Commission  will  continue 
supporting  international  maritime  cybersecurity  in  the  International  Maritime  Organization  (IMO).  In 
particular, the IMO recommends that shipping companies adequately address cyber risks in their safety 
management systems, and industry associations have drawn up guidelines building on this.  

9) 

Testing transport contingency   

The  Commission,  together  with  relevant  agencies  or  other  actors,  and  building  on  existing 
processes, proposes to carry out contingency tests to assess the crisis preparedness in accordance 
with this plan.  

These tests should be integrated into the Commission’s general crisis management system and as 
far  as  possible  be  part  of  existing  EU  exercises,  to  maximise  input  and  results.  An  example  is  the 

73 COM(2020) 823 final 

74 https://www.enisa.europa.eu/publications/railway-cybersecurity-good-practices-in-cyber-risk-management 
75 https://www.enisa.europa.eu/publications/guidelines-cyber-risk-management-for-ports/  
76 

https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/oecd-initiative-for-safe-international-mobility-during-the-

covid-19-pandemic-including-blueprint-d0594162/  

77 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1583 of 25 September 2019 amending Implementing Regulation 
(EU) 2015/1998 laying down detailed measures for the implementation of the common basic standards on aviation 
security, as regards cybersecurity measures, C/2019/6825, OJ L 246, 26.9.2019, p. 15–18 

78 https://www.icao.int/cybersecurity/Pages/Cybersecurity-Action-Plan.aspx 

18 

 
 
 
                                                 
 
Parallel  and  Coordinated  Exercise  2022,  which  will  include  a  transport  component.  Such  tests  could 
build  on  possible  scenarios  that  would  affect  the  EU  transport  system,  such  as  a  pandemic,  a  natural 
disaster,  a  terrorist  attack,  an  energy  shortage,  a  large-scale  cyberattack  (including  ransomware)  or  a 
severe  telecommunications  outage.).  Depending  on  the  context,  efforts  should  be  made  to  involve 
relevant actors that can contribute significantly to the tests as much as possible, such as ENISA, EMSA, 
EASA, the EUROCONTROL Network Manager and ERA. The European Aviation Crisis Coordination 
Cell managed by the Network Manager of EUROCONTROL can be instrumental in addressing aviation 
sector challenges, such as health, border and travel restrictions.  

The  lessons  learned  from  these  contingency  tests  should  help  the  transport  industry  and 
authorities,  as  appropriate,  when  developing  their  own  business  continuity  plans.  They  should 
consider  putting  in  place  backup  systems  and  redundant  solutions  (e.g.  alternative  routes,  diversified 
supplies,  alternative  fuels,  backup  databases,  uninterrupted  connectivity,  and  other  technological 
systems  and  infrastructures)  to  respond  to  different  crises.  Member  States  should  also  continue 
strengthening the resilience and availability of transport infrastructure in their territory (including ports 
and  airports)  and  ensure  the  availability  of  ancillary  services  (such  as  access  to  refuelling  stations, 
adequate level of sanitation, catering and accommodation services). The results of the contingency tests 
should also be used for training (in cooperation with transport stakeholders and Member States) and to 
raise  awareness.  The  Network  of  National  Transport  Contact  Points  will  discuss  lessons  learnt  from 
such tests and propose dedicated preparedness training as appropriate.  

10)  Cooperation with international partners  

Any  crisis  affecting  the  EU  transport  system  could  have  a  global  dimension.  Feedback  from  a 
public consultation79 shows the need to strengthen international coordination mechanisms because the 
COVID-19 pandemic revealed weaknesses in the ability to harmonise the  global response. Therefore, 
stepping  up  preparedness  for  crises  should  be  regularly  discussed  with  the  EU's  main  international 
partners, particularly those with closer connectivity ties and those with specific crisis experience, in line 
with the Global Gateway. The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have highlighted 
the importance of cooperation with the Western Balkans – through the Transport Community – for the 
green  lanes  to  work  effectively  beyond  the  EU,  as  well  as  of  extending  the  TEN-T  network. 
Similarly,  the  recent  crises  have  also  shown  the  importance  of  paying  particular  attention  to  Central 
Asia  as  well  as  the  remote  areas  and  overseas  territories,  given  their  specific  transport  needs.  The 
Commission  and  the  EEAS  will  continue  to  promote  crisis  preparedness  in  all  relevant  international 
forums and organisations, such as the ICAO and the IMO. Furthermore, the planned amendment to the 
Schengen Borders Code, to streamline the procedure for adopting non-essential travel restrictions, also 
highlights the need for good cooperation with non-EU countries. Hybrid threats are already the focus of 
EU and NATO cooperation, based on the Warsaw and Brussels Joint Declarations of 2016 and 201880.  

4  CONCLUSIONS  

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is deeply affecting the EU transport system. Rising oil and gas 
prices, broken supply chains, closure of skies and markets, and potential shortages of transport workers 
add to the existing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the conflict shows that the EU has 
learnt a lot from the COVID-19 crisis by how quickly it has already responded to the war. The conflict 
has also highlighted the need to reduce EU’s dependency on the imported fossil fuels. 

79 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13056-Contingency-plan-for-transport_en 
80 Sixth progress report on the implementation of the common set of proposals endorsed by EU and NATO Councils 

on 6 December 2016 and 5 December 2017, 3 June 2021 

19 

 
 
                                                 
The  risk  landscape  is  changing  and  it  needs  the  comprehensive  set  of  tools  outlined  in  this 
Communication. The level of preparedness can and should be stepped up. Whilst prevention and 
preparedness initiatives allow us to adapt to climate change and mitigate evolving risks, but they need 
to  be  continually  adapted  and  reviewed.  There  is  a  need  to  continue  enhancing  and  reinforcing  early 
warning systems for actionable information to allow for informed decision-making, and to ensure the 
further translation of early information/awareness into early action. There is no ready-made solution to 
address  an  unpredictable,  crisis  in  the  future.  The  best  solution  is  to  improve  the  knowledge  of 
vulnerabilities and risks and mitigate them. This will create and maintain the EU’s capacity to respond 
in a fast, coordinated and cooperative way with a combination of EU, national and local measures. 

It  is  essential  that  Member  States  apply  the  contingency  principles  and  make  full  use  of  the 
Commission’s  contingency  toolbox,  matching  the  different  tools  to  the  specific  problems  to  be 
addressed. The Commission will actively steer that process to build preparedness to respond to a crisis 
in cooperation with the EU agencies, by coordinating the Network of National Transport Contact Points 
and maintaining regular discussions with international partners and stakeholders.  

The Commission will support Member States to improve their crisis preparedness. Member States 
should  intensify  cooperation  and  discussion  with  stakeholders  to  step  up  their  preparedness  and 
response to a crisis affecting the transport sector, based on experience from the COVID-19 and Ukraine 
crises  and  different  contingency  test.  The  Commission  will  also  support  this  process  by  organising 
regular crisis simulation test with the EU agencies and share the lessons learnt. 

The Commission calls on Parliament and the Council for their full engagement in the legislative 
work to modernise and strengthen the EU transport sector’s resilience. Finalising the work on the 
pending proposals on TEN-T, Intelligent Transport Systems, Single European Sky, RefuelEU Aviation, 
FuelEU Maritime, and the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation will be essential to build up long-
term  resilience  in  EU  transport.  EU  regional  and  local  authorities  should  also  work  with  the 
Commission to improve urban mobility, in line with the new Urban Mobility Framework. 

20