Debate: EU response to the transport poverty
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2021
Speaker: Adina-Ioana Vălean
Language: EN

What is interesting, and was raised by you, is to discuss the cumulative effects of various measures in the Fit for 55 package, which are beyond transport policies directly. The truth is that the Commission’s modelling estimates the cumulative effects of the different policy proposals over time. This is true not only for cost but also for benefits, such as important air quality or reduced fossil fuel import bills. Importantly, as the modelling has shown, the proposed measures interact and stress on each other. So the right mix of policies lessens the possible negative impacts and enables greater ambition.  Road transport provides an example of this dynamic at work. Improving CO2 standards for cars and vans will ensure the supply of low emission vehicles. A mix of taxation and carbon pricing provides incentives for the purchase of low emission vehicles, ensuring demand. And finally, providing support for installing charging infrastructure will ensure that the transition is feasible. So this would be the plan that explains the package. Let’s hope that the market also will kick in somewhere in all this story, and then we will have a more natural and solid transition.  What are we doing in transport to address the complexity of the issues brought about by the transition? This is highlighted in the smart and sustainable mobility strategy. You discussed it and you looked at the basket of measures I was proposing and you said it was OK, because it is for the transition, it is for each mode, it is for multimodality. We are adding brick by brick to this construction of the sustainable future of transport, the last one being yesterday with the TEN-T Regulation. So I trust that if we are discussing and approaching it from all angles, looking at the threats but also the benefits, looking at the costs but also at where we can reduce the costs in other parts, it might in the end come to a positive result.  The emissions trading system (ETS) was discussed in particular. It’s true that the ETS is proposed for roads and buildings and this is something new. And of course, we don’t want to create an effect which would lead to poverty in transport for people because of the increase in prices. The measure envisaged by the Commission was the creation of the social climate fund, which will channel around 25% of auction revenues from the new ETS to counter energy and transport poverty. The fund will support measures and investments intended to grant improved access to zero- and low-emission mobility and transport. Member States are also able to give temporary direct support to vulnerable households to absorb the ETS immediate price impact – indeed, from their budgets, in answer to Mr Marinescu, where else from? The Commission, also proposes that the Member States dedicate all revenues from the existing and the new ETS to these climate-related purposes. And I know very well that in this House, each time we agree on taxes or put a price on the externalities, we ask that the money collected will go towards innovation and green policies so that the cost of these externalities will be reduced over time.  Apart from the social climate fund, all the others, as I said in my initial speech – the Social Fund, the Just Transition Fund, the Cohesion Fund – are all envisaged to support this transition and the eventual impact of the ETS on buildings and roads.  But the ball is in your court and I’m looking forward to your debate in the European Parliament on this topic. We are here as a Commission to support this debate and look forward to a good outcome from it. In transport policy, in particular, if you look at all the measures, a basket of measures we are proposing in our strategy, you will see that it all makes sense for a solid transition towards more sustainable and smart transport.