TEN-T Regulation: EU road transport social partners call for commitment to improve drivers’ conditions

The ongoing revision of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) will be key for transport in the EU, particularly for road transport.

In a letter to the Czech Presidency of the EU Council, ETF and ITU underline how Member States committing to key objectives of the TEN-T Regulation, such as ensuring safe and secure truck parking areas, will be key.

The TEN-T network policy aims to connect Europe better, but also improve the use of infrastructure, reduce the environmental impact of transport, enhance energy efficiency and increase safety (European Commission).

In this vein, the ETF and IRU call on the support of the Czech Presidency to make the TEN-T Regulation more ambitious and call for solutions:

• Establishment of more safe and secure truck parking areas on the entire TEN-T Network: Currently, 100,000 parking spots are missing in the EU, while very few are certified as safe and secure. This negatively affects drivers – the road industry is already missing over 400,000 drivers due to poor working conditions, and everything must be done to improve them.
• Promote more complementarity and cooperation between transport modes: Encourage multimodal transport by improving the accessibility of the existing network of terminals and hubs on the TEN-T network.
• Actively support the shift to decarbonisation by lining up deadlines for building the infrastructure needed to charge electric vehicles in terminals and hubs with the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR).

Given the role of road transport and its drivers in moving Europe’s goods and people, the EU’s environmental and safety policy objectives cannot be achieved without investment in all modes of transport, including– the road transport sector.

You may consult the IRU-ETF Joint letter on TEN-T Regulation – Minister Martin Kupka – Czech Republic here and at your right.