Transport & Environment Archives

The European Commission’s move to make it administratively easier to calculate and charge VAT on passenger transport is welcome and long overdue, writes Bill Hemmings. But instead of abolishing VAT breaks for airline tickets, the EU plan will make a weekend trip treated the same as “necessities” such as foodstuffs, or pharmaceutical products, he warns.

The European Commission's proposal to phase-out of car vignettes is fully in line with the treaties and the EU executive has every right to table legislation to that effect, argues Samuel Kenny.

The revelation that German carmakers have tested diesel exhaust fumes on monkeys is just the most recent in an appalling catalogue of scandals in which the German auto industry has been embroiled, writes Greg Archer.

E-mail exchanges between the European Commission and Airbus show how the European aircraft manufacturer was offered privileged access to the EU decision-making process, allowing it to write its own environmental rules, writes Andrew Murphy.

It is essential that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Europe retain the power to have the final say on regulating aircraft and the ability, with parliamentary oversight, to adjust future European regulations as needed to changing circumstances, writes Bill Hemmings.

The European Commission's proposal to continue exempting flights to and from Europe from its flagship emissions trading scheme (ETS) was an overreaction, writes Andrew Murphy.

As millions of European hit the roads this month for a well-earned summer break, most won’t know what they’re driving on, writes Laura Buffet.

Concerns that sharing schemes do not deliver a net reduction in car use are not supported by evidence, writes Greg Archer. Now, digitisation and the sharing economy provide an opportunity to reduce the number of vehicles in our cities even further, he contends.

Hauliers claim that trucks are overpaying in taxes and charges compared to their impact on the environment and society. But the reality is that road transport is now Europe’s biggest climate problem, writes Samuel Kenny.

The battle over the EU's response to the Dieselgate scandal is drawing to a close. It pits the rebels advocating for more effective controls (the European Commission and Parliament) against the regressive forces of the Empire (some national governments and the car industry), writes Julia Poliscanova.

It’s no mystery why Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary dismisses evidence of climate change as ‘rubbish’, writes Andrew Murphy.

Biofuels are being touted as a solution to the problem of aviation emissions. But previous experience shows us we must take care to ensure they are not actually worse for the environment than the kerosene they replace, writes Carlos Calvo Ambel.

The move towards autonomous vehicles, driven by the progressive electrification of transport, and backed up by road pricing schemes, all carry the potential of radically cleaning up Europe's transport system, writes Greg Archer.

Light commercial vehicles are increasingly being used as a means to dodge social legislation and taxes, writes Samuel Kenny.

As the dust settles over the UK’s referendum, many are trying to second guess what it all means. Here Cecile Toubeau sizes up the possible repercussions for global trade policy.

London Mayor Boris Johnson wants the UK to take back control of truck design to improve road safety, but the UK will gain nothing by leaving the EU, writes Jos Dings.

Multinational companies are already exploiting investor protection clauses in free trade agreements to 'chill' social and environmental regulations that threaten their bottom lines, writes Matt Langdon. The EU must heed the warning bells.

In the midst of the ongoing Dieselgate scandal, Nina Renshaw and Jos Dings write that regulators need to be given back real authority and responsibility, and that the Commission has shown significant shortcomings.

Heavy duty vehicles account for a significant portion of CO2 emissions, and their impact is only supposed to increase. New measures must be adopted quickly in order to achieve climate goals, writes Carlos Calvo Ambel.

Car makers will not invest in low carbon technology while polluting is cheap. Strict emissions standards are the only way to decarbonise road transport and stimulate a modal shift, argues William Todts.

Obsolete laboratory tests for auto emissions is putting the health of Europeans at risk, writes Julia Poliscanova.

Martin Schulz's new ISDS proposal will likely be approved by the European Parliament. But behind the new language, not much has changed, writes Cecile Toubeau.

American trucks have always lagged behind in terms of efficiency, but new US regulations will soon cause the tables to turn, argues William Todts. 

Implementing consistent emissions standards for all diesel engines would push manufacturers to use the best available technology and improve the EU's air quality, argues François Cuenot.