Transport
France and Italy seek operator to manage trans-Alpine line
Italy and France are dusting off plans for a rolling highway that only carries 2% of trucks through the Alps. EURACTIV's partner Journal de l'Environnement reports.
Germany prepares for electric car quotas
Germany’s environment ministry is preparing itself for electric car quotas, which Berlin believes the European Commission will soon propose. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Norway close to becoming planet’s first ‘fully electrified society’
Norway has the renewable resources and political will to become the world’s first country to use entirely clean electricity for its power demands, according to a new report by Energi Norge, a non-profit industry group representing Norwegian electricity companies.
Italian lake goes all electric
Italy’s picturesque Lake Como has become Europe’s first ‘electric destination’ after efforts to install a far-reaching electric-charging network were finally realised.
Rise of electric car solves little if driven by fossil fuels, warns windfarm boss
The rise of electric cars will be an empty victory for the environment if they are powered by fossil fuels instead of renewables, according to the UK boss of the world’s biggest offshore windfarm developer. EURACTIV's partner The Guardian reports.
Schulz uses dieselgate to invigorate his campaign
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief challenger in a September election, Martin Schulz, launched a stinging attack on the country's dieselgate-tainted car industry on Sunday (13 August) as he sought to turn around a flagging campaign.
Why European passengers pay more for their flights than they should
The EU has failed to make airports competitive and fair for travellers. It needs reform, writes Thomas Reynaert.
German financial watchdog probing carmakers’ ‘cartel’
Germany's financial regulator confirmed on Monday (7 August) it is investigating whether Volkswagen and Daimler failed to notify investors properly following reports that they informed cartel authorities of secret talks with other carmakers that could amount to collusion.
UK government adviser warns electric cars are not total air pollution solution
Cars must be driven out of cities to tackle the UK’s air pollution crisis, not just replaced with electric vehicles, according to the UK government’s top adviser. EURACTIV's partner The Guardian reports.
Diesel summit takeaway: voluntary retrofits will not stop driving bans in cities
Germany’s diesel summit with car companies this week was a disappointment and does little to cut air pollution, writes Ugo Taddei.
Dieselgate: How and where it all started
German government officials and automakers met in Berlin on Wednesday (2 August) to discuss the future of diesel vehicles, after a nearly two-year saga of scandal spread from Volkswagen to others in the sector. Here's a reminder of how it all started.
UK roads could be covered with ‘tunnels’ to fight air pollution
Major roads in the United Kingdom could be turned into tunnels covered with pollution-absorbing material in an effort to cut emission fumes and improve air quality. EURACTIV's partner The Guardian reports.
Germany’s car bosses bid to head off diesel ban with software patch
Germany's powerful car industry offered Wednesday (2 August) to provide a software upgrade that would cut harmful emissions in 5 million vehicles, but critics cried foul saying it is simply a "stop-gap fix" for a colossal pollution cheating scandal.
‘Diesel summit’ analysis: Burning money to make diesel less dirty is not the solution – electric is
Summoning the heads of Germany’s carmakers to a ‘diesel summit’ could never give a positive glow and banish the dark clouds created by cities proposing diesel car bans.
German environment minister: Better transport can keep people in rural areas
German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks called for a fundamental change in policy in order to promote emissions-free mobility. In interview with EURACTIV’s partner Der Tagesspiegel she also warned about competition from China.
EU anti-fraud office send VW probe findings to German prosecutors
The European anti-fraud office that is investigating whether Volkswagen used EU funds and European Investment Bank (EIB) loans to develop devices that cheated emission tests has sent its judicial recommendations to German prosecutors.
The Brief: Emissions collusion dampened EU spark
After the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal broke in late 2015, it quickly became apparent that the German giant was not the only car company with dirty secrets to hide.
Refuting cartel tag, VW says automaker exchanges ‘common’
German car giant Volkswagen, facing allegations that it colluded with fellow automakers on diesel emissions and other issues, insisted on Wednesday (27 July) that technical exchanges between manufacturers were "quite common".
EU court’s blow to Canada deal marks new hurdle for data laws
An EU data sharing agreement with Canada is illegal because it violates privacy rights, the European Court of Justice said Wednesday (26 July), marking a new legal blow to the bloc's data deals.
UK to reward green consumers, ban dirty vehicles
British consumers could enjoy savings worth billions of pounds as a result of major changes to electricity generation, usage and storage, under new plans by the UK government. Westminster also intends to ban sales of new diesel and petrol cars by 2040.
Cartel probe looms over German car industry
German carmakers faced a brewing scandal Monday (24 July) as suspicions grew they colluded illegally for decades, further damaging the industry's image and exposing it to massive financial risks.
India wants every car to be electric by 2030
India is hoping to become the first big world power where all cars on its roads are electric, as part of its efforts to combat severe atmospheric pollution. 1.8 million deaths are caused by it every year on the subcontinent. EURACTIV’s partner Italia Oggi reports.
Vers un label européen pour l’accessibilité des transports aux personnes handicapées
Les législations sur les transports, les règles d’accessibilité, la qualité des équipements et des infrastructures, les modes de financement de la mobilité diffèrent assez largement d’un pays à l’autre de l’Europe et les situations des personnes handicapées à l’égard des transports sont contrastées.
Dieselgate scandal still fuming in Europe, more action needed
Europe has not yet reached the bottom of the Dieselgate scandal as "many other brands" besides Volkswagen show too high emissions in real driving conditions, the EU's Internal Market Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska warned in a letter to the 28 member states' transport ministers.