About: Siim Kallas
Liberal ALDE party elects Hans Van Baalen as new President
MEP Hans van Baalen (VVD), a Dutch member of the European Parliament, was elected the new President of the ALDE Party at the ALDE Party Congress in Budapest on Saturday (21 November), triumphing over former Estonian Commissioner Siim Kallas.
Transport policy is not a Cinderella
Transport is often seen as secondary, but it is at the core of the EU freedom of movement, writes Siim Kallas.
Kallas: Europe must reduce subsidies to transport
EU governments pour too much public money into obsolete enterprises and thereby keep low-quality transport services going when they should not be allowed to do so, said Siim Kallas in an interview reflecting on his legacy as Commission Vice-President in the Barroso II team.
As it happened: Six to-dos for sustainable European media
How can independent media survive across Europe? EURACTIV releases six recommendations in January 2015 for a more effective EU strategy towards media and the fourth estate.
Russia’s EU strategy is to isolate member states
Russia’s strategy with the EU is to isolate the member states from one other, so Europe has to remain united when it negotiates with Moscow, writes Siim Kallas.
EU gears up for more road toll schemes
The European Commission announced it will propose a new law to make road toll schemes across Europe more user-friendly if it fails to achieve it through non-binding measures.
Why the West will never understand Russia
?Moscow will look for every way to circumvent the sanctions and encourage divisions within the European Union before the question of economic sanctions returns, writes Siim Kallas.
Brussels loses patience over Single Sky delays
The European Commission sent formal letters to 18 EU countries yesterday (10 July), urging them to improve their Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs), the cornerstones of a single European airspace, saying implementation delays were hurting consumers, airlines and the environment. VideoPromoted content
Eurogroup approves next €1bn bailout tranche to Greece
EU Finance ministers approved on Monday the next tranche of financial aid for Greece, worth 1 billion euros. “With this €1 billion disbursement, there is now €2.1 billion still left in the pipeline for Greece. €1 billion of that could be disbursed in August but that depends on the nest set of milestones being met.” ESM Managing Director Klaus Regling said.![A road toll in Serbia [Photo: Shutterstock]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/10/road_toll.jpeg)
Germany toll charge plan questioned by neighbours
Germany's Transport Minister outlined proposals for a new road toll on Monday (7 July), attracting immediate comdemnation from critics, including neighbouring Austria, who say it would effectively only charge foreigners. VideoPromoted content
Ukraine gets first €100 million in EU aid
The European Commission disbursed a first loan of €100 million to Ukraine on Tuesday. It is the first tranche of a 1.6 billion euro package that the EU pledged last month to help Kiev's struggling economy.
Council rubber stamps private-public partnerships in biomass, air, energy, electronics, medicine
The European Council Tuesday (5 May), approved the roll out of a series of public private partnerships worth up to €22 billion over the next seven years. VideoPromoted content
EU forecasts moderate growth in 2014
The European Union predicted on Monday a positive economic outlook for the next two years, but with one condition: EU member states must stick to the agreed austerity measures.
Debt relief for Greece on table as EU economic growth picks up
New debt relief measures for Greece will be discussed Monday (5 May) by euro area finance ministers, the European Commission confirmed as it presented a spring economic forecast showing gradual growth across the EU.
Portugal exits from bailout on 17 May
Portugal said yesterday (4 May) it would exit its three-year €78-billion bailout this month without a precautionary credit line, as the country returns to growth after years of painful austerity and unpopular reforms.![EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger favours an EU-wide solution to road tolling. March 2014 [The Council of the European Union]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/11/oettinger_consilium_0.jpeg)
Transport expert: EU-wide road toll is quick-fire solution
EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger is still convinced of the benefits of a Europe-wide tolling system. But the devil is in the details, said a transport expert speaking with EURACTIV Germany: Oettinger's idea is nothing more than a “quick-fire solution”.
Parliament approves safer trucks
The European Parliament voted through a proposal yesterday (15 April) that should help make trucks safer for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as reduce CO2 emissions. MEPs, however, rejected plans to allow so-called 'mega-trucks' across the EU, leaving the decision to member states.
Parliament votes to harmonise electric cars in Europe
The European Parliament is set to approve new EU laws aimed at setting up infrastructure for alternative fuels in the EU, a move aimed at boosting electric vehicles and reducing Europe’s dependence on imported oil, MEPs said ahead of the plenary vote, which takes place today (15 April). EURACTIV reports from Strasbourg. VideoPromoted content
EU Parliament approves more rights for air passengers
The European Parliament approved on Wednesday stricter rules to protect the rights of air passengers. MEPs want to make it easier for travelers to claim economic compensation from their airlines in the event of a delayed or cancelled flight. VideoPromoted content
EU paves way to surfing the Internet on planes
The new instructions of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency will allow passengers to keep their electronic devices in “flight mode” throughout their journey, a move that should be followed by allowing surfing of the Internet next year. The European Commissioner in charge of Transport, Siim Kallas, announced today that electronic devices in airplanes will soon be allowed throughout the journey, “from gate to gate”, as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) updated its rules today (9 December). VideoPromoted content
Vice-President Kallas opens crucial aviation talks in Montreal
Airlines on Monday (23 September) urged a UN aviation group to back a mandatory global framework to curb airline emissions, saying failure to reach a deal would revive threats of a trade war.
Safety official sees no link between EU rail liberalisation, fatal accidents
Several devastating railway accidents, including one in Spain this week that is Europe’s deadliest since 1998, show little sign of being related to the EU’s fast-track effort to liberalise railways and separate infrastructure from passenger and cargo services, a safety official said.
MEPs vote to include motorcycles in safety inspections
The European Parliament voted Tuesday (2 July) to extend vehicle safety checks to motorcycles, reversing a parliamentary committee’s effort to exempt two-wheeled vehicles from inspections. VideoPromoted content
