Transport

The European Union’s (EU) transport policy aims to ensure the smooth, efficient, safe and free movement of people and goods throughout the EU by means of integrated networks using all modes of transport (road, rail, water and air). 

It aims to provide efficient, safe and environmentally friendly mobility solutions within the EU and to create the conditions for a competitive industry generating growth and jobs.

EU transport policy also deals with issues as wide-ranging as climate change, passenger rights, clean fuels, etc., all transport-related issues which can be better tackled at EU level.

Governed by Article 4(2)(g) and Title VI (Articles 90–100) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, transport is one of the EU’s most strategic common policies. 

• • Air transport
    • RefuelEU aviation – sustainable air transport
    • Framework for creation of the single European sky (SES)
    • Harmonisation of civil aviation requirements and procedures
    • Ground handling at Community airports
    • EU–Ukraine Common Aviation Area Agreement
    • EU-Switzerland air transport agreement
    • Euro-Mediterranean aviation agreement between the EU and Morocco
    • Euro-Mediterranean aviation agreement between the EU and Jordan
    • Euro-Mediterranean aviation agreement between the EU and Israel
    • European Common Aviation Area (ECAA)
    • European Union–United States aviation agreements
    • EU–Qatar agreement on air transport
    • EU-Moldova common aviation area agreement
    • European Union–Armenia Common Aviation Area Agreement
    • EU-US cooperation on civil aviation safety
    • EU-Georgia common aviation area agreement
    • EU-China agreement on civil aviation safety
    • EU–Canada air transport agreement
    • EU airport noise
    • EU air passenger rights in case of denied boarding, a delayed flight or a cancelled flight
    • A common framework for airport charges
    • Civil aviation security: EU-wide rules
    • Civil aviation rules and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency
    • Civil aviation accidents and incidents
    • Allocation of time slots at European Union airports
    • Airworthiness and environmental certification
    • Aircrew regulation
    • Air traffic flow management
    • Air traffic controllers’ licences and certificates – technical requirements and administrative procedures
    • Air service agreements between EU and non-EU countries
    • Computerised air ticket reservation systems
    • Air carrier passenger and baggage liability
    • Agreements on air services
    • Agreement on civil aviation safety between the European Union and Brazil
    • Commercial air transport operations
    • Unmanned aircraft systems – design and manufacture requirements
    • Unmanned aircraft — operating rules and procedures
    • Safety regulation of aerodromes
    • Rights of people with reduced mobility — air travel
    • Requirements for providers of air traffic management and air navigation services
    • Safeguarding competition in air transport
    • Single European Sky — EU rules on air navigation services
    • Statistics in respect of the carriage of passengers, freight and mail by air
    • Liability insurance of air carriers
    • Operation of air services: EU rules
    • Occurrences in civil aviation – reporting, analysis and follow-up
    • Obligation of air carriers to communicate passenger data
    • Montreal Convention on air carrier liability
    • The EU's aviation strategy
    • Information for passengers: air carriers’ identity
  • Road transport
    • Tachographs in road transport
    • Loading and unloading of bulk carriers
    • Testing to ensure the safety of vehicles and trailers
    • Hiring of vehicles for the carriage of goods
    • Freight transport logistics action plan
    • Cross-border transportation of euro cash by road
    • eCall in-vehicle system — type-approval
    • Driving time and rest periods in the road transport sector
    • Drivers of road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers – qualification and training
    • Access to the international market for coach and bus services
    • Charging vehicles for using roads
    • Bus and coach passengers’ rights
    • Rules for the compilation of statistics regarding goods carried by road
    • Roadside inspections of the safety of commercial vehicles
    • Roadmap to a single European transport area: Towards a competitive and resource-efficient transport system
    • Road tunnels: EU safety rules
    • Road transport: EU rules on the organisation of the working time of professional drivers
    • Road traffic offences – sharing information between countries
    • Road safety: Policy orientations on road safety 2011-20
    • Road safety: EU database on road traffic accidents
    • Road safety: driving licences
    • Road infrastructure safety management
    • Road haulage and passenger transport companies: operating rules
    • The Transport Protocol of the Alpine Convention
    • The deployment of intelligent transport systems in Europe
    • Transportable pressure equipment
    • Type-approval requirements to ensure the general safety of vehicles and the protection of vulnerable road users
    • Joint rules on access to the EU road haulage market
    • Intermodal transport: combined transport of goods between EU countries
    • Interbus agreement: the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus
  • Rail transport
    • Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF)
    • European Year of Rail (2021)
    • EU rail transport statistics
    • EU rail passengers’ rights
    • European Union Agency for Railways — ensuring a safe and interoperable railway area
    • EU-wide railway safety
    • Cross-border train crews — working conditions
    • A single railway network for Europe
    • A European rail network for competitive freight
    • Certification of train drivers operating locomotives and trains
    • An interoperable EU rail system
    • State aid for railway companies
    • Interoperability of telematic applications for freight of the rail system in the EU
  • Maritime & inland waterways
    • Recognition of professional qualifications in inland navigation
    • Maritime safety: port State control
    • Maritime safety: minimum level of training of seafarers
    • Maritime safety: International Safety Management (ISM) Code for shipping
    • Maritime safety: European Maritime Safety Agency
    • Maritime safety: accelerated phasing-in of double-hull oil tankers
    • Freedom to provide services within the EU (ocean trade)
    • European maritime single window environment
    • EU statistics of goods transport by inland waterways
    • EU sea safety: ship inspection rules and standards
    • EU sea safety: rules & standards for ship inspection and maritime administration activities
    • EU maritime information and exchange system
    • EU–China maritime transport agreement
    • Ensuring EU countries comply with and enforce the Maritime Labour Convention
    • Anti-dumping protection — shipbuilding industry
    • Compliance with flag State requirements
    • Blue belt: a single transport area for EU shipping
    • Working hours on board ships using EU ports
    • Safe and efficient river transport: river information services
    • Safety rules and standards for passenger ships
    • Safety of ro-ro passenger ships and high-speed passenger craft
    • Rules for promoting inland waterway transport in the EU
    • Safer and less polluting equipment on EU ships
    • Rights of passengers travelling by sea and inland waterways
    • Reporting formalities for ships
    • Renewable and low-carbon fuels in maritime transport
    • Registration of persons on board passenger ships
    • Ship-source pollution and criminal penalties
    • Sea transport — supply of services, competition, unfair pricing and access to ocean trade
    • Security for ships and port facilities
    • Seafarers’ working time
    • Liability of ship owners in the event of accidents
    • Promotion of inland waterway transport NAIADES
    • Ports: provision of services and financial transparency
    • Ports: an engine for EU growth
    • Port infrastructure: enhancing port security
    • Port facilities for waste from ships, including cargo residues
    • Monitoring, reporting and verification of ships’ emissions
    • Protecting the sea and the food chain from the effects of organotin compounds
    • The supply of shipping services
    • The insurance of shipowners for maritime claims
    • Transfer of cargo and passenger ships between registers within the EU
    • Intensified European maritime surveillance cooperation
    • Inland Waterways — Vessels
    • Inland waterways — river information services (RIS)
    • Inland waterway transport – jobs and skills
    • Inland transport of dangerous goods
    • Inland navigation: access to the market
  • Agreements – Transport
    • Interbus agreement: the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus
    • EU-US agreement on airline passenger name record data
    • EU–Ukraine Common Aviation Area Agreement
    • EU–Ukraine agreement on the carriage of freight by road
    • EU-Switzerland air transport agreement
    • Euro-Mediterranean aviation agreement between the EU and Morocco
    • Euro-Mediterranean aviation agreement between the EU and Jordan
    • Euro-Mediterranean aviation agreement between the EU and Israel
    • European Common Aviation Area (ECAA)
    • European Union–United States aviation agreements
    • EU–Qatar agreement on air transport
    • EU-Moldova common aviation area agreement
    • EU–Moldova agreement on the carriage of freight by road
    • European Union–Armenia Common Aviation Area Agreement
    • EU-US cooperation on civil aviation safety
    • EU–China maritime transport agreement
    • EU-Georgia common aviation area agreement
    • EU-China agreement on civil aviation safety
    • EU–Canada air transport agreement
    • Ensuring EU countries comply with and enforce the Maritime Labour Convention
    • Convention on international interests in mobile equipment
    • Air service agreements between EU and non-EU countries
    • Agreements on air services
    • Agreement on civil aviation safety between the European Union and Brazil
    • Montreal Convention on air carrier liability
    • The Transport Protocol of the Alpine Convention
    • The Transport Community
    • Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF)
  • Security & safety
    • Inland transport of dangerous goods
    • Maritime safety: port State control
    • Maritime safety: minimum level of training of seafarers
    • Maritime safety: International Safety Management (ISM) Code for shipping
    • Maritime safety: accelerated phasing-in of double-hull oil tankers
    • Making critical entities more resilient
    • Loading and unloading of bulk carriers
    • Testing to ensure the safety of vehicles and trailers
    • EU sea safety: ship inspection rules and standards
    • EU sea safety: rules & standards for ship inspection and maritime administration activities
    • EU-wide railway safety
    • EU-China agreement on civil aviation safety
    • EU emergency services: rolling out eCall infrastructure
    • eCall in-vehicle system — type-approval
    • Drivers of road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers – qualification and training
    • Civil aviation security: EU-wide rules
    • Civil aviation rules and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency
    • Civil aviation accidents and incidents
    • Certification of train drivers operating locomotives and trains
    • Air carrier passenger and baggage liability
    • Agreement on civil aviation safety between the European Union and Brazil
    • Authorised maximum dimensions and weights for trucks, buses and coaches
    • Unmanned aircraft systems – design and manufacture requirements
    • Safe and efficient river transport: river information services
    • Safety regulation of aerodromes
    • Safety of ro-ro passenger ships and high-speed passenger craft
    • Safety rules and standards for passenger ships
    • Safer and less polluting equipment on EU ships
    • Roadside inspections of the safety of commercial vehicles
    • Road tunnels: EU safety rules
    • Road safety: Policy orientations on road safety 2011-20
    • Road safety: EU database on road traffic accidents
    • Road safety: driving licences
    • Road infrastructure safety management
    • Security for ships and port facilities
    • Transportable pressure equipment
    • Joint rules on access to the EU road haulage market
  • Clean & urban transport and sustainable transport
    • Reducing pollution from light motor vehicles
    • European Year of Rail (2021)
    • Electronic freight transport information
    • Ecodesign requirements — electric motors and variable speed drives
    • Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure
    • Emissions from heavy-duty vehicles (Euro VI): certification rules
    • CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of heavy-duty vehicles
    • CO2 emission performance standards for new heavy-duty vehicles
    • Clean power for transport: a European alternative fuels strategy
    • Clean and energy-efficient road transport vehicles
    • Urban mobility in the EU
    • Worldwide harmonised Light-duty vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) and Real Driving Emissions (RDE)
    • Safer and less polluting equipment on EU ships
    • Roadmap to a single European transport area: Towards a competitive and resource-efficient transport system
    • Monitoring, reporting and verification of ships’ emissions
    • Protecting the sea and the food chain from the effects of organotin compounds
    • The Marco Polo II programme
    • Reduction in CO2 emissions of new passenger cars and of new light commercial vehicles
  • Infrastructure, TEN-T, Connecting Europe
    • Connecting Europe Facility (2021-2027)
    • European Year of Rail (2021)
    • Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure
    • Advancing the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T)
  • Intelligent transport systems
    • The deployment of intelligent transport systems in Europe
    • Electronic freight transport information
  • Research & innovation
    • Space
      • EU Satellite Centre (SATCEN)
      • Galileo — access to the public regulated service
      • Horizon Europe — the framework programme for research and innovation, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination
      • EU secure connectivity programme (2023–2027)
      • EU space programme (2021–2027) – European Union Agency for the Space Programme
  • Public service obligations
    • Internal market and State aid — public passenger transport services by rail and road
    • Freedom to provide services within the EU (ocean trade)
    • Operation of air services: EU rules
  • Logistics and multimodal transport
    • Intermodal transport: combined transport of goods between EU countries
    • Freight transport logistics action plan
    • European Union Agency for Railways — ensuring a safe and interoperable railway area
    • An interoperable EU rail system
    • Authorised maximum dimensions and weights for trucks, buses and coaches
    • The Marco Polo II programme
    • Interoperability of telematic applications for freight of the rail system in the EU
  • Passenger rights & social issues
    • Information for passengers: air carriers’ identity
    • EU rail passengers’ rights
    • EU air passenger rights in case of denied boarding, a delayed flight or a cancelled flight
    • Bus and coach passengers’ rights
    • Use of passenger records to prevent terrorism and serious crime
    • Rights of people with reduced mobility — air travel
    • Rights of passengers travelling by sea and inland waterways
    • Liability of ship owners in the event of accidents
  • European statistics
    • Statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea
    • EU statistics of goods transport by inland waterways
    • EU rail transport statistics
    • Rules for the compilation of statistics regarding goods carried by road
    • Road safety: EU database on road traffic accidents
    • Statistics in respect of the carriage of passengers, freight and mail by air
  • Archived summaries
    • Reduction in CO2 emissions of new passenger cars
    • Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from light commercial vehicles
    • Public-private partnership to boost research and innovation in rail
    • Public-private partnership to develop cleaner aircraft
    • Quality of rail freight
    • Rail infrastructure: multi-annual contracts
    • Rail passenger rights
    • Rail safety: transport of dangerous goods by rail
    • Rail transport statistics
    • Re-profiling the European global navigation satellite system (GNSS) programmes
    • Railway safety
    • Protection of air passengers
    • Keep Europe moving - Sustainable mobility for our continent. Mid-term review of the 2001 White Paper
    • Latvia
    • Inland navigation: conditions attached to chartering and pricing
    • Inland navigation: harmonisation of conditions for obtaining national boatmasters' certificates
    • Inland navigation: reciprocal recognition of national boatmasters' certificates for inland waterway navigation
    • Inland navigation: structural improvements
    • Inland waterways: access to the occupation of carrier of goods by waterway and mutual recognition of diplomas
    • LeaderSHIP 2015
    • Integrating the environment into aerial transport
    • Integration of the Trans-European Transport Network into the common transport policy (Green Paper)
    • Intermodal transport: intermodal loading units (ILUs)
    • Intermodal transport: The Marco Polo Programme
    • Internalisation of external transport costs
    • International transport agreements: TRACECA, SEETO and NDPTL
    • Interoperability of the conventional rail system
    • Interoperability of the European air traffic management network
    • Interoperability of the trans-European high-speed rail system
    • Interoperability of the trans-European rail system
    • Turkey – Transport
    • Transport and the environment
    • Traffic management: air traffic controller licences
    • Traffic management: the creation of the single European sky
    • Trans-European networks: towards an integrated approach
    • Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency
    • The Czech Republic
    • The eCall service
    • The EU and its neighbouring regions: A renewed approach to transport cooperation
    • The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – Transport
    • The Innovation and Networks Executive Agency
    • Towards a European maritime transport space without barriers
    • Passenger car related taxes
    • Passengers and goods: Driver attestation
    • Motor vehicles and their trailers: roadside inspection of commercial vehicles (until 2018)
    • Motor vehicles and their trailers: roadworthiness test
    • Poland
    • Pollutant gases of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors
    • Port facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues
    • Port infrastructure: Green Paper
    • Port infrastructure: quality services in sea ports
    • New generation European air traffic management system (SESAR)
    • Noise management at EU airports
    • Programme for the promotion of short sea shipping
    • Licensing of air carriers
    • Licensing of railway undertakings
    • Seafarer training and recruitment
    • State aid to shipbuilding (I)
    • Single European Sky II
    • Strategy to reduce atmospheric emissions from seagoing ships
    • Slovakia
    • Slovenia
    • Strengthening of maritime labour standards
    • Strengthening passenger rights within the European Union
    • Road safety: appointment and vocational qualification of safety advisers
    • Road safety: cross-border application of the legislation
    • Road safety: promoting road safety in the European Union
    • Road safety: Road Safety Action Programme (2003-2010)
    • Romania
    • Satellite-based Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)
    • Satellite navigation applications
    • Satellite navigation: Galileo
    • White Paper: A strategy for revitalising the Community's railways
    • White paper: European transport policy for 2010
    • Use of security scanners at EU airports
    • Aviation and climate change
    • Aviation safety: Occurrence reporting in civil aviation
    • Aviation security charges
    • Common charging scheme for air navigation services
    • Agenda for General and Business Aviation
    • Black Sea Synergy
    • Community financial aid to trans-European networks
    • Bulgaria
    • Compensation in cases of non-compliance with contractual quality requirements for rail freight services
    • Air fares and air cargo rates (third phase)
    • Air safety: Third-country aircraft using Community airports
    • Air traffic management: organisation and use of airspace in the Single European Sky
    • Connecting Europe Facility
    • Allocation of railway infrastructure capacity and charging for the use of infrastructure
    • An action plan for airports in Europe: the “airport package”
    • Charging: interoperable electronic fee collection systems in Europe
    • Checks on the transport of dangerous goods by road
    • Civil aviation and the European Aviation Safety Agency
    • Civil aviation licences
    • Classification of airspace for visual flights
    • Clean Sky
    • Code of conduct for use of computerized reservation systems
    • Cohesion and transport
    • A global approach to PNR data transfers
    • Africa and Europe: strengthening transport cooperation
    • A strategy for better ship dismantling practices
    • A sustainable future for European transport
    • Access for air carriers to intra-Community air routes (third phase)
    • Accession to the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF)
    • Action plan for an integrated maritime policy
    • Cyprus
    • Deployment of the rail signalling system ERTMS/ETCS
    • Developing the agenda for the Community's external aviation policy
    • Developing the Citizens' Network
    • Development of a Euro-Mediterranean transport network
    • Development of a single railway area
    • Development of the Community's railways
    • Drinking and driving: Maximum authorised level of alcohol in the blood
    • eCall aims to speed up response from emergency services to car crash victims
    • Croatia – Transport
    • Ensuring the compatibility of EU rail systems
    • Environmental certification of aircraft, their parts and appliances
    • Estonia
    • EU guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network
    • EU guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network
    • Establishing an Aviation Safety Management System for Europe
    • European railway agency
    • European space policy
    • European system for registration of carriers of radioactive materials (Proposal)
    • Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation
    • European Energy and Transport Forum
    • EU space industrial policy - EUR-Lex
    • European GNSS Supervisory Authority responsible for European satellite radionavigation programmes
    • EU strategy for biofuels
    • European maritime transport policy until 2018
    • Green Paper: Towards a new culture for urban mobility
    • “Green” vehicles: a European strategy
    • For a European standard for the approval of locomotives
    • Guidelines on State aid for developing regional airports
    • Freight transport logistics in Europe
    • Further implementation of the European satellite navigation programmes (EGNOS and Galileo)
    • Further integration of the European rail system: third railway package
    • Hungary
    • i2010 Intelligent Car Initiative (third eSafety communication)
    • Iceland – Transport
    • Goods and passenger transport by inland waterway
    • Goods: carriage between Member States
    • Goods: community safeguard mechanism
    • Goods: distribution of permits for heavy goods vehicles travelling in Switzerland
    • Goods: Non-resident carriers in the national market
    • Goods: statistical returns on the carriage of goods by road
    • Goods: towards a safer and more competitive high-quality road transport system
    • Technical requirements for inland waterway vessels
    • Telematics: deployment of road telematics
    • Malta
    • Mandatory checks on regular ro-ro ferries and high-speed passenger craft
    • Maritime safety: accelerated phasing-in of double-hull oil tankers
    • Maritime safety: Committee on Safe Seas
    • Maritime safety: compensation fund for oil pollution damage
    • Maritime safety: Erika I package
    • Maritime safety: Erika II
    • Maritime safety: marine equipment
    • Maritime safety: minimum level of training of seafarers
    • Maritime safety: prevention of pollution from ships
    • Lithuania
    • Maritime safety: tonnage measurement of ballast spaces in segregated ballast oil tankers