EU Commission and member states need to redouble efforts to
achieve broad coverage and even distribution of alternative fuels
infrastructure across the EU, MEPs say in a draft resolution
voted on Monday in the Transport and Tourism Committee.
To fill gaps in recharging and refuelling infrastructure and to
help reach transport decarbonisation targets, transport MEPs call
the Commission to table the proposal to revise the 2014 directive on the
deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure and also
to focus on implementation as only eight member states have so
far fully implemented the current rules.
MEPs want the Commission to propose more efficient instruments
including binding and enforceable targets, as there are
“differing levels of effort and ambition” in EU countries.
The directive should cover not only the “core” Trans-European Transport
Network (TEN-T), but also the TEN-T “comprehensive”
network, they add.
MEPs welcome the Commission’s efforts to provide an additional
EUR 800 million to support the uptake of alternative fuels
infrastructure, but given the projected need for EUR 5.2 billion
up to 2020, they urge it to increase the funding.
Projects to develop alternative fuels infrastructure should have
access to grants and loans provided by the Connecting Europe
Facility and the European Investment Bank, MEPs stress.
They also call EU member states to review their energy taxation
frameworks in order to provide incentives for low-carbon and
carbon-free fuels and remove present disparities in energy
taxation between different transport modes.
Rapporteur Ismail
Ertug (S&D, DE): “Today’s result is a strong signal
that will facilitate the uptake of low- and zero emissions
vehicles and therefore the overall goal of decarbonisation.
“Our initiative report urges the Commission to accelerate the
revision of the Directive, come up with strong infrastructure
targets and most importantly more funding for alternative fuels
infrastructure. We already lost precious time due to the omission
of the Commission and the inaction of EU member states -
nevertheless it is not too late yet.”
“I am happy that the Transport Committee followed my
recommendation urging the Commission for stronger targets and
sufficient public funding. Furthermore, we strongly advocate the
need of the rural areas for sufficient infrastructure, as there
should be no European region lagging behind in the transition
towards low-emission mobility,” he added.
Next steps
The draft resolution will now need to be voted by the full house
of the Parliament.
