17 April 2024 – The Forum for Mobility and Society (FMS) convened yesterday to assess the achievements and hurdles encountered in mobility policy over the past five years, as well as to anticipate forthcoming challenges in the EU’s next legislative term.
MEP and FMS co-chair, Ondřej Kovařík, hosted the gathering at the European Parliament and delivered a welcoming address to all attendees. Kovařík underscored the transformative impact of target-setting on policy dynamics and the forthcoming challenge of meeting these ambitious objectives. He emphasized the necessity for European industry to maintain competitiveness globally to secure the requisite financing for the green transition, aligning with the EU’s environmental aspirations.
Monika Kiss, a Policy Analyst at the European Parliament Research Service, provided a comprehensive overview of the legislative endeavours related to mobility during the mandate. Key legislative initiatives, including those within the FitFor55 Package such as the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, CO2 Emissions Standards, and the Vision Zero ambition for road safety, reflected in revisions to directives such as Cross-Border Enforcement and the Driving Licence directives were highlighted.
Participants representing vehicle manufacturers, automotive aftermarket stakeholders, and consumer organizations shared insights into the tumultuous past few years, marked by the challenges of the pandemic and the imposition of stringent targets. Industry representatives emphasized the necessity for inclusive dialogues to ensure that the green transition does not come at the expense of the European automotive sector; similarly, consumer advocates stressed the importance of maintaining affordable mobility for EU citizens without imposing additional financial burdens.
Concerns regarding over-regulation were raised, with participants advocating for economically viable solutions to address climate objectives while maintaining economic competitiveness. MEPs István Ujhelyi and Andrey Novakov offered perspectives on mobility policy, with Ujhelyi highlighting the imperative of enforcing regulations, not merely adopting them. Novakov called for EU policies to be more comprehensible and accessible to European citizens, fostering closer engagement rather than detachment from Brussels authorities.
As the legislative term concludes, the successes and challenges of mobility policy signal the importance of meeting implementation targets in the forthcoming mandate to realize Europe’s environmental and economic objectives.