The European Commission has released a comprehensive compilation of
existing studies on external costs in the transport sector. This
handbook, jointly prepared by several transport research institutes,
summarises the state of the art as regards the valuation of external
costs. The Commission intends to make use of the handbook as one element
which prepares the communication on the internalisation of external
costs for all modes of transport that is due in June 2008 and a proposal
to revise the directive on the charging of heavy goods vehicles.
Following a complaint, the European Commission decided on 15
January to open a formal investigation procedure into allegations that
the operator of Aarhus airport in Denmark, Aarhus Lufthavn A/S, would
have granted State aid to certain airlines through discriminatory
rebates on airport charges. The Commission has also adopted an
injunction formally requesting from Denmark further information that is
necessary to carry out a proper assessment on certain allegations by the
complainant.
Following a complaint alleging that contracts concluded by the Czech
authorities providing public transport compensations to bus carriers in
Southern Moravia involve illegal State aid, the European Commission has
today decided to formally open an investigation procedure. The
Commission at this stage cannot exclude that the contracts in question
indeed involve State aid, which however may be compatible in that they
may not involve overcompensation. Today's decision will give all
stakeholders an opportunity to comment before the Commission takes a
final view on this case.
The European Commission has approved on 15 January
environmental
investment aid to Italian companies that intend to purchase new clean
heavy-duty vehicles.
Following up on a notification by the Irish authorities, the European
Commission on 15 January decided to open a formal investigation
into the changes Ireland plans to make to its flat-rate tax regime based
on the tonnage of maritime ships (tonnage tax). This tax regime enables
shipping companies not to pay company tax but to pay a flat-rate tax
based on the tonnage of their fleet. The investigation concerns planned
amendments to the existing time charter rules and whether the new
notified scheme may apply retroactively from 1 January 2006.
The European Parliament has on 15 January adopted the European
Commission's proposal to remove unnecessary burdens for transport
companies. Freight carriers will no longer have to carry separate
transport documents, explaining i.e. frontier crossing points, routes to
be taken or distance travelled. In addition, this action rationalises
outdated reporting requirements dating from 1960, allowing information
on intra community transport flows, such as name and address of the
consignor, nature and weight of the goods and place at which the goods
are to be delivered to be collected through other available means. The
proposal also aligns the remaining information requirements with
provisions in existing international conventions, while facilitating
freight carriers’ opportunities by allowing them to use simpler
means of
documentation. This simplification applies to more than 300.000 freight
carriers across Europe, a majority of which is small and medium sized
enterprises (SMEs). It is part of the Fast Track Actions within an
Action Programme which has the objective to cut administrative burdens
on businesses in the EU by 25% in 2012.
Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, has welcomed on 16 January
the fact that an agreement has been reached between the members of the
Kashagan consortium and the authorities of Kazakhstan. The resolution of
this dispute will allow the development of the Kashagan oil field, the
largest oil discovery in more than 30 years, to proceed at the quickest
pace possible (with the production stream to come on line by 2011). Such
progress should also help to ease world energy markets at a time of
sharply increasing energy demand.
In this
section you will find the newest calls for
submissions to public consultations in fields of energy and
transport.
Topic of
Consultation
Deadline
ERTMS: the European Deployment Plan
Stakeholder consultation on the revision of Energy Labelling
Framework Directive 1992/75/EEC
Launching by the European Commission of an Impact Assessment
(IA) for the evaluation of a potential legislative measure in
the area of Transport of Radioactive Materials (TRAM)
(online questionnaire)
Motorways of the Sea (online questionnaire)
European maritime transport space without barriers (online
questionnaire)
28/02/2008
22/02/2008
28/01/2008
20/01/2008
20/01/2008
Note
DG DEV are interested in
receiving feedback from energy and transport civil society
on a consultation they are holding on policy coherence for
development. The consultation, which continues until 30
January 2008, can be viewed via the following link:
The internet service of the DG for Energy and Transport has
developed a
web page announcing the Calls for tenders & Calls for
expression of interest concerning the Directorate General
for Transport and Energy. In this new section you will find
not only
contract notices published in the Official Journal but
also,
prior information notices,
calls for expressions of interest, and the
list of contracting parties.
Contract
Notice
Official
Journal
Time-limit for
receipt of
tenders
Economies of scale: analysis of data on research expenditure on
labour and infrastructure
Survey
of the competitive aspects of oil and oil product markets in the EU
Please note that the announcement of technical reports and
documents recently produced in specific energy and transport
sectors can be found on the "What's New" pages of the
corresponding chapters of
Energy and
Transport on the EUROPA
website.
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