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