52021DC0117

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL

on the exercise of the power to adopt delegated acts conferred on the Commission pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/974 on statistics of goods transport by inland waterways

1.INTRODUCTION

Regulation (EU) 2018/974 of the European Parliament and of the Council 1 empowers the Commission to adopt delegated acts under Article 10 for the following purposes:

Øto raise the threshold for statistical coverage of goods transport by inland waterways, so as to take economic and technical trends into account (see Article 2(5));

Øto adapt definitions or provide for new ones, so as to take relevant definitions that have been amended or adopted at international level into account (see Article 3);

Øto reflect changes in coding and nomenclature at international level or in relevant Union legislative acts (see Article 4(4)).

According to Articles 2(5), 3 and 4(4), when exercising that power, the Commission must ensure that the delegated acts do not impose a significant additional burden on the Member States or respondents. Furthermore, the Commission must justify the actions for which those delegated acts provide, using, where appropriate, a cost-effectiveness analysis that assesses the burden on respondents and the production costs.

As specified in Article 10(4), before adopting a delegated act, the Commission must consult experts designated by each Member State in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making 2 .

2.LEGAL BASIS

This report is required under Regulation (EU) 2018/974, which specifies in Article 10(2) that the power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission for a period of 5 years from 7 December 2016. The Commission is required to draw up a report in respect of the delegation of power not later than 9 months before the end of the 5-year period. This report fulfils that requirement for the first time.

3.EXERCISE OF THE DELEGATION

The Commission has not yet exercised the power to adopt delegated acts conferred on it by Regulation (EU) 2018/974.

The Commission regularly discusses potential improvements to inland waterways transport statistics with the Expert Group on Inland Waterways Transport Statistics and the Coordinating Group for Statistics on Transport. These discussions also take into consideration possible costs and burdens on countries and respondents.

Statistical needs in the context of the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy 3 and policy initiatives set out in the Commission Communication on the European Green Deal 4 may require the Commission to adopt delegated acts in the future. Such acts will help to adapt inland waterways statistics to economic and technical trends and to reflect changes in definitions, coding and nomenclature at EU or international level.

4.CONCLUSION

The Commission has not yet exercised its power to adopt delegated acts as conferred on it by Regulation (EU) 2018/974.

The Commission considers that it should continue to have these delegated powers, as it may need to adopt delegated acts in the future to support developments in inland waterways statistics.