Summaries of EU legislation
Transport

European Union (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). EU policy also deals with issues as wide-ranging as climate change, passenger rights, clean fuels, and cutting customs-related red tape at ports.
Governed by Title VI (Articles 90 to 100) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, transport is one of the EU's most strategic common policies. Future policy will be largely based on a 2011 White Paper, comprising 40 initiatives designed to generate growth, jobs, reduce dependence on imported oil, and cut the sector's carbon emissions by 60% by 2050.
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Air transport
- A common framework for airport charges
- Unmanned aircraft systems – design and manufacture requirements
- Unmanned aircraft — operating rules and procedures
- Single European Sky — EU rules on air navigation services
- The EU's aviation strategy
- Statistics in respect of the carriage of passengers, freight and mail by air
- Safety regulation of aerodromes
- Safeguarding competition in air transport
- Rights of people with reduced mobility — air travel
- Requirements for providers of air traffic management and air navigation services
- Operation of air services: EU rules
- Occurrences in civil aviation — reporting, analysis and follow-up
- Obligation of air carriers to communicate passenger data
- Interoperability of the European air traffic management network
- Liability insurance of air carriers
- Montreal Convention on air carrier liability
- Information for passengers: air carriers’ identity
- Harmonisation of civil aviation requirements and procedures
- Ground handling at Community airports
- Framework for creation of the single European sky (SES)
- European Common Aviation Area (ECAA)
- 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-Switzerland air transport agreement
- EU-US cooperation on civil aviation safety
- EU-US aviation agreements
- EU-Moldova common aviation area agreement
- EU-Georgia common aviation area 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
- Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA)
- Computerised air ticket reservation systems
- Commercial air transport operations
- Civil aviation accidents and incidents
- Civil aviation rules and the EASA
- Civil aviation security: EU-wide rules
- Airworthiness and environmental certification
- Aircrew regulation
- Air traffic management: organisation and use of airspace in the Single European Sky
- Air traffic flow management
- Air service agreements between EU and non-EU countries
- Allocation of time slots at EU airports
- Air carrier passenger and baggage liability
- Agreement on civil aviation safety between the European Union and Brazil
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Road transport
- Access to the international market for coach and bus services
- Tachographs in road transport
- Type-approval requirements to ensure the general safety of vehicles and the protection of vulnerable road users
- Transportable pressure equipment
- The Transport Protocol of the Alpine Convention
- Testing to ensure the safety of vehicles and trailers
- Road infrastructure safety management
- Road haulage and passenger transport companies: operating rules
- Roadside inspections of the safety of commercial vehicles
- Road transport: EU rules on the organisation of the working time of professional drivers
- Roadmap to a single European transport area: Towards a competitive and resource-efficient transport system
- Road tunnels: EU safety rules
- Road traffic offences – sharing information between countries
- Road safety: Policy orientations on road safety 2011-20
- Rules for the compilation of statistics regarding goods carried by road
- Road safety: EU database on road traffic accidents
- Road safety: driving licences
- Loading and unloading of bulk carriers
- Intermodal transport: combined transport of goods between EU countries
- Interbus Agreement: the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus
- Joint rules on access to the EU road haulage market
- Freight transport logistics action plan
- Hiring of vehicles for the carriage of goods
- Driving time and rest periods in the road transport sector
- eCall in-vehicle system — type-approval
- Cross-border transportation of euro cash by road
- Bus and coach passengers’ rights
- Checks on the transport of dangerous goods by road
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Rail transport
- A European rail network for competitive freight
- State aid for railway companies
- Rail passenger rights
- Interoperability of telematic applications for freight of the rail system in the EU
- Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF)
- European Union Agency for Railways — ensuring a safe and interoperable railway area
- European Year of Rail (2021)
- EU-wide rail safety
- EU rail transport statistics
- EU rail passengers’ rights
- Cross-border train crews — working conditions
- Certification of train drivers operating locomotives and trains
- An interoperable EU rail system
- A single railway network for Europe
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Maritime & inland waterways
- Anti-dumping protection — shipbuilding industry
- Working hours on board ships using EU ports
- The insurance of shipowners for maritime claims
- Transfer of cargo and passenger ships between registers within the EU
- Ship-source pollution and criminal penalties
- Security for ships and port facilities
- Seafarers’ working time
- Sea transport — supply of services, competition, unfair pricing and access to ocean trade
- The supply of shipping services
- 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
- Rights of passengers travelling by sea and inland waterways
- Rules for promoting inland waterway transport in the EU
- Reporting formalities for ships
- Registration of persons on board passenger ships
- 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
- Recognition of professional qualifications in inland navigation
- Promotion of inland waterway transport NAIADES
- Liability of ship owners in the event of accidents
- Maritime safety: port State control
- Maritime safety: minimum level of training of seafarers
- Maritime safety: European Maritime Safety Agency
- Maritime safety: International Safety Management (ISM) Code for shipping
- Intensified European maritime surveillance cooperation
- Maritime safety: accelerated phasing-in of double-hull oil tankers
- Inland transport of dangerous goods
- Inland navigation: access to the market
- Freedom to provide services within the EU (ocean trade)
- Inland waterway transport – jobs and skills
- Inland Waterways — Vessels
- Inland waterways — river information services (RIS)
- European Maritime Single Window environment (EMSWe)
- EU sea safety: ship inspection rules and standards
- EU sea safety: rules & standards for ship inspection and maritime administration activities
- EU statistics of goods transport by inland waterways
- EU maritime information and exchange system
- EU–China maritime transport agreement
- Ensuring EU countries comply with and enforce the Maritime Labour Convention
- Compliance with flag State requirements
- Blue belt: a single transport area for EU shipping
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Agreements — Transport
- Agreement on civil aviation safety between the European Union and Brazil
- The Transport Protocol of the Alpine Convention
- The Transport Community
- 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)
- 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-US agreement on airline passenger name record data
- EU-Switzerland air transport agreement
- EU-US cooperation on civil aviation safety
- EU-US aviation agreements
- EU-Moldova common aviation area agreement
- EU-Georgia common aviation area agreement
- EU-China agreement on civil aviation safety
- EU–Canada air transport agreement
- EU–China maritime transport agreement
- Ensuring EU countries comply with and enforce the Maritime Labour Convention
- Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA)
- Air service agreements between EU and non-EU countries
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Security & safety
- Air carrier passenger and baggage liability
- Unmanned aircraft systems – design and manufacture requirements
- Transportable pressure equipment
- Security for ships and port facilities
- Testing to ensure the safety of vehicles and trailers
- 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
- Road infrastructure safety management
- 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
- 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: European Maritime Safety Agency
- Maritime safety: accelerated phasing-in of double-hull oil tankers
- Joint rules on access to the EU road haulage market
- Inland transport of dangerous goods
- EU-wide rail safety
- EU sea safety: ship inspection rules and standards
- EU sea safety: rules & standards for ship inspection and maritime administration activities
- EU emergency services: rolling out eCall infrastructure
- EU-China agreement on civil aviation safety
- eCall in-vehicle system — type-approval
- Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA)
- Civil aviation accidents and incidents
- Civil aviation security: EU-wide rules
- Certification of train drivers operating locomotives and trains
- Checks on the transport of dangerous goods by road
- Authorised dimensions and maximum weights for trucks, buses and coaches
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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
- The Marco Polo II programme
- 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
- European Year of Rail (2021)
- Emissions from heavy-duty vehicles (Euro VI): certification rules
- Ecodesign requirements — electric motors and variable speed drives
- CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of heavy-duty vehicles
- Clean power for transport: a European alternative fuels strategy
- CO2 emission performance standards for new heavy-duty vehicles
- Infrastructure, TEN-T, Connecting Europe
- Intelligent transport systems
- Public service obligations
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Logistics and multimodal transport
- An interoperable EU rail system
- The Marco Polo II programme
- Interoperability of telematic applications for freight of the rail system in the EU
- Intermodal transport: combined transport of goods between EU countries
- Freight transport logistics action plan
- European Union Agency for Railways — ensuring a safe and interoperable railway area
- Charging of heavy goods vehicles: Eurovignette Directive
- Authorised dimensions and maximum weights for trucks, buses and coaches
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Passenger rights & social issues
- Bus and coach passengers’ rights
- Use of passenger records to prevent terrorism and serious crime
- Rights of people with reduced mobility — air travel
- Rights of passengers travelling by sea and inland waterways
- Rail passenger rights
- Liability of ship owners in the event of accidents
- Information for passengers: air carriers’ identity
- EU rail passengers’ rights
- EU air passenger rights in case of denied boarding, a delayed flight or a cancelled flight
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European statistics
- EU rail transport statistics
- Statistics in respect of the carriage of passengers, freight and mail by air
- 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
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Archived summaries
- A global approach to PNR data transfers
- A strategy for better ship dismantling practices
- Access for air carriers to intra-Community air routes (third phase)
- A sustainable future for European transport
- Action plan for an integrated maritime policy
- Accession to the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF)
- Agenda for General and Business Aviation
- Africa and Europe: strengthening transport cooperation
- Allocation of railway infrastructure capacity and charging for the use of infrastructure
- Air fares and air cargo rates (third phase)
- Air safety: Third-country aircraft using Community airports
- An action plan for airports in Europe: the “airport package”
- Aviation and climate change
- Aviation safety: Occurrence reporting in civil aviation
- Aviation security charges
- Bulgaria
- Black Sea Synergy
- Charging: interoperable electronic fee collection systems in Europe
- Civil aviation and the European Aviation Safety Agency
- Civil aviation licences
- Classification of airspace for visual flights
- Cohesion and transport
- Clean Sky
- Code of conduct for use of computerized reservation systems
- Common charging scheme for air navigation services
- Community financial aid to trans-European networks
- Compensation in cases of non-compliance with contractual quality requirements for rail freight services
- Connecting Europe Facility
- 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 the Community's railways
- Development of a Euro-Mediterranean transport network
- Development of a single railway area
- Drinking and driving: Maximum authorised level of alcohol in the blood
- eCall aims to speed up response from emergency services to car crash victims
- Ensuring the compatibility of EU rail systems
- Environmental certification of aircraft, their parts and appliances
- Establishing an Aviation Safety Management System for Europe
- Estonia
- EU guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network
- EU space industrial policy - EUR-Lex
- EU strategy for biofuels
- Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation
- 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 system for registration of carriers of radioactive materials (Proposal)
- European space policy
- Inland waterways: access to the occupation of carrier of goods by waterway and mutual recognition of diplomas
- Goods and passenger transport by inland waterway
- Integrating the environment into aerial transport
- Goods: community safeguard mechanism
- Goods: distribution of permits for heavy goods vehicles travelling in Switzerland
- Goods: carriage between Member States
- 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
- Hungary
- i2010 Intelligent Car Initiative (third eSafety communication)
- Iceland – Transport
- For a European standard for the approval of locomotives
- Green Paper: Towards a new culture for urban mobility
- “Green” vehicles: a European strategy
- Freight transport logistics in Europe
- Guidelines on State aid for developing regional airports
- Further implementation of the European satellite navigation programmes (EGNOS and Galileo)
- Further integration of the European rail system: third railway package
- 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
- Malta
- Mandatory checks on regular ro-ro ferries and high-speed passenger craft
- Motor vehicles and their trailers: roadside inspection of commercial vehicles (until 2018)
- Motor vehicles and their trailers: roadworthiness test
- Integration of the Trans-European Transport Network into the common transport policy (Green Paper)
- Keep Europe moving - Sustainable mobility for our continent. Mid-term review of the 2001 White Paper
- 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: prevention of pollution from ships
- Intermodal transport: intermodal loading units (ILUs)
- Intermodal transport: The Marco Polo Programme
- Latvia
- Maritime safety: tonnage measurement of ballast spaces in segregated ballast oil tankers
- LeaderSHIP 2015
- Internalisation of external transport costs
- Licensing of air carriers
- Licensing of railway undertakings
- New generation European air traffic management system (SESAR)
- International transport agreements: TRACECA, SEETO and NDPTL
- Interoperability of the conventional rail system
- Interoperability of the trans-European high-speed rail system
- Interoperability of the trans-European rail system
- Lithuania
- Noise management at EU airports
- Poland
- Quality of rail freight
- Rail infrastructure: multi-annual contracts
- Rail safety: transport of dangerous goods by rail
- Rail transport statistics
- Railway safety
- Re-profiling the European global navigation satellite system (GNSS) programmes
- 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
- Reduction in CO2 emissions of new passenger cars
- Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from light commercial vehicles
- Protection of air passengers
- Passenger car related taxes
- Passengers and goods: Driver attestation
- Public-private partnership to boost research and innovation in rail
- Public-private partnership to develop cleaner aircraft
- Programme for the promotion of short sea shipping
- Road safety: cross-border application of the legislation
- Road safety: promoting road safety in the European Union
- Romania
- Road safety: Road Safety Action Programme (2003-2010)
- Road safety: appointment and vocational qualification of safety advisers
- Satellite navigation applications
- Satellite-based Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)
- Satellite navigation: Galileo
- Technical requirements for inland waterway vessels
- Telematics: deployment of road telematics
- White Paper: A strategy for revitalising the Community's railways
- White paper: European transport policy for 2010
- The Czech Republic
- Towards a European maritime transport space without barriers
- State aid to shipbuilding (I)
- Seafarer training and recruitment
- The eCall service
- The EU and its neighbouring regions: A renewed approach to transport cooperation
- 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
- Single European Sky II
- Transport and the environment
- Strategy to reduce atmospheric emissions from seagoing ships
- Slovakia
- Strengthening of maritime labour standards
- Strengthening passenger rights within the European Union
- Slovenia
- Turkey – Transport
- The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – Transport
- The Innovation and Networks Executive Agency
- Use of security scanners at EU airports