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
    • EU-Switzerland air transport agreement
    • Statistics in respect of the carriage of passengers, freight and mail by air
    • European Common Aviation Area (ECAA)
    • European Union–United States aviation agreements
    • European Union–Armenia Common Aviation Area 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
    • EU-Moldova common aviation area agreement
    • EU-Georgia common aviation area agreement
    • EU-China agreement on civil aviation safety
    • EU–Canada air transport agreement
    • Rights of people with reduced mobility — air travel
    • Requirements for providers of air traffic management and air navigation services
    • RefuelEU aviation – sustainable air transport
    • The EU's aviation strategy
    • Unmanned aircraft systems – design and manufacture requirements
    • Unmanned aircraft — operating rules and procedures
    • Safety regulation of aerodromes
    • Safeguarding competition in air transport
    • Single European Sky (SES)
    • Single European Sky — EU rules on air navigation services
    • Framework for the creation of the single European sky
    • Harmonisation of civil aviation requirements and procedures
    • Ground handling at Community airports
    • Information for passengers: air carriers’ identity
    • Operation of air services: EU rules
    • Occurrences in civil aviation – reporting, analysis and follow-up
    • Obligation of air carriers to communicate passenger data
    • Civil aviation security: EU-wide rules
    • Civil aviation rules and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency
    • Civil aviation accidents and incidents
    • Allocation of time slots at European Union airports
    • Airworthiness and environmental certification
    • Aircrew regulation
    • 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
    • A common framework for airport charges
    • Agreement on civil aviation safety between the European Union and Brazil
    • Commercial air transport operations
    • Computerised air ticket reservation systems
    • Montreal Convention on air carrier liability
    • Liability insurance of air carriers
    • 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–Ukraine Common Aviation Area Agreement
    • EU-US cooperation on civil aviation safety
  • Road transport
    • Loading and unloading of bulk carriers
    • Tachographs in road transport
    • Cross-border transportation of euro cash by road
    • eCall in-vehicle system — type-approval
    • Driving time and rest periods in the road transport sector
    • Drivers of road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers – qualification and training
    • 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
    • Rules for the compilation of statistics regarding goods carried by road
    • The Transport Protocol of the Alpine Convention
    • Vehicle emissions and battery durability (Euro 7): technical requirements and certification rules
    • The deployment of intelligent transport systems in Europe
    • Type-approval requirements to ensure the general safety of vehicles and the protection of vulnerable road users
    • Testing to ensure the safety of vehicles and trailers
    • Transportable pressure equipment
    • Safety rules for mobile work machinery on roads
    • Freight transport logistics action plan
    • Hiring of vehicles for the carriage of goods
    • Access to the international market for coach and bus services
    • Charging vehicles for using roads
    • Bus and coach passengers’ rights
    • 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
  • Rail transport
    • EU-wide railway safety
    • State aid for railway companies
    • European Year of Rail (2021)
    • European Union Agency for Railways — ensuring a safe and interoperable railway area
    • Cross-border train crews — working conditions
    • EU rail transport statistics
    • EU rail passengers’ rights
    • Certification of train drivers operating locomotives and trains
    • An interoperable EU rail system
    • A single railway network for Europe
    • A European rail network for competitive freight
    • Interoperability of telematic applications for freight of the rail system in the EU
    • Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF)
  • Maritime & inland waterways
    • EU statistics of goods transport by inland waterways
    • European maritime single window environment
    • EU maritime information and exchange system
    • Ensuring EU countries comply with and enforce the Maritime Labour Convention
    • 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
    • Rights of passengers travelling by sea and inland waterways
    • Reporting formalities for ships
    • Renewable and low-carbon fuels in maritime transport
    • Registration of persons on board passenger ships
    • Recognition of professional qualifications in inland navigation
    • Rules for promoting inland waterway transport in the EU
    • Working hours on board ships using EU ports
    • The supply of shipping services
    • The insurance of shipowners for maritime claims
    • Transfer of cargo and passenger ships between registers within the EU
    • 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
    • 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
    • Freedom to provide services within the EU (ocean trade)
    • Promotion of inland waterway transport NAIADES
    • 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
    • Protecting the sea and the food chain from the effects of organotin compounds
    • Compliance with flag State requirements
    • Anti-dumping protection — shipbuilding industry
    • Blue belt: a single transport area for EU shipping
    • Investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector
    • 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
    • Intensified European maritime surveillance cooperation
    • Inland Waterways — Vessels
    • Inland waterways — river information services (RIS)
    • Liability of ship owners in the event of accidents
    • Inland waterway transport – jobs and skills
    • Inland transport of dangerous goods
    • Inland navigation: access to the market
    • Monitoring, reporting and verification of ships’ emissions
  • Agreements – Transport
    • EU-Switzerland air transport agreement
    • European Common Aviation Area (ECAA)
    • European Union–United States aviation agreements
    • European Union–Armenia Common Aviation Area Agreement
    • EU–Qatar agreement on air transport
    • EU-Moldova common aviation area agreement
    • EU–Moldova agreement on the carriage of freight by road
    • Ensuring EU countries comply with and enforce the Maritime Labour Convention
    • Convention on international interests in mobile equipment
    • EU-Georgia common aviation area agreement
    • EU–China maritime transport agreement
    • EU-China agreement on civil aviation safety
    • EU–Canada air transport agreement
    • EU–Canada agreement on passenger name record data
    • The Transport Protocol of the Alpine Convention
    • The Transport Community
    • Air service agreements between EU and non-EU countries
    • Agreements on air services
    • Agreement on civil aviation safety between the European Union and Brazil
    • Montreal Convention on air carrier liability
    • Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF)
    • Interbus agreement: the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus
    • 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 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
  • Security & safety
    • EU-wide railway safety
    • eCall in-vehicle system — type-approval
    • Drivers of road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers – qualification and training
    • EU emergency services: rolling out eCall infrastructure
    • EU-China agreement on civil aviation safety
    • EU sea safety: ship inspection rules and standards
    • EU sea safety: rules & standards for ship inspection and maritime administration activities
    • 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
    • Unmanned aircraft systems – design and manufacture requirements
    • Testing to ensure the safety of vehicles and trailers
    • Transportable pressure equipment
    • Safety rules for mobile work machinery on roads
    • 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
    • Safe agricultural and forestry vehicles
    • Security for ships and port facilities
    • Authorised maximum dimensions and weights for trucks, buses and coaches
    • 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
    • Agreement on civil aviation safety between the European Union and Brazil
    • Joint rules on access to the EU road haulage market
    • Investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector
    • 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
    • Loading and unloading of bulk carriers
    • Inland transport of dangerous goods
  • Clean & urban transport and sustainable transport
    • Monitoring, reporting and verification of ships’ emissions
    • European Year of Rail (2021)
    • Ecodesign requirements — electric motors and variable speed drives
    • Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure
    • Emissions from heavy-duty vehicles (Euro VI): certification rules
    • Electronic freight transport information
    • Roadmap to a single European transport area: Towards a competitive and resource-efficient transport system
    • Reduction in CO2 emissions of new passenger cars and of new light commercial vehicles
    • Reducing pollution from light motor vehicles
    • Worldwide harmonised Light-duty vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) and Real Driving Emissions (RDE)
    • Vehicle emissions and battery durability (Euro 7): technical requirements and certification rules
    • Urban mobility in the EU
    • The Marco Polo II programme
    • Safer and less polluting equipment on EU ships
    • Protecting the sea and the food chain from the effects of organotin compounds
    • 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
    • Clean and energy-efficient road transport vehicles
    • Investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector
  • Infrastructure, TEN-T, Connecting Europe
    • Connecting Europe Facility (2021-2027)
    • European Year of Rail (2021)
    • EU guidelines for developing the trans-European transport network
    • Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure
    • Advancing the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T)
  • 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
    • Internal market and State aid — public passenger transport services by rail and road
    • Freedom to provide services within the EU (ocean trade)
    • Operation of air services: EU rules
  • Logistics and multimodal transport
    • Intermodal transport: combined transport of goods between EU countries
    • European Union Agency for Railways — ensuring a safe and interoperable railway area
    • EU guidelines for developing the trans-European transport network
    • The Marco Polo II programme
    • Freight transport logistics action plan
    • Authorised maximum dimensions and weights for trucks, buses and coaches
    • An interoperable EU rail system
    • Interoperability of telematic applications for freight of the rail system in the EU
  • Passenger rights & social issues
    • Liability of ship owners in the event of accidents
    • EU air passenger rights in case of denied boarding, a delayed flight or a cancelled flight
    • EU rail passengers’ rights
    • Rights of people with reduced mobility — air travel
    • Rights of passengers travelling by sea and inland waterways
    • Use of passenger records to prevent terrorism and serious crime
    • Information for passengers: air carriers’ identity
    • Bus and coach passengers’ rights
  • European statistics
    • EU statistics of goods transport by inland waterways
    • 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
    • EU rail transport statistics
    • Road safety: EU database on road traffic accidents
    • Rules for the compilation of statistics regarding goods carried by road
  • Archived summaries
    • EU strategy for biofuels
    • Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation
    • Keep Europe moving - Sustainable mobility for our continent. Mid-term review of the 2001 White Paper
    • Latvia
    • LeaderSHIP 2015
    • 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
    • Licensing of air carriers
    • Licensing of railway undertakings
    • Integrating the environment into aerial transport
    • Lithuania
    • Integration of the Trans-European Transport Network into the common transport policy (Green Paper)
    • Motor vehicles and their trailers: roadside inspection of commercial vehicles (until 2018)
    • Motor vehicles and their trailers: roadworthiness test
    • Intermodal transport: intermodal loading units (ILUs)
    • Intermodal transport: The Marco Polo Programme
    • Malta
    • Internalisation of external transport costs
    • Mandatory checks on regular ro-ro ferries and high-speed passenger craft
    • International transport agreements: TRACECA, SEETO and NDPTL
    • 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
    • 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
    • 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
    • New generation European air traffic management system (SESAR)
    • Noise management at EU airports
    • Common charging scheme for air navigation services
    • Connecting Europe Facility
    • Africa and Europe: strengthening transport cooperation
    • Agenda for General and Business Aviation
    • Black Sea Synergy
    • Bulgaria
    • A global approach to PNR data transfers
    • Air fares and air cargo rates (third phase)
    • Air safety: Third-country aircraft using Community airports
    • Air traffic management: organisation and use of airspace in the Single European Sky
    • Allocation of railway infrastructure capacity and charging for the use of infrastructure
    • An action plan for airports in Europe: the “airport package”
    • A strategy for better ship dismantling practices
    • Charging: interoperable electronic fee collection systems in Europe
    • Checks on the transport of dangerous goods by road
    • A sustainable future for European transport
    • Access for air carriers to intra-Community air routes (third phase)
    • Accession to the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF)
    • Civil aviation and the European Aviation Safety Agency
    • Civil aviation licences
    • Classification of airspace for visual flights
    • Clean Sky
    • Action plan for an integrated maritime policy
    • Code of conduct for use of computerized reservation systems
    • Community financial aid to trans-European networks
    • Aviation and climate change
    • Aviation safety: Occurrence reporting in civil aviation
    • Aviation security charges
    • Cohesion and transport
    • Compensation in cases of non-compliance with contractual quality requirements for rail freight services
    • Passenger car related taxes
    • Passengers and goods: Driver attestation
    • Protection of air passengers
    • Rail infrastructure: multi-annual contracts
    • 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
    • Public-private partnership to boost research and innovation in rail
    • Public-private partnership to develop cleaner aircraft
    • Quality of rail freight
    • Programme for the promotion of short sea shipping
    • Green Paper: Towards a new culture for urban mobility
    • “Green” vehicles: a European strategy
    • Guidelines on State aid for developing regional airports
    • For a European standard for the approval of locomotives
    • Freight transport logistics in Europe
    • Hungary
    • i2010 Intelligent Car Initiative (third eSafety communication)
    • Further implementation of the European satellite navigation programmes (EGNOS and Galileo)
    • Further integration of the European rail system: third railway package
    • 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
    • Slovakia
    • Seafarer training and recruitment
    • Slovenia
    • Single European Sky II
    • Satellite-based Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)
    • Satellite navigation applications
    • Satellite navigation: Galileo
    • 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
    • Technical requirements for inland waterway vessels
    • Telematics: deployment of road telematics
    • Transport and the environment
    • Turkey – Transport
    • The Czech Republic
    • The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – Transport
    • The Innovation and Networks Executive Agency
    • Use of security scanners at EU airports
    • White Paper: A strategy for revitalising the Community's railways
    • White paper: European transport policy for 2010
    • The eCall service
    • The EU and its neighbouring regions: A renewed approach to transport cooperation
    • Towards a European maritime transport space without barriers
    • Romania
    • Reduction in CO2 emissions of new passenger cars
    • Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from light commercial vehicles
    • 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
    • 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)
    • EU space industrial policy - EUR-Lex
    • 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
    • Development of the Community's railways
    • EU guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network
    • EU guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network
    • Drinking and driving: Maximum authorised level of alcohol in the blood
    • Ensuring the compatibility of EU rail systems
    • Environmental certification of aircraft, their parts and appliances
    • eCall aims to speed up response from emergency services to car crash victims
    • Establishing an Aviation Safety Management System for Europe
    • Estonia
    • Croatia – Transport
    • 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)
    • State aid to shipbuilding (I)
    • Strategy to reduce atmospheric emissions from seagoing ships
    • Strengthening of maritime labour standards
    • Strengthening passenger rights within the European Union