IRU HAS FORMALIZED A TRANSPORT AGREEMENT TO RESULT IN SAFE, EFFICIENT AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MOBILITY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
IRU (International Road Transport Union) welcomes the provisional agreement reached last week to increase the deployment of intelligent transport systems (ITS) on European roads. EU Member States must now include road transport data on their NAP (National Access Point) by the end of 2025.
The Council and Parliament were able to find common ground on ITS, particularly compared to their previously distant positions.
Highway — Source: Jared Murray (Unsplash)
The agreed text confirms the European Commission’s approach: EU Member States must ensure that specific road data — such as access conditions for tunnels and speed limits to information and reservation services for safe and secure parking places for trucks — are available on National Access Points (NAPs) by the agreed deadlines, between 2025 and 2028.
NAP’s — which are publicly available online data repositories created to facilitate the access, exchange, and reuse of transport data — should have road data from both the core and comprehensive network of Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), including in urban nodes.
Everything connected — Source: Continental
Although Member States have already set up NAPs, several have incomplete data, undermining the efficiency, sustainability and safety of road transport.
IRU Director of EU Advocacy Raluca Marian said: «Intelligent transport systems can make road transport safer, more efficient and greener, values that IRU and the industry fight for every day. Considering that Member States had completely removed their commitment to provide specific road data in the Council’s general approach, this is the best deal we could get».
Platooning — interlink between vehicles in the same way — Source: MAN Truck & Bus
«The agreement reached sets concrete deadlines. The agreed text reflects the determination of the European Parliament’s rapporteur Rovana Plumb to avoid a completely watered-down ITS proposal. Member States must now deliver on their promise. NAPs will play an important role in establishing a common European mobility data space».
Another issue concerns dynamic data on information and reservation services for safe and secure parking places. Even though the 2028 deadline has been anticipated to 2027, it’s still too late.
Truck Parking — Source: Jared Murray (Unsplash)
A severe lack of safe and secure parking areas in Europe continues to negatively affect drivers’ working conditions. Data should already be available on the small number of existing safe and secure parking areas.
The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU will submit the agreed text for endorsement to Member States. The EU Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism is expected to vote on the provisional agreement at the end of the month. A full Parliament Plenary will need to confirm the agreement shortly after.