Spain is committed to measures to promote sustainable transport in the European Union

The day-long meeting was used to establish the EU Council's general guidelines for the Fit for 55 package of measures on the alternative fuels infrastructure, aviation and maritime sectors to reach the target of reducing GHG emissions by 55% by 2030.

Raquel Sánchez reiterated Spain's support for the General Guidance of the AFIR Regulation, which will allow greater flexibility in setting the agreed targets for decarbonisation without compromising business activity, thus allowing the characteristics and particularities of each Member State to be taken into account. For Spain, this assessment is fundamental because of our peripheral position, with islands and outermost regions.

Regulations for air and maritime transport

The establishment of the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation was one of the major debates at the meeting, where the Spanish minister took a clear position on the regulatory drive to develop sustainable fuels in aviation. The minister defended, first, that this is because it is an effective measure for decarbonisation in this sector, establishing reasonable obligations and deadlines throughout the EU, and second because it provides certainty to operators and competent authorities.

With regard to the FuelEU Maritime Regulation, Raquel Sánchez congratulated her European counterparts on reaching a General Guideline, which Spain supported, and thanked them for the inclusion in the debate of fundamental elements for our country, such as the exception in the application of the Regulation to 50% on a permanent basis in outermost regions such as the Canary Islands and to 100% until 2030 in island regions with less than 200,000 inhabitants, such as Ibiza and Menorca.

On this point, the minister explained the obligation to protect the competitiveness of our ports and the employment they generate, valuing very positively the measures taken to avoid carbon leakage towards the so-called "evasive ports" and the mandate that ships arriving in the EU will have to progressively limit their CO2 emissions.

The Spanish position also aligned with the importance of reviewing this Regulation in 2028 to incorporate changes, both in terms of the use of sustainable fuels and the governance of the process.

Intelligent Transport Systems

The Council of EU Transport Ministers also served to set the general direction of the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Directive, whose objectives are fully aligned with those of the Spanish Strategy for Safe, Sustainable and Connected Mobility being developed by the Ministry.

A legal framework to which Spain, according to the minister, is fully committed to promote innovation and to make Europe a key player in the development of these technologies, which will increase road safety, improve traffic management, make citizens' journeys more comfortable and reduce transport emissions.

Solidarity Corridors in support of Ukraine

The Spanish minister welcomed the establishment, at the Commission's initiative, of Corridors of Solidarity in support of Ukraine vis-à-vis Russian aggression. To this effect, she also highlighted the fact that the European transport network is becoming, as it did during the pandemic, a central element in maintaining economic activity and ensuring the well-being of citizens, from a humanitarian point of view.

Action is needed in the short term, said the MITMA minister, to streamline the supply chain by temporarily easing customs and inspection operations, making rolling stock and storage capacities available. To this end, she has offered Spanish ports that have sufficient space to store agricultural products exported from Ukraine.

In addition, the head of the Department called for coordination at European level and for the implementation of the network of national contact points and the Commission's Platform, which will facilitate communication between supply and demand. All this, without forgetting medium- and long-term actions to improve connectivity and the reconstruction of the country.

Last, the Spanish delegation led by Minister Sánchez took advantage of the meeting to hold talks, among others, with the heads of Germany, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland, with whom they exchanged experiences on common issues in the field of Transport.

Non official translation