We take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU at a key moment in the negotiation process on the first “Mobility Package”. This was stated by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Ivaylo Moskovski before the Committee on Transport and Tourism of the European Parliament during the presentation of the priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the field of Transport. In his words, the work on the dossiers on access to the market and to the profession will continue, as well as the specific legislation on posting of drivers, hired vehicles and interoperability of electronic road toll systems.
Minister Ivaylo Moskovski said that the legislative proposals under the first “Mobility Package” must be based on fair and balanced solutions that take into account the need for adequate protection of drivers, along with the exercise of the fundamental freedom to provide services. “The clear rules and the effective control are the key to fair competition and the smooth functioning of the European internal market. The new technological solutions are a guarantee for reaching this goal. That is why improving the interoperability of electronic road toll systems in Europe is a key element in stimulating the development of a competitive market,” added the minister.
Minister Ivaylo Moskovski announced that the development of intermodal transport is another major priority for the European transport policy. The Presidency has already started working on a revision of the Directive on the establishment of common rules for the combined transport of goods. The existing directive dates back 25 years and has not been transposed uniformly in the legislation of individual countries, which prevents its potential from being unleashed. The transfer of goods from long-distance road transport to rail, inland waterways and maritime transport aims at reducing the negative effect on the environment as well as on the road infrastructure, said the minister. Future solutions in the field of intermodal transport will also be discussed in the framework of the Transport Ministers' High Level Meeting on "Multimodal Transport for Europe" on 19-20 March 2018 in Sofia.
The potential for commodity exchange and large-scale investments between Europe and Asia necessitates the development of transport links along the Danube, the Black Sea and the extension of the Trans-European Transport Network to the Western Balkan countries, stated minister Moskovski. He emphasized the necessity of a deeper partnership with the countries in this region, with a view to integrating the transport systems. The Connecting Europe Facility and other financial instruments should also contribute to the dynamism and deepening of cooperation in the region.
“In the field of aviation, we have outlined the work on the Regulation on Safeguarding Competition in Air Transport as a top priority, as our main task is to create a working tool to protect European air carriers from unfair practices of third countries”, said minister Ivaylo Moskovski. “We expect the regulation to stimulate competition, which in the long run will provide greater choice and lower prices to citizens without disturbing the aviation connectivity of peripheral Member States and that of the EU to the rest of the world. Allowing unfair practices to continue their existence may lead to a dominant position or even monopoly in the aviation market in the long run. This would mean narrower choice, worse connectivity and higher prices for the citizens”, he added.
In the field of maritime transport, the minister stated that the Bulgarian Presidency will start working on an entirely new Directive on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste in order to improve the protection of the marine environment and reduce the administrative burden on business. During the Bulgarian Presidency, our country will host the Annual EU Maritime Day and Blue Growth - European Maritime Day, which will take place from 31 May to 1 June 2018 in Burgas.
Minister Moskovski announced that another measure will be taken towards improving the current legal framework on rail passengers' rights, which is an essential element in improving the quality of services. Оther events in the calendar of the Bulgarian Presidency will be dedicated to topics such as railway financing and its future development, air connectivity, European maritime policy. The Transport Council under our Presidency will take place on 7 June 2018 in Luxembourg.
