The priorities and the draft program of the Bulgarian Presidency in the transport sector were presented to the transport ministers of the European Union during the EU Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council - format „Transport”, which was held yesterday in Brussels, at which Ivaylo Moskovski, Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, took over the presidency of the sector from Estonia.
The accents from the calendar of events in the field of transport were presented by Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Angel Popov.
Priority will be given to the initiatives included in the first "Mobility Package" and the legislative acts introduced into the "Aviation Strategy for Europe". The European legislative proposals from the first “Mobility Package” should be based on fair and balanced solutions that take into account the need for adequate protection of drivers, together with the exercise of the fundamental right to provide services freely. One of the highlights of the Bulgarian Presidency will be the access to the market and the profession, rest time and special legislation on the posting of drivers. Compromise solutions will also be sought for electronic road toll systems and hired vehicles, with the aim of further substantial progress on other “market pillar” dossiers related to road charges.
With regard to intermodal issues and networks, the Bulgarian Presidency will open the second “Mobility Package” and will begin to work at expert level on the revision of the Directive on the establishment of common rules for combined transport. Future solutions in the field of intermodal transport will be further discussed at the Ministerial Meeting of Transport Ministers on March 19-20, 2018 in Sofia under the theme “Multimodal Transport for Europe”.
In the field of civil aviation, during the Bulgarian mandate work on the proposal for a Regulation on safeguarding competition in air transport will continue with a view to reaching a common approach.
The Competent Civil Aviation Authorities will be invited to participate in a conference on "Air Transport - a bridge for integration of Southeast European Countries", to be held on February 28 2018 in Sofia.
The financing of the rail transport will be discussed by stakeholders in a discussion forum on "Financing rail transport in the context of the multiannual financial framework after 2020" to be held on January 31 2018 in Brussels. The rail transport will also be the focus of a high-level expert summit on "European Union Support for the Rail Transport Development in Bulgaria and the Western Balkans: current opportunities and future prospects" to be held on April 13 2018 in Sofia. The discussion on the draft Council conclusions on a “Single European Rail Traffic Management System” which will be presented for adoption by the Council of Ministers of Transport will be finalized within the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency.
In the field of maritime transport, following the submission of the European Commission’s proposal for a Port Reception Facilities Directive, which is planned at the end of 2017, work on it, will be launched within the Maritime Transport Working Group. During the Bulgarian Presidency, our country will host the traditional "European Maritime Day" event, to be held in Burgas from May 31 to June 1, 2018, and the European Maritime Policy Conference in the period of 3 - 5 May 2018 in Varna.
