The European Commission published study results of two aspects of Mobility Package I

When the European Commission adopted the Mobility Package I, it made a commitment to publish impact assessment studies concerning the compulsory return of a vehicle to the Member State of establishment every eight weeks and the application of cabotage quotas on international combined transport operations. Already during the discussions about the Mobility Package I, the Commission expressed its concerns about those two requirements being incompatible with the ambitions of the so-called Green Deal.

Unfortunately, the study results, which were published on Friday 19 February, indicate that the compulsory return of lorries and the quotas imposed on a combined transport may have negative effects on the environment, including increased transport emissions. The European Commission states, that both of these requirements may lead to another 3.3 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year; an amount comparable to a year’s worth of total transport emissions in Estonia.

Following the data and findings of the two studies, the Commission aims to initiate a discussion with Member States, the European Parliament and all stakeholders on the possible way forward.