Press releases

CLECAT is pleased that the Commission has finally made its policy proposals on Ports public. CLECAT welcomes the publication of the proposal for a Regulation establishing a framework on market access to port services and financial transparency of ports. The legislative proposal is accompanied by a Communication entitled: 'Ports: an engine for growth.'Ms Nicolette van der Jagt, Director General of CLECAT says: "The proposal calls for modernisation of EU ports and financial transparency which is an important step in the right direction."

In anticipation of the debates on the 4th Railway Package taking place in the Transport Committee of the European Parliament next week, CLECAT has briefed MEPs on its position on the Commission proposals. CLECAT calls on the EP not to tackle any of the elements of the Package separately, but to ensure that they will be implemented as a package, to create the real internal market for rail services that will bring greater efficiency and a greater degree of innovation.

Following statements from the Commission earlier this week, CLECAT calls on Vice-President Siim Kallas to do his utmost to ensure that its policy proposals on cabotage reflect the goals for a European Single Transport Area. Recognising that the political will may not be ready to accept a move to full liberalisation, CLECAT continues to call for a gradual and flexible opening of the road cabotage market which is accompanied by further harmonisation of social legislation and enforcement procedures. The fact that the Commission calls for more time certainly does not mean that its mid- and longer term goals are abandoned; the Commission has clearly said that the current cabotage restrictions go against the spirit of a European Single Market which guarantees the rights of all citizens to work, travel and trade freely.

CLECAT has published today a guide entitled ‘Calculating GHG emissions for freight forwarders and logistics services'. The guide is a practical tool for freight forwarders and logistics service providers that seek to make use of the recently published CEN standard(1) in order to determine their environmental footprint and seek ways to reduce it.CLECAT is convinced that this standardised calculation methodology will benefit industry, facilitate communication on the results and enable comparisons of energy consumptions and GHG emissions of different transport operations realised by companies.

The European Freight Forwarders' Organisation, CLECAT, has welcomed a decision from the Italian Regional Administrative Court regarding the controversial system of the minimum safety costs governing the national road transport sector in Italy since 2008. Following appeals from a number of Italian associations representing industry, freight forwarding and logistics, who argued that the system is not compliant with EU competition law, the Court decided last Friday to refer the case to the European Court of Justice.  CLECAT and its members are hopeful that the European Court will judge that the national law is not compatible with the cornerstones of the internal market, in particular the free circulation of enterprise, right of establishment and freedom to provide services and with the EU competition rules (art 49 and 56, 96, 101 TFEU).

CLECAT, the European Association for forwarding, transport, logistic and Customs services, is disappointed by some of the small print concerning the full implementation of mutual recognition for the USA’s and European Union’s trade security programmes.  Details on the implementation recently published by DG TAXUD of the European Commission - “US-EU Mutual Recognition Decision, Frequently Asked Questions” - confirm that freight forwarders and customs brokers which are AEO-accredited will not benefit from the reduced risk scores under the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA).

In anticipation of the EU Summit later this week in Brussels, CLECAT, the European organisation of freight forwarders and logistics service providers, is calling on European Heads of State and Government to guarantee the 31.7 billion Euro foreseen for Europe's transport infrastructure investments under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). European leaders will be making another attempt, following failure to reach agreement in November last year, to make a deal on the Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF), the overall European budget for the years 2014-2020 and the budgets to be allocated to the different policies.

CLECAT has welcomed the publication of the long awaited 4th Railway Package but is, however,  disappointed with the fact that the Commission has backtracked from its initial intention to impose separation of the infrastructure management and railway operations.  The new proposal allows incumbent operators to keep their holding structures, making separation ‘optional’. 

A need to strike a careful balance between effectively fighting crime and terrorism while facilitating trade, was among the conclusions drawn from the panel discussions at the first Freight Forwarders Forum organised by CLECAT in Brussels yesterday.

In anticipation of the 4th Railway package, which is expected to be adopted by the Commission before the end of year, CLECAT calls on the Commission to be forceful in bringing about the genuine separation of infrastructure from operations.