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On 19 June CLECAT held its General Assembly meeting in Brussels and formally adopted its policy recommendations for the EU's next five-year mandate. The policy recommendations serve as an invitation for discussion and dialogue with the European Commission, new policy makers in the European Parliament and other decision makers in Brussels. In addition to the horizonal policy recommendations the Assembly adopted the priorities of CLECAT members in the areas of Road Freight transport, Maritime Transport, Rail Freight Transport and Air Freight Logistics.

Nicolette van der Jagt, Director General of CLECAT said: 'We want to ensure that EU policy underpins important changes to transform the logistics sector into an engine of growth and sustainable development. The best way to do this is to support the sector through smart integration of policy measures related to competitiveness, climate change, innovation, skills, infrastructure and customs and trade policy. This contributes to strengthening Europe’s competitive position which is crucial for economic growth, innovation, and the overall well-being of the EU.'

She added: 'Over the past five years, Europe has set important goals for achieving a net-zero, resilient, smart, and sustainable future. Alongside these goals, various legislative initiatives, have been put into place. Despite its good intentions, recent EU trade-related measures like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and the new import control systems (ICS2) have created bureaucracy and costs for companies. CLECAT therefore calls for a reset of the pace of new regulatory initiatives before considering new ideas or packages. The volume of new legislation, their intricate connections, and the speed at which they have been finalised, present challenges for industry, especially when assessing legislative impact and determining the most cost-effective means of implementation for fostering a sustainable, net-zero, socially responsible, and resilient future for Europe.'

CLECAT continues to support the EU’s ambitious climate policy, where the 2030 and 2040 climate targets are important steps for a pathway to net zero by 2050. However, the success of this is at risk without proper financial support and significant public investments. Looking ahead to the new EU legislative cycle, initiatives for low- and zero-emission freight transport, both at the European and national level, must actively support the decarbonisation of all transport modes.

Finally, CLECAT stresses that as transport is especially sensitive to external stress and shocks, policymakers need to integrate resilience in their policies by improving regulatory systems to make them more agile and flexible when coping with crisis situations.

The full policy recommendations are available here.