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On the 27th February the European Commission issued a press statement on the political agreement in principle reached with the UK government on the Windsor Framework. The EC and the UK agreed on joint solution to address the practical challenges faced by citizens and businesses in Northern Ireland.

On 25 February, in response to Russia’s continuing war of aggression against Ukraine, the Council adopted a tenth package of sanctions. The agreed package, which was approved on the anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, includes a series of measures intended to hit hard Russian economy and abilities to continue its aggression.

On 27 February, CEO Oleksandr Kamyshin resigned from Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways – UZ) to dedicate full time on the opening of its European freight branch, which it was announced just a few days before.

As indicated by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, the French government is ready to allocate €100 billion to implement the plan presented by the Infrastructure Orientation Council (COI) in February. The COI report illustrates all the necessary investments for mobility in the country between 2023 and 2042, displaying a strong emphasis on rail.

In an interview with ShippingWatch published on 27 February, the Chair of the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Daniel B. Maffei accused ocean carriers to have charged extra fees from customers in order to increase profits parallel to the already elevated freight rates during last year.

On 28 February, FIATA issued a press release urging shipping lines to review and reinstate the current free time periods back to no less than feasible, pre-pandemic levels. During the last few years, free time periods for containers have been reduced and tariffs for demurrage and detention have increased considerably.

Over the last month, negotiations between the Parliament and the Council continued over the transport-related files of the Fit for 55 Package, namely the AFIR, FuelEU Maritime and the Renewable Energy Directive. Agreement is yet to be find on these texts.

At the ESPORG Conference 2023, which took place on 1 March at the European Parliament, the European Commission announced that a new study on Safe and Secure Truck Parking Areas (SSTPAs) will be launched in summer. The announcement comes almost a year after the publication of the Delegated Act on SSTPAs, which was strongly supported by CLECAT, as it harmonises EU Standard and contains clear and unambiguous rules on security, safety and comfort levels. The standard, which is based on four levels of security, a common level of service and certification procedures builds on the work of the 2019 Commission study on SSTPAs.

The European Commission adopted on 1st March a proposal revising the Driving License Directive, as port of a broader Road Safety Package. The measures are aimed to improve safety for all road users and alleviate the shortage of professional drivers.