MEPs voted today in favour of an initiative report to support alternative fuels for EU transport with the aim of having completed basic a charging and refuelling infrastructure, ensuring full coverage of the trans-European network (TEN-T) core network corridors by 2025.

With the agreement of Paris on climate change in force, it is necessary to accelerate the transition to a modern low-carbon economy. Mobility is a basic need and the backbone of our societies and economies, that is why it should be clean, reliable and affordable. In this context, clean technologies offer huge opportunities and benefits for society, the automotive industry, energy suppliers, utilities and grid operators. Decarbonisation of transport will strengthen Europe’s energy security and independence vis-à-vis imported energy and fossil fuels and switching to alternative fuels and powertrains is the best means to decarbonise the existing and future vehicle fleet.

MEP Gesine Meissner, ALDE shadow rapporteur on this file said: “If we want more alternative fuelled vehicles on the road we need to provide sufficient charging infrastructure. Most Member States did not implement the objectives set out in the Directive for Alternative Fuels Infrastructure which is most regrettable. We would probably need a revision of the framework to achieve a better roll-out of charging infrastructure throughout the EU.”

MEP Matthijs van Miltenburg, rapporteur for the IMCO opinion said: “In order to make sustainable transport attractive, we need to make it easily accessible for consumers and provide interoperable payment systems so that consumers can pay in a simple way anywhere in Europe. This requires a joint European approach.”

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