The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) criticises the European Commission’s new “AccelerateEU” communication, arguing that Brussels is once again coming up with solutions to the energy crisis too late and too timidly, especially when it comes to transport. In a rapid reaction published after the plan’s presentation, the ETF states that the measures proposed by the Commission acknowledge the role of public transport and rail, but remain inconsistent with European policies of the past two decades.
The European Commission presented AccelerateEU as a package of measures designed to protect the population and the economy from the new shock of fossil fuel prices and to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
Brussels speaks of temporary and targeted support for the most vulnerable sectors, reducing public transport fares, promoting passenger and freight rail transport, and supporting the purchase of zero-emission vehicles.
However, the ETF says that, in transport, the current crisis cannot be seriously addressed without direct public investment in services, networks, and jobs.
ETF: Mass transit cannot be saved by relying solely on the market
In its response, the ETF rejects the Commission’s idea that public funds should be used primarily to attract private investment. The Federation argues that, in rail transport and urban public transport, private interest is limited, as evidenced by the low number of bidders in tenders for public services.
The ETF’s message is that Member States must be able to invest public funds directly in rail freight, long- and short-distance passenger trains, and urban public transport, without being forced to rely on mechanisms that favor liberalization and compensation for private operators.
Brussels is now talking about rail, but the ETF recalls past policies
One of the harshest criticisms in the text targets the Commission’s call on member states to promote passenger and freight rail transport in response to the energy crisis.
ETF says this recommendation directly contradicts European policy over the past decades, which has focused on liberalization, and in recent years several countries have been sanctioned precisely when they tried to keep certain rail transport services under public control.
The Federation argues that this framework came hand in hand with reforms that led to thousands of job losses and service cuts at some of the largest freight rail companies in the European Union.
Under these circumstances, says the ETF, the Commission’s current call for states to support a sector that for years they were pushed to underfund is “a paradox.”
The ETF warns that cheap tickets do not solve the capacity shortage
The European Commission also mentions reducing the price of public transport as an immediate relief measure.
The ETF responds with a “yes, but,” stating that cheaper tickets won’t help much if services aren’t capable of transporting people on time, safely, and in good conditions.
The Federation points out that both rail and urban public transport are suffering from years of underinvestment, infrastructure deterioration, staff shortages, frequent disruptions, and, in some cases, accidents.
From this perspective, the ETF states that shifting travel from cars to public transport cannot be achieved solely through lower fares, but through greater capacity, more staff, and more reliable services, including in outlying areas.
Specific demands to the European Commission
The ETF calls for the AccelerateEU initiative to be accompanied by a series of concrete measures. These include: The Federation also calls for rail freight to be recognized as a service of general and strategic interest and, consequently, to be exempted from state aid restrictions.
- the removal of European restrictions on state aid for rail transport and urban public transport;
- adequate European funding to compensate for any revenue losses caused by fare reductions;
- Exempting investments in mass transit from the constraints imposed by austerity measures;
- Strict rules and full transparency regarding public support for zero-emission vehicles;
- Including the ETF in European discussions on immediate and long-term transport measures.
What the European Commission Proposes
In its communication, the European Commission starts from the premise that the Union is once again paying the price for its dependence on imported fossil fuels. Brussels states that, following the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, the EU spent an additional 24 billion euros on energy imports, without actually receiving more energy.
Among the proposed measures are: The Commission insists that immediate measures must be linked to long-term solutions. The ETF says that if Brussels truly wants to link the two plans, then it must accept that rail and urban public transport need stable public funding, staff, and infrastructure, not just political goals and calls.
- European-level coordination on reserves and fuels;
- temporary support measures for consumers and the most vulnerable industries;
- accelerating electrification;
- investments in networks;
- mobilizing both existing European funds and private capital for the energy transition.
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