·¬ÇÑÊÓƵ

The European travel and tourism sector has expressed deep concern over the European Commission¡¯s recent proposal to increase the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) travel authorisation fee from EUR 7 to EUR 20 per application, nearly a threefold increase compared to the original amount agreed in 2018.

Since 1 July 2025, public transport in Flanders, Belgium, has become significantly greener, thanks to the private bus sector.

At today¡¯s high-level dialogue on accelerating the transition to zero-emission corporate fleets in the EU, IRU¡¯s President stressed the importance of removing real-world barriers, rather than imposing damaging, counterproductive mandates.

The Swedish Bus and Coach Federation, ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵmember and the national voice for Sweden¡¯s bus operators, has launched a joint initiative with the Swedish Sports Confederation to strengthen safety and simplify booking for sports teams, one of the sector¡¯s most frequent user groups.

Morocco and Italy are aligning to raise and harmonise professional driver qualification standards ¨C unlocking international work opportunities.

One year after the adoption of the Rhodes Declaration, Europe¡¯s leading tourism and travel organisations are in Gothenburg to renew and strengthen their shared commitment to sustainability and climate resilience.

The European Commission¡¯s proposal to extend toll exemptions for zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles is a welcome step but broader Eurovignette reforms are still urgently needed.

·¬ÇÑÊÓƵwelcomes progress on the Package Travel Directive but urges fairer rules for coach tourism operators.

The Netherlands is a European leader in taxi decarbonisation: one in four taxis are zero-emission vehicles. But as the country pushes forward, a critical question emerges: how effective are the increasingly ambitious greening targets if the conditions needed to achieve them are not yet in place?

·¬ÇÑÊÓƵwelcomes today¡¯s votes by the European Parliament¡¯s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) on new rules for enforcing passenger rights in the EU and in multimodal journeys but warns that some proposals risk placing excessive burdens on bus and coach operators.

·¬ÇÑÊÓƵjoined key EU stakeholders at a high-level Implementation Dialogue on the rollout of the Emissions Trading System 2 (ETS2) and the Social Climate Fund (SCF), cornerstones of the EU¡¯s climate strategy.

The EU¡¯s road transport sector is already decarbonising. But scaling up progress requires smart regulation, targeted investment and coordinated action. This was the central message from IRU¡¯s recent high-level conference in Brussels.

Road transport operators are beginning to invest in new vehicles. But for the decarbonisation transition to succeed, the sector needs clear, coordinated support. EU policymakers and road transport industry leaders are coming together to debate practical and scalable solutions to deliver environmental and economic benefits at IRU¡¯s high-level event tomorrow in Brussels.

·¬ÇÑÊÓƵwas at the heart of last week¡¯s International Transport Forum (ITF) summit in Leipzig, championing pragmatic solutions to make road transport not only greener, but also more resilient and competitive in the face of global challenges.

Leading the dialogue on the future of automation in road transport at EUCAD 2025, ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵorganised a workshop on AI and logistics, ensuring that the voice of operators was central to Europe¡¯s cooperative, connected and automated mobility (CCAM) agenda.

·¬ÇÑÊÓƵwelcomes today¡¯s vote by the European Parliament¡¯s Transport and Tourism Committee endorsing the provisional Driving Licence Directive agreement reached during trilogue. This follows recent formal approval by the Council¡¯s Committee of Permanent Representatives, the first of the EU co-legislators to back the deal. The reform responds to long-standing industry calls to address driver shortages and promote the digitalisation of driving licences while upholding high road safety standards.

·¬ÇÑÊÓƵjoins the global call this week for safer roads, reinforcing the need to formalise, professionalise and certify the commercial road transport sector across the globe.

IRU¡¯s General Assembly and councils brought together members from around the world for two days of discussions on opportunities to boost competitiveness, mitigate cargo crime, advance decarbonisation, overcome driver shortages and navigate economic shifts.

IRU, the world road transport organisation, has published its 2024 annual report, highlighting key achievements in advancing safe, efficient and sustainable road transport during a challenging year.

How far along is the road freight sector on its journey to net-zero? We shared exclusive insights from the ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵGreen Compact survey during our latest webinar with leading players from the sector, revealing how companies are navigating challenges and reshaping investment strategies and operations.

·¬ÇÑÊÓƵwelcomes Germany¡¯s coalition agreement as a step forward for a pragmatic and enabling approach to decarbonising commercial road transport. But the lack of concrete support measures for clean fuels alongside zero-emission vehicles is a missed opportunity.

The European Commission¡¯s proposal for the revision of the Roadworthiness Package is a timely and necessary step to modernise outdated EU rules. It strikes a positive balance between enhancing road safety and embracing digital solutions, while avoiding unnecessary burdens for commercial road transport operators.

·¬ÇÑÊÓƵand Lease Europe brought together EU lawmakers and industry leaders in Strasbourg today to chart a realistic path forward to green corporate fleets.

DLL, a global leader in asset finance solutions for equipment and technology, has partnered with ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵto accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.

·¬ÇÑÊÓƵwelcomes the provisional agreement reached following trilogue negotiations between EU institutions on the revision of the EU Driving Licence Directive. The outcome reflects long-standing priorities of the road transport sector and supports efforts to ensure road safety and alleviate the growing shortage of professional drivers.

We have expanded the ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵfuel price service to include weekly updates for alternative fuels and one-week price forecasts.

IRU¡¯s EU Goods Transport Liaison Committee (CLTM), Passenger Transport Council for EU Affairs (CTP-EU) and Taxis and Hire Cars with Driver Group (TA Group) recently met in Brussels to address key legislative developments and elect new leadership teams.

A market leader in health and safety training, Qatar International Safety Centre (QISC) has joined the ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵAcademy as its newest Associate Training Institute.

How did they achieve this remarkable feat?

Over 200 policymakers and industry leaders discussed the digital future of EU road transport at the annual ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵspring cocktail in Brussels.

From tourist hotspots to rural areas, everyone is feeling the strain of Spain¡¯s bus and coach driver shortage. Action is needed to turn things around ¨C solutions are already on the table.

·¬ÇÑÊÓƵand the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) are partnering on road safety. In this joint article, Vincent Erard and Willem Groenewald outline the solutions provided by the two organisations for companies in the sector.

·¬ÇÑÊÓƵwelcomes the European Commission¡¯s Union of Skills Communication and its clear recognition of labour shortages in the road transport sector. This crucial acknowledgment sets the stage for further action.

Once considered a ¡°male-oriented¡± sector, road transport is now increasingly led by women. ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵdedicates the 2025 International Women¡¯s Day to all the women driving road transport forward.

·¬ÇÑÊÓƵwelcomes the European Commission¡¯s Industrial Action Plan for the European Automotive Sector, particularly the focus on incentives and better infrastructure access to support commercial road transport operators¡¯ uptake of zero-emission vehicles. However, ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵremains deeply concerned about the lack of technology options for road transport ¨C only battery-electric technology is promoted as a clean solution ¨C and the potential purchasing mandates for corporate fleets.