Archives



Air, Express, Forwarding, Freight News, Road


Trade groups welcome Covid-19 plans

[ May 5, 2020   //   ]

The Clecat European forwarders’ association, the European Express Association and the European Shippers’ Council have welcomed the reaffirmation by EU transport ministers on the need to coordinate the exit and recovery measures for the transport sector after the ending of the Covid-19 lockdown.

It followed the announcement of a package of measures to support the transport sector by Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean on 29 April.

For road freight, the continued application of EU Green Lanes is essential, and would be key in preserving the smooth transport of goods as general traffic volumes increase, the associations said. hey also welcomed European Commission to temporarily relax EU rules on driving and rest times

For air cargo, they welcomed the recognition of the importance of measures to facilitate air crew repositioning by Transport Ministers but were surprised by the Commission’s proposed derogation from emergency measures for traffic rights.

They said: “In view of the current scarce air freight capacity, it is essential to uphold air traffic rights to ensure the maximum capacity possible for air transport. Enabling such derogations and allowing for the simplified imposition of restrictions beyond 14 days on established traffic rights should in no case jeopardize the operation of the transport network for cargo and supporting activities.”

Tags: