6 September 2022: The European Commission (DG MOVE) has launched a study to assess the impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic and other topical developments on connectivity and competition in the European Single market for all transport modes (rail, road, waterborne, air transport) as well as walking, cycling and new forms of mobility. Consultancy Steer has been appointed to carry out this study.

The key themes of the study are related to the changes in the connectivity of regions, behavioural changes and trends in mobility patterns, resulting accessibility and related infrastructure needs, and the impact on competition and the single market of developments in recent years.

The study is an umbrella for future policy revisions of the European Commission and aims to come up with state of play in the transport sector as well as connectivity in Europe to dress the future perspectives and needs of the EU transport sector. It will go beyond the findings of the previous study conducted by Steer on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on aviation (ERA responded to the questionnaire in January 2022 and was also interviewed). 

Steer intends to focus on the outermost regions, to understand whether they have recovered from the COVID-19 crisis and what the current levels of air connectivity are in these regions. The focus is also on freight.

No policy recommendations are foreseen at this stage, but that will depend on the outcome and progress of the discussions with the European Commission.

The questionnaire is open for feedback until 7 October 2022 and is available at the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/ConnectivityandCompetitionStudy_2022 [1].  

Interviews with relevant stakeholders will run until November 2022 and the draft report will be finalised mid-December 2022.