13 Novembver 2024: Last week, Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas was confirmed by the TRAN Committee after his hearing where he announced his priorities for the next mandate.

Overall, the Commissioner seems very sensitive to the automobile and maritime industry, and to safety in transport.

He mentioned a few aviation files he will be working on and defined the aviation and maritime industries as hard to abate sector in decarbonisation. For this, he announced a Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) to promote cleaner transport modes and boosting uptake of low-carbon fuels. He also stated the importance to enhance competitiveness in the transport and tourism sectors by reducing bureaucracy, boosting investment and support innovation. He will also make a proposal to make transport paperless by 2030.

Focusing on aviation, Tzitzikostas promised a revision of the Air Services Regulation early during his mandate, a focus on ongoing files on Passenger Rights including Enforcement Regulation, Air Passenger Rights Regulation and Multimodal Passenger Regulation. On Multimodal Transport, designated Commissioner announced a proposal for a Single Digital Booking Regulation to protect passenger rights in all modes of transport.

Regarding SAF, beyond the Sustainable Investment Plan, questions regarding the Book and Claim report were raised by MEP Jan-Christoph Oetjen, and Commissioner Tzitzikostas confirmed that for the moment, no Book and Claim will be implemented as there is not enough SAF to make a tradable system out of it. He mentioned that the report will soon be published.

On international relations, the designated Commissioner announced his will to further collaborate with ICAO, especially on SAF.

Some questions regarding Airport Fitness Check (Airport Charges and Slots) and State Aids were raised, but the Commissioner remained vague about them. 

Finally, as Tourism Commissioner, Tzitzikostas mentioned his support for tourism and making it more sustainable, indeed he will soon present a strategy aiming to support regional authorities and to address visitor flow imbalances.  

In a few words, we understood that on aviation his priorities will be the Air Services Regulation, upscaling the production of SAF and the development of infrastructures with the STIP, ensuring a Single Digital Booking to protect passenger rights, closing the files on Air Passenger Rights and further collaboration with ICAO.