The EU is considering an emergency support plan for transport, fuel and infrastructure due to geopolitical instability and pressures on the supply chain.
The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Dimas highlights the increased risk facing the European transport sector due to the crisis in the Middle East, highlighting the need for immediate and coordinated European planning. In an environment of intense geopolitical turbulence, energy costs and disruptions in supply chains are critically affecting transport across the EU, with Greece and Cyprus under particular pressure. The Greek minister focuses on ensuring connectivity, the stability of infrastructure and the need for common European support interventions.
More specifically, the need for an immediate and coordinated European plan to address the impact of the crisis in the Middle East in the transport sector was highlighted by Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Dimas, during his participation in the extraordinary informal teleconference of the Transport Council of the European Union, convened at the initiative of the Cypriot Presidency.
The context and the risks
The Greek minister underlined that the geopolitical instability in the region has already caused serious disruptions in all means of transport, affecting in a chain effect the functioning of the supply chain. As he pointed out, soaring energy costs and disruptions in the flow of goods are putting intense pressure on both businesses and public infrastructure projects, with the impact being particularly felt in frontline countries such as Greece and Cyprus.
Special emphasis was placed on the aviation sector, where fuel costs are rising and flights are being cancelled, and on shipping, where risks to the safety and smooth operation of maritime transport are intensifying. At the same time, Mr Dimas highlighted the impact on road transport, as well as on construction, due to the rise in energy prices, while stressing the importance of maintaining connectivity, especially for island and remote areas.
In this context, he pointed out the need to strengthen European coordination in order to avoid fragmentation of national policies and to ensure a level playing field within the Union.
Presenting the main Greek priorities, the Minister proposed to ensure fuel sufficiency at European level, to adopt targeted and temporary support measures for the transport sector within a common framework of state aids, as well as to provide flexibility in regulatory obligations to address exceptional circumstances, without jeopardizing the long-term objectives of the Union.
At the same time, he highlighted the importance of maintaining connectivity through flexible arrangements on public service lines, and to ensure that the transport sector is able to meet the needs of the European Union. Finally, he underlined the need to accelerate investment in clean technologies and modern infrastructure as a key condition for the resilience of the European transport system against future crises.
