During the plenary session (14-17/12) of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on the European Year of Rail (2021). Statement by Anna DEPARNAY-GRUNENBERG (Greens/EFA, DE), Rapporteur, Adina-Ioana VĂLEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, Benoît LUTGEN (EPP, BE), Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA (RE, ES), and Jakop DALUNDE (Greens/EFA, SE).

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

BILBAO BARANDICA, Izaskun (Renew, ES)

VĂLEAN, Adina-Ioana (EPP, RO, EC)

railway package (T)

DALUNDE, Jakop G. (Greens/EFA, SE, Greens/EFA, DE, SE)

LUTGEN, Benoît (EPP, BE)

DEPARNAY-GRUNENBERG, Anna (Greens/EFA, DE)

2021 European Year of Rail (T)

2021 European Year of Rail: extracts from the debate

Title: 2021 European Year of Rail: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (German), Anna DEPARNAY-GRUNENBERG (Greens/EFA, DE), Rapporteur, Two thirds of the emissions are actually from the transport sector and this is simply increasing. And the main problem is the combustion motor in the road transport. So that's why we have to have climate friendly rail as the backbone of sustainable transport.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adina-Ioana V&#258;LEAN, European Commissioner for Transport, We need also infrastructure, need more focus, we need ticketing, we need passengers rights, we need everything in a very integrated way if we want to achieve a result in our work towards making rail more attractive in Europe. And it is needed as an alternative way for an alternative sustainable mode but it's also a business, it is a competitive, competitive sector in our economy and we have great people working in the sector. So we are looking at it with hopes and with all our determination to help improve it.

SOUNDBITE (French), Beno&#238;t LUTGEN (EPP, BE), Connectivity is essential to ensure that this celebration of railways is a party, a celebration for everyone, all Europeans. We need all geographical areas to be connected and that will have positive effects in terms of jobs, tourism, etc, everywhere. Second point, taxation. I mean, obviously I want to see lower taxation, lower VAT for the rail sector.

SOUNDBITE (English), Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA (RE, ES), If we can make national networks into European networks, then we will have. Taking a decisive step towards a decarbonized mobility. What we are trying to achieve with Greta, we don't need to invent too much. We just need to catch up. We need to focus on the ten. Take this to look at the fourth railway package to overcome fragmentations. Let's stimulate innovation and research, digitalization and integrated management which have made the railway sector a world leader is in our hands.

SOUNDBITE (Swedish), Jakop DALUNDE (Greens/EFA, SE), Let this year be a catalyst for a renaissance of the train in Europe where we take strong measures to build away railway bottlenecks, where we make it easier to book international train trips and where we put in place more night train lines across the whole continent.