UNECE Inland Transport Committee - Keynote by EU Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas

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Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my honour to close the high-level segment of the 88th session of the Inland Transport Committee.

It is also a privilege to be among ministers and transport leaders from across regions. 

Your presence here sends a powerful message: 

At a time of rising tensions around the world, 

countries still come together to cooperate on global solutions. 

And that is precisely what the United Nations, and the UNECE in particular, represent.

Today, the multilateral system is facing serious pressure. 

Conflicts, geopolitical rivalries and economic uncertainty are testing the foundations of international cooperation. 

In this context, we should remind ourselves of a simple truth: 

no country can address today’s global challenges alone. 

Not climate change, not supply chain disruptions, not the rapid transformation of our transport systems.

For decades, this Committee has been the global home of inland transport standards. 

It has provided a platform where countries with different interests and perspectives can still find common ground.

The conventions and standards developed here are not abstract legal texts. 

They are the backbone of safe roads, interoperable railways, efficient border crossings and reliable supply chains. 

They enable goods to move, economies to grow and people to connect across borders.

At a moment when some question the value of multilateral cooperation, 

the work of this Committee shows that common rules still deliver concrete results. 

We must protect and strengthen this system.

Transport is not only a technical sector. 

It is a strategic one. 

It underpins economic resilience, energy security and social cohesion. 

When transport is disrupted, entire economies feel the impact. 

When transport systems are strong and connected, 

they become engines of stability, growth and opportunity.

This is why we must continue working together 

to build safer, more resilient and cleaner transport systems. 

The transition to sustainable mobility is not a distant aspiration. 

It is essential for our clean transition, our competitiveness, and for prosperity and our long-term security.

The European Union is committed to this transformation. 

We have set ambitious targets for a clean transition. 

We are putting in place the policies and investments needed to achieve them. 

But we are fully aware that global challenges require global solutions. 

This is why international cooperation, including within the ITC, is so important.

The decarbonisation strategy adopted by this Committee is a strong example of what we can achieve together. 

We must now focus on implementation, keeping the momentum.

Excellencies,

Connectivity is another area where multilateral cooperation is indispensable. 

Reliable transport corridors are the backbone of global trade and economic development. 

Strengthening connectivity, within regions and between them, remains a top priority for the European Union.

In our neighbourhood, we continue to support Ukraine.

The destruction of civilian and transport infrastructure has had devastating consequences. 

We have extended key European transport corridors to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova 

and we developed the Solidarity Lanes to keep trade flowing. 

A resilient and connected transport system will be essential for Ukraine’s recovery and its future integration.

At the same time, we are working with international partners to develop new and more resilient transport corridors,

including across Central Asia and the Caucasus. 

These efforts depend on trust, legal certainty and common standards. 

And this is precisely where the work of the UNECE and the ITC is indispensable.

Excellencies,

Today’s discussions have also highlighted the importance of innovation. 

New technologies are transforming transport at an unprecedented pace. 

Digitalisation, automation and new energy systems are reshaping how people and goods move.

In the European Union, we are supporting this transformation through initiatives such as the Automotive Package, 

which aims to boost competitiveness, digitalisation and innovation, 

accelerate the transition to clean mobility 

and strengthen the European battery ecosystem. 

Following the Action Plan we initiated several measures to boost innovation. In particular, we  are establishing Large-Scale Testbeds for Autonomous Vehicles, a unique opportunity to commercially pre-deploy SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles. These testbeds will support public transport, freight transport, and ride-hailing services. And we are working on them together with a number of EU Member States.

We are also investing in digital rail operations, 

the deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System and new solutions for inland waterways.

These changes offer enormous opportunities. 

They can make transport safer, cleaner and more efficient. 

They can strengthen competitiveness and create new economic opportunities. 

But to unlock these benefits, we need common rules, shared standards and international cooperation.

Innovation without cooperation risks fragmentation. 

Innovation with cooperation creates scale, trust and global markets. 

That is why the work done here with all partners, on vehicle standards, automation, safety and interoperability, is so strategically important.

But above all, we will continue to defend multilateralism. 

Because the challenges we face, 

climate change, economic shocks, geopolitical instability,

are global by nature. 

So, they require global answers. 

And the United Nations remains the only forum where all countries can come together on equal footing to shape those answers.

The Inland Transport Committee is an important part of that system. 

It shows how practical cooperation, technical expertise and political commitment can deliver results for citizens and businesses across the world.

The European Union will remain a strong and reliable partner of the UNECE and of the United Nations as a whole. 

We will continue to support your work, 

to defend the rules-based international order, 

and to promote cooperation over confrontation.

Because in the end, 

transport is about more than infrastructure or vehicles. 

It is about connecting people, economies and societies. 

And in a divided world, connection is more valuable than ever.

Thank you.