Talk of the ‘twin transition’ – the move to a more sustainable and more digital way of life – began before the introduction of the current European Commission's mandate. But the EC’s mandate saw us move decisively from words to action, presenting proposal after proposal to set the European Union (EU) on the road to its European Green Deal and Digital Age objectives. Aviation is no exception.
This year the EU will undergo its own transition, as new European Parliament Members (MEPs) are elected, new people take their seats in the Commission and on the European Council. Whoever the next Commission President is, I am sure that she or he will quickly present a vision for the coming five years. While I have no inside information on how this will look, I can say with a great deal of certainty that the focus on cutting emissions and on making more of digitalisation will remain high on the agenda.
I see my role, as Director General of DG MOVE, to lead the policy work needed to meet EU objectives, which will also ensure that our transport system is fit for the future. Each transport mode has its own challenges when preparing for a future that must be simultaneously more connected, cleaner, greener, smarter and more resilient.