Apostolos Tzitzikostas will be the new Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, following European Parliament’s vote after a debate with Ursula von der Leyen on her new team and programme.
From 2014, Apostolos Tzitzikostas has been the Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia and from 2022 he was the First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions. During 2020-2022, he was the President of the European Committee of the Regions.
“His vast experience of European regions will be invaluable to develop connectivity. To support this work, I have decided to convene a Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the Car Industry in Europe. The dialogue and its follow-up will be under my leadership. We will bring together all stakeholders around the table. To listen to each other. And to design solutions together as this industry goes through a deep and disruptive transition. Europe’s car industry is an European pride. Millions of jobs depend on it. And together we have to make sure that the future of cars will continue to be made in Europe,” the President von der Leyen said at the European Parliament Plenary on the new College of Commissioners and its programme.
The new Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism will be responsible for the delivery of the policy objectives and targets related to transport to meet the European Green Deal.
Tzitzikostas will have to work to make European transport more competitive, more sustainable and more resistant to future shocks and to ensure transport is safe, accessible and affordable for all EU citizens. The Commission will focus on supporting industry and Member States on implementation, strengthening the single market for transport, increasing modal shiſt towards sustainable transport means and accelerating the roll-out of trans-European infrastructure, making the most of digital tools, new tech and innovation.
Commission’s responsibility is to ensure that the missing Trans-European Transport corridor parts are built by 2030, notably through the best use of Connecting Europe Facility, to support high-performing, sustainable and interconnected trans-European networks.
One of the challenging tasks is to create an ambitious plan for a high-speed rail network at European level, which would connect EU capitals, including through night trains, and to accelerate rail freight.
A Sustainable Transport Investment Plan must be developed with a strategic approach to scale-up and prioritise investments in transport decarbonisation solutions and a proposal for a Single Digital Booking and Ticketing Regulation will be prepared to ensure that Europeans can buy one single ticket on one single platform and benefit from passenger rights protection for their whole trip.
In addition, the Commission will also be focused on digitalisation of the transport sector to modernise the system, making it safer and faster, through the deployment of European Rail Traffic Management System and Intelligent Transport Systems.
370 MEPs voted in favour, 282 against, and 36 abstained. After its formal appointment by the European Council via a qualified majority, the new European Commission is expected to take up its duties on 1 December 2024.
The new European Commissioners:
- Teresa Ribera Rodríguez: Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition
- Henna Virkkunen: Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy
- Stéphane Séjourné: Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy
- Kaja Kallas: High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission
- Roxana Mînzatu: Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness
- Raffaele Fitto: Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms
- Maroš Šefčovič: Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency
- Valdis Dombrovskis: Commissioner for Economy and Productivity; Implementation and Simplification
- Dubravka Šuica: Commissioner for Mediterranean
- Olivér Várhelyi: Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare
- Wopke Hoekstra: Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth
- Andrius Kubilius: Commissioner for Defence and Space
- Marta Kos: Commissioner for Enlargement
- Jozef Síkela: Commissioner for International Partnerships
- Costas Kadis: Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans
- Maria Luís Albuquerque: Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union
- Hadja Lahbib: Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management; Equality
- Magnus Brunner: Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration
- Jessika Roswall: Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy
- Piotr Serafin: Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration
- Dan Jørgensen: Commissioner for Energy and Housing
- Ekaterina Zaharieva: Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation
- Michael McGrath: Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law
- Apostolos Tzitzikostas: Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism
- Christophe Hansen: Commissioner for Agriculture and Food
- Glenn Micallef: Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport
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