Transport is undergoing a profound transformation, both due to the transition to a low-carbon and sustainable economy and to digitalisation. The S&D Group is leading the EU in a long-term vision to make the most of the new opportunities while ensuring that no jobs are lost.

 

Today, a report on an agenda for the future of mobility in the EU, drafted by S&D MEP István Ujhelyi, was backed by the transport committee in the European Parliament. The aim is to look into the fast changes in the transport sector - including collaborative economy, automation and digitalisation - in order to start drafting the most effective policies.

 

 

“The automotive industry is one of the main driving forces in the European economy, accounting for almost 7% of the EU’s GDP and providing employment to 12.2 million people. Some jobs will inevitably be lost with this technological development and now is the time to ensure that people potentially affected by this change can be retrained in a timely manner to perform new tasks and to benefit from new opportunities that digitalisation offers.

 

“It is vital to ensure that this industry has the workers it needs to stay at the forefront of technological advances and to maintain its strong position in the global market.

 

“We must provide Europeans, both as workers and as consumers of various services, with the necessary skills in this new environment. Concerted action at European level is needed to ensure cohesion between member states: if we fail to adequately adjust to the progress of digitalisation it could have serious consequences for their economic prospects and competitiveness of the EU itself.”