Apostolos Tzitzikostas was faced with the MEPs in the discussion of the approval of his candidacy for the Transport portfolio in the European Commission.
In his opening remarks, the commissioner-designate referenced Tempe crime to preempt related questions. “In Greece, we have suffered an unbearable tragedy. The crash of 2023 should not have happened. Such an accident must never happen again anywhere in Europe,” he said.
In an attempt to allay concerns that his appointment involved a conflict of interest as the investigation into the crash is still ongoing he closed his speech by saying: “Safety will be my first priority and I will be strict with all member states.”
Russian ships
Mr Tzitzikostas said he takes seriously the risks to maritime security and the environment posed by Russia’s shadow fleet – ships, often with unclear ownership, used to transport sanctioned Russian oil. Many of them are not properly secured, sail without activating electronic detectors and deny pilots difficult passages.
“If I see that there is no compliance, I will act decisively against any member state,” he said.
If he is honest, he should also act against the Mitsotakis government, which covered Greek shipowners from any sanctions and allowed the use of the Laconian Gulf for oil transfers from ship to ship so that Russian traces would be lost.
Electric cars
Asked if he would commit to pushing through legislation on electric cars, Mr Tzitzikostas was caught … off guard as he said he would support an initiative but failed to give details on what such a proposal would look like.
Electrifying corporate fleets, which account for more than half of the new cars on Europe’s roads, would help the EU reduce emissions and create a used vehicle market that would lower the cost of electric vehicles for private drivers , he said.
“I can’t say whether that will be through incentives or taxation, but I can’t rule out legislative action,” he said.
Many lobbies and companies have called for legislation on corporate fleets, including Uber.
Infrastructure… for NATO
Mr Tzitzikostas promised a new action plan for military mobility, which he said he would present after consultation with NATO.
He said military mobility largely coincided with the wider need for a stable transport network, but the plan to build the so-called Trans-European Transport Network was facing long delays.
“These are dual-use corridors. 99 percent of the time it’s used by civilians, but we have to be ready to have infrastructure” that can “handle heavy trucks and military equipment,” he said.
He also promised to fight during the negotiations for the next seven-year budget to “get as much as possible for infrastructure projects”.
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