The European Commission has launched a call for more flexible funding for safe and secure parking across the EU, expanding the geographical scope, as called for by the IRU.
Similar to the previous two appeals for funding, the European Commission has allocated €250 million for safe mobility projects.
The funding covers the development of new safe parking areas, modernization of existing areas, and efforts to enhance the dissemination of parking information, including the availability, location and pricing of parking spaces.
The requirements expect that Safe and Secure Truck Parking Areas (SSTPAs) created with funding from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) will comply with EU standards adopted in April 2022.
EU standards set the minimum level of service that SSTPAs must provide to professional drivers. This includes gender-sensitive health facilities, food and beverage services, internet availability, power supply, and the presence of emergency contact points and procedures. The IRU helped develop EU standards through its contribution to the 2019 study and participation in the European Commission’s Expert Group on SSTPAs.
Raluca Marian, EU Advocacy Director at IRU, said: “We welcome the announcement of additional EU funds for our sector. Decision makers have listened to us and have expanded funding to the overall network.”
“We will see if additional funding will be allocated under the Connecting Europe Facility. We sincerely hope that will be the case after this third call,” she added.
According to a 2019 study, there are 300,000 truck parking spaces available in the EU, with a significant shortfall of 100,000 spaces to meet overall demand. Only 7,000 spaces, or less than 3% of existing parking spaces in the EU, are in safe and approved zones.
New solutions, such as reviewing private co-financing requirements, are needed to attract successful projects. Depending on the location of the parking spaces, the amount of private co-funding varies, making the application less attractive for many players.
This time, applicants interested in developing a specific project on the Total Network of Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) can submit their applications. The IRU has previously called on EU policymakers to consider expanding the geographic scope.
EU policymakers involved in the ongoing review of the TEN-T Regulation – setting requirements for Member States to establish SSTPAs over the entire TEN-T network – will need to consider this novelty because the deadlines proposed by the European Commission proposal are not ambitious enough. The IRU has called on Member States to consider the TEN-T Regulation as a facilitating tool for the dissemination of SSPAs.
“Several projects benefited from EU funding in 2021 and 2022. However, while projects related to safe and secure parking areas were funded in double figures in 2021, the uptake of funds was not satisfactory in 2022. The situation remains critical,” he noted. Raluca Marian points out that there is still a significant shortage of parking spaces across Europe.
The European Commission is updating its study for 2019. While this is something the IRU has championed, the budget allocated to the study is very low. The IRU will monitor the results, which are expected to appear next year.
A virtual information day on the 2023 CEF Funding Call will be held on 10 October 2023. The deadline for applications for funding is 30 January 2024.
The IRU will continue to work closely with all public and private actors to promote the construction and modernization of SSTPAs across Europe.
