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IRU brings practical operator solutions to Connecting Europe Days

7 Oct 2026 · People

At Connecting Europe Days 2026, IRU called for practical rules, infrastructure and investment conditions that can turn the EU’s transport ambitions into reality.

More than 4,500 policymakers, industry representatives, financial institutions and industry stakeholders gathered in Brussels for the European Commission’s flagship event to discuss how transport can strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, connectivity and resilience.

With the EU looking to strengthen its networks, remove bottlenecks and secure the infrastructure needed for the future, IRU brought the operator perspective to the question of delivery: what needs to work on the ground for companies to invest, innovate and keep Europe moving.

The timing was particularly relevant, with IRU members gathering in Brussels around Connecting Europe Days to adopt positions directly connected to many of the issues discussed at the event.

In her opening speech, President von der Leyen recognised the essential role of road transport in delivering Europe’s ambitions, from enabling conditions for electric vehicles and a connected charging network to autonomous vehicle testing and more resilient infrastructure.

“The discussions at Connecting Europe Days showed that the ambition is there,” said IRU EU Director Raluca Marian. “The focus now needs to be on creating the conditions for operators to deliver it in practice. That means the capacity to invest, adapt and innovate, while keeping transport services reliable and competitive.”

Putting operator priorities at the heart of the debate

Passenger transport featured prominently in discussions on connecting transport and tourism through the EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy session.

IRU Passenger Transport Council President Anna Grönlund highlighted the practical conditions coaches need to connect visitors with destinations, including predictable city access, suitable pick-up and drop-off arrangements and coach terminals that provide safe boarding and driver rest facilities.

IRU brings practical operator solutions to Connecting Europe Days

For operators, these conditions directly affect how efficiently and viably services can be delivered. Predictable access and suitable infrastructure reduce unnecessary costs and complexity. They create the conditions for operators to invest in vehicles, drivers and services that connect more destinations across Europe.

Building resilient freight corridors and investment capacity

Raluca Marian joined the panel debate on safe and secure truck parking as the backbone of resilient freight corridors, alongside the European Commission, parking operators, security experts and the European Union Military Staff.

The panel also looked at the financial pressures surrounding safe parking and the wider capacity of operators to invest in infrastructure and working conditions.

“Safe parking allows drivers to enjoy quality rest while protecting them, vehicles and cargo,” said Raluca Marian.

The discussion inevitably raised the issue of infrastructure costs. With many transport operators working on margins of just 1–2%, absorbing any additional costs can be difficult, the issue of significant payment delays by transport customers becomes even more painful.

This was reflected in IRU’s position on late payments adopted last week. It calls for dedicated EU sectoral legislation to provide measures to improve operators’ cash flow, including a 30-day maximum payment term, automatic interest on late payments and strengthened enforcement mechanisms. Greater certainty over when operators are paid can help protect their capacity to invest not only in vehicles and technology, but also in their people and the working conditions they depend on.

Turning innovation into deployment

IRU also showcased zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle technologies at the AEVETO cluster stand, organised together with leading European logistics innovation platform ALICE.

The stand brought together ten Horizon Europe research and innovation projects, including ZEFES, H2Haul and H2Accelerate TRUCKS, demonstrating electric and hydrogen technologies already being developed and tested across Europe.

A highlight was the visit of European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas. His presence sent a strong political signal that supporting the decarbonisation of heavy-duty road transport and the infrastructure needed to make it possible remain high on the EU agenda.

It also underlined the importance of continuity in EU funding. Europe has already invested substantially in developing and demonstrating these technologies. As Commissioner Tzitzikostas stressed at Connecting Europe Days, sustained investment will be essential to deliver Europe’s future transport infrastructure. The next step is to ensure that the innovation supported with EU funds can move from demonstration to deployment at scale.

This requires not only vehicles, but the right enabling conditions: sufficient and accessible charging infrastructure, timely grid connections, predictable permitting and funding frameworks that reflect how road transport operators actually charge their vehicles.

Not coincidentally, as IRU’s members gathered in Brussels around Connecting Europe Days, they also adopted a position calling for the charging ecosystem being developed under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) to be complemented by a coherent European support framework for depot and semi-public charging for heavy-duty vehicles.

With the next Connecting Europe Days planned for 2028, IRU will continue bringing the operator perspective to the EU transport agenda, working with policymakers to turn the priorities discussed in Brussels into practical progress on the ground.