MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Territorial continuity and island transport: achieving transparency and sustainability – E-002636/2024(ASW)

1. EU rules provide for open markets in maritime[1] and air services[2] aiming to reduce prices for consumers through competition between operators.

Where the market fails to provide adequate connections, EU rules provide the possibility for Member States to set up public service obligations to ensure sufficient connectivity, including for islands. It is for Member States to define specific operational conditions and ensure they are met.

Operators must in principle ensure ticket prices offered to the public are non-discriminatory[3] and that passenger rights are respected in line with EU Passenger Rights Regulations[4]. Furthermore, for air services, airlines and ticket intermediaries must always display the final ticket price including all applicable taxes, charges and surcharges, and the price of optional supplements. It is for the Member States to enforce these rules.

2. The Commission supports island regions in their transition to sustainable economies. Trans-European transport network policy aims to develop high-quality, interconnected transport infrastructure across the EU, including links to islands and in support of the wider concept of ‘European Maritime Space’[5].

3. Cohesion policy investments are already focusing on passenger and freight transport capacity to improve Italy’s transport infrastructure and reduce divergence with EU partners and within Italy. They are concentrated largely in less developed and island regions, aiming at enhancing accessibility, territorial cohesion and transport sustainability.

• [1] Regulation 3577/92 covers services within the Member States and Regulation 4055/86 services between the Member States.
  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A31992R3577
  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A31986R4055
• [2] Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008.
  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1008/oj/eng
• [3] Article 23(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 and Article 4(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010.
• [4] In particular Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 for waterborne transport https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32010R1177&from=NL and Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 for air transport https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32004R0261
• [5] https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/infrastructure-and-investment/trans-european-transport-network-ten-t/european-maritime-space_en