Market based instruments (MBIs) in EU transport and environment policy
Response to the public consultation of the European Commission on the Green Paper on market-based instruments for environment and related policy purposes.
Ninety-eight percent of transport runs on oil and the sector is responsible for 70% of the EU’s oil consumption. By 2030 the EU will import 86% of its oil. Given this, trans- port energy use is a central issue; not only environmental but also economic and geopolitical.
Action in the transport sector is particularly important because it is the fastest growing source of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in the EU, and many of its activities are still outside the scope of any policy control1.
Also, as transport is undertaken by millions of individuals and small operators it is hard or impossible to regulate transport activity directly. Therefore MBI are particularly suitable in this sector to send correct signals while giving sufficient flexibility.
Related Articles
View All
Plug-in hybrids emit six times, on average, what official tests claim - new EU data
The car lobby is demanding that the EU scrap rules that would better reflect PHEV pollution
Oil majors double profits in Europe in latest quarter
As wildfires rage across Europe, T&E calls for a permanent tax on the windfall profits being made off the back of European drivers
How much windfall profit have oil companies made in Europe?
Just eight oil companies have made €7.5 billion in excess profits in Europe in the first half of 2026