Transport ministers in Brussels discuss passenger rights, the European car policy and the driving ba6/2/2025|Press releasesTransport ministers in Brussels discussed the latest transport proposals and how to balance the competitiveness and climate ambitions of the European automotive sector. They agreed, among other things, on a common text for draft legislation aimed at better enforcing passengers' rights in all modes of transport and ensuring passengers' rights in relation to journeys by different means of transport. They also adopted the Council's position on a ban on driving with Europe-wide effect. In the part of the meeting devoted to legislation, the ministers approved a position on a proposal for a directive on driving bans with Europe-wide effect. "This directive will allow an EU-wide driving ban to be imposed if a driver commits a serious traffic offence in any EU member state. The adoption of this regulation in the future can significantly increase road safety in the Czech Republic and within the EU," said transport minister Martin Kupka. Ministers also agreed on a position on the proposal for a regulation on passengers' rights in respect of journeys by different modes of transport and on the proposal for a regulation on the enforcement of passengers' rights in all modes of transport (so-called omnibus). "The Czech Republic welcomes the emphasis on the rights of persons with disabilities and reduced mobility. The proposal will also bring more certainty for passengers who buy tickets through agents," added the transport minister. The texts adopted by the ministers at their meeting will form the basis for further negotiations with the European Parliament, which will lead to the final wording of the legislation. An important topic of the ministers' discussion was also the proposal of the Czech Republic and Italy concerning the European automotive industry, where competitiveness and climate goals must be balanced. According to minister Kupka, "the European Commission must come up with a clear plan to ensure that the Czech, or rather the European, automotive industry remains competitive." The minister also followed up on yesterday's phone call between prime minister Petr Fiala and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on this topic: "The clear priority for the Czech Republic at the moment is to postpone counterproductive sanctions for vehicle manufacturers for failure to meet CO2 limits in 2025. Fines would only weaken European carmakers. That's why we want to prevent them. Our initiative was openly supported today by the German transport minister Volker Wissing. So we're getting stronger again. The European Commission has promised an action plan to support the automotive industry and will launch a strategic dialogue with the main players next week. As the Czech Republic, we will continue to promote sensible measures that will support European competitiveness," Kupka added. The Council also held a political debate on air passenger rights. This discussion seeks to restart the debate on a legislative proposal that has been on the table since 2013. For the Czech Republic, it is necessary to reach an agreement that will sufficiently protect the rights of passengers while compromising the competitiveness of European airlines only as little as possible. On the draft directive on combined transport, ministers took note of the progress in the preparations. The Czech Republic considers the development of combined transport to be essential for moving freight off the roads and for reducing emissions from freight transport. The current legislation is outdated and drafting new legislation is complicated.