EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas has given the go-ahead for the “Clean Transport Corridor” mega-project announced earlier this year. The aim is to advance electrification along key routes of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Nine EU member states have now agreed to pool their efforts in building fast-charging infrastructure for electric lorries – namely Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland and Sweden.
The initiative builds on an action plan the European Commission presented in March for the automotive sector. Several sections of the plan addressed market support for zero-emission commercial vehicles, ranging from extended toll exemptions to harmonised type approvals. One concrete measure was the European Clean Transport Corridor Initiative, which the Commission had already scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.
The core idea is for the Commission and member states to jointly develop European clean transport corridors, particularly along key logistics routes. The initiative covers not only the technical roll-out of charging stations but also streamlined permitting procedures, mobilisation of finance and prioritised grid expansion.
Under the Renewable Energy Directive, member states already have the authority to fast-track grid reinforcement for specific renewable energy projects through accelerated planning and approval procedures. The Commission now intends to extend this status to projects under the European Clean Transport Corridor to speed up grid development. It also pledged to simplify permitting for charging stations for heavy-duty vehicles at other bottlenecks, for example, through amendments to building regulations.
The corridors currently in focus are as follows: the North Sea–Baltic route begins in Rotterdam and runs through the Netherlands (or Belgium), Germany and Poland, then splits into two routes – one leading east into Ukraine, the other into the Baltic States and across the Baltic Sea to Finland. The Scandinavian–Mediterranean corridor stretches from northern Scandinavia (with links to the capitals Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen) via Germany and Austria to southern Italy. In Germany, the main axis passes through Hamburg, Frankfurt, Nuremberg and Munich, with a branch line from Nuremberg via Berlin to the Baltic coast.
In a ministerial declaration, the nine states committed to the challenges and their shared goal of jointly building the corridors. “We, the undersigned ministers responsible for transport and infrastructure policy from nine European Union (EU) countries […] hereby adopt this ministerial declaration to advance the transition to zero-emission freight transport along the TEN-T network,” the document states.
The declaration also outlines existing barriers in detail. The states consider the EU’s AFIR requirements a minimum level of expansion but see an urgent need for additional capacity. The electricity grid is identified as a major bottleneck, citing slow expansion, lack of modernisation, poor cooperation with distribution network operators, long waits for grid connections and highly divergent permitting procedures at national and local level. At least half of the member states are said to face delays in grid connections. Other obstacles to the transition to electric trucks include limited economic viability of vehicles and infrastructure as well as financing constraints.
The nine countries view the Commission’s new initiative on public lorry charging as a major opportunity to align their policies. “In the spirit of enabling cross-border, seamless zero-emission freight transport, we express our dedication to take the necessary steps towards addressing the challenges faced by the sector in accelerating the deployment of recharging infrastructure to deploy seamless, zero-emission corridors for heavy-duty vehicles by 2030 along the TEN-T core network.”
The signatory states pledged to treat charging infrastructure as a strategic priority in transport policy planning, linked with energy policy, and to share progress on a data-driven and regular basis. This cooperation is designed to tackle key challenges such as lengthy planning and permitting procedures, limited site availability and fragmented financing.
The initiative represents both a joint political commitment and a strategic roadmap for current and future charging infrastructure strategies for lorries. The next step is to agree a package of measures by March 2026, exchange best practices and share national platforms. The states also intend to establish monitoring mechanisms to ensure the targets are met.
transport.ec.europa.eu, transport.ec.europa.eu(Ministerial Declaration; PDF), transport.ec.europa.eu (map)
This article was first published by Cora Werwitzke for Ev Authority’s German edition.
