The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has welcomed the latest low-emissions strategy announcement from the European Commission (EC), which proposes new measures to reduce carbon emissions among hauliers.

FTA head of European policy Pauline Bastidon stated that the graduated approach being taken by the EC is a positive move towards handling this delicate and difficult issue, with the new proposals recognising the fact there is no "one size fits all" way of addressing emission constraints within the sector.

As a result, a move to enhance infrastructure development budgets at a national level and measures aimed at increasing investment in low-emission technologies are welcome developments.

Initiatives to increase the interoperability of electronic tolling systems in the EU were also highlighted as being positive steps towards a more standardised framework for emissions management in future.

However, Ms Bastidon added: "The Commission needs to ensure that financial instruments providing guarantees to private investors are not the only source of funding available for the take-up of new technologies, and we would also like to see changes to vehicle weights and dimensions considered as a fundamental measure to reduce carbon emissions."

She argued that developing new systems to more accurately enable reporting of the carbon performance of commercial vehicles is essential and the FTA therefore hopes to work alongside the EC in delivering these improvements in the years ahead.