Cocktail Reception

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ELP calls for Interparliamentary Group on Logistics 

BRUSSELS, 24 June 2014 – At the fifth event of the European Logistics Platform (ELP) in the European Parliament, 50 EU policymakers and industry stakeholders came together to discuss the importance of logistics as the backbone of the European economy. In light of the new parliamentary term, the reception introduced the ELP to the newly elected Members of the European Parliament and called for an interparliamentary group on logistics.

Gesine Meissner MEP, hosting the event, stressed the crucial role of logistics for the well-functioning of the European market. "Logistics facilitates global trade flows and provides employment to more than 7 million Europeans. In order to remain competitive and to tackle current and future challenges, a more integrated policy approach is needed. Therefore, I fully support the creation of an interparliamentary group on logistics to give this important economic sector a prominent platform for discussion with policy makers”.

Michael Nielsen, General Delegate of the IRU, stressed the need for an interparliamentary group on logistics to ensure that an holistic and cross-committee approach is taken on issues impacting on logistics including for example customs, e-commerce, trade barriers, climate change and deployment of new technologies’: “The value added of the logistics sector to the EU economy is €300 billion annually, almost 14 % of the total EU GDP. Only with a strong logistics sector can the European industry continue to be efficient, sustainable and innovative. The fact that there is no parliamentary committee dealing with the full range of policy areas impacting logistics makes the necessity for an interparliamentary group even more apparent”.

For the ELP, Julian Böcker, Vice-Chairman of the Steering Committee, emphasized: “The ELP teams up a wide variety of actors involved in logistics and supply chains across Europe. Thus, we provide the necessary expertise as well as the practical knowledge to Members of the European Parliament to efficiently tackle the challenges of the logistics sector such as overstrained infrastructure, trade barriers and climate change”.

The European Logistics Platform consists of more than twenty industry stakeholders representing a wide variety of actors involved in logistics and supply chains across Europe. Current members are ACEA, AEA, BDL, CER, CLECAT, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Post DHL, duisport, ECG, EIM, ECSLA, ESC, FERRMED, FTA, HERE – a Nokia business, IRU, Michelin, Nordic Logistics Association, Transport en Logistiek Nederland, Rail Freight Group (RFG), Procter and Gamble, SAP, VdTÜV Verband der TÜV e.V., Volvo Group.