Apostolos Tzitzikostas appointed Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism as new European Commission takes office

The von der Leyen II Commission officially took office on 1 December 2024, comprising a 27-member College of Commissioners, each responsible for delivering on key aspects of the EU's 2024-2029 work programme. Re-elected in July, President Ursula von der Leyen has outlined a vision for the next five years, focusing on making Europe stronger, safer and fairer.

Among the newly appointed Commissioners is Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who has assumed the role of Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism. His role will be central to making European transport more competitive, sustainable and resistant to future shocks, and to ensure that it is safe, accessible and affordable for all EU citizens.

He is responsible for:

• Working to ensure that the missing Trans-European Transport corridor parts are built by 2030, and strengthening the single market for transport services.
• Promoting a resilient and competitive tourism sector, in line with the EU Agenda for Tourism 2030.
• Putting forward a plan for an ambitious European high-speed rail network to help connect EU capitals.
• Developing a Single Digital Booking and Ticketing Regulation to help passengers buy one single ticket on one single platform and protect passenger rights.
• Putting in place a Sustainable Transport Investment Plan to scale up and prioritise investments to decarbonise the sector, including the electrification of road transport and the use of cutting-edge technologies.
• Focusing on different transport sectors, for instance by developing a new industrial maritime strategy.
• Coming up with a strategy for EU ports, focusing on security and competitiveness.

Notably, Tzitzikostas is tasked with following up on the European Declaration on Cycling and publishing a first progress report by the end of 2025, as outlined in Ursula von der Leyen's mission letter. The Declaration aims to promote cycling as one of the most sustainable, accessible, inclusive, and healthy modes of transport across Europe.

The mission letter also tasks Tzitzikostas with strengthening the social dimension of mobility, which includes ensuring quality jobs in the transport sector, tackling transport poverty, improving access in rural areas, addressing labour and skills shortages, and upholding passenger protections and rights. The Commissioner will also be responsible for driving digitalisation in urban mobility, deploying Intelligent Transport Systems and smart mobility solutions to modernise the transport system.

Read more about the EU's transport policy here or find out more about the new Commissioners here.

Author: Dearbhla Mullin