Forget the plane; let the train take the strain
Barely 18 months after French MPs approved a ban on flights between French cities that can be made by train in under two-and-a-half hours, the European Commission has authorized the measure, which means that it will soon be implemented and will hopefully inspire similar laws in the rest of Europe.
The original proposal was a ban on all flights to destinations that could be reached by train in less than four hours, so the solution of cutting it to two and a half hours is a clear case of consensus building, which many have felt leaves the solution somewhat watered down.
When the French government proposed the measure in April 2021 as part of its commitment to reduce the impact of the climate emergency, it was challenged by the French Airports Union (UAF) and the European branch of Airports Council International (ACI Europe), forcing an investigation by the European Commission to analyze its consequences.
In 2019, MEPs from the Netherlands voted in favor of a similar measure, banning short regional flights, particularly between Amsterdam’s Schiphol and Brussels’ Zaventem airports, which are just 150 kilometers apart. However, the proposal was not implemented because it allegedly contravened the laws on the free movement of persons between European countries.
