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Europe's logistics operators and cross-border retailers have less than a month to prepare for the most consequential customs change the bloc has imposed in two decades, as the European Union readies the abolition of its long-standing duty-free threshold for low-value parcels. From 1 July, the EU will remove the rule that allowed consignments worth €150 or less to enter without customs duty. In its place comes a fixed duty of €3 per low-value e-commerce item, ending the duty-f

Deutsche Bahn will reopen its Berlin to Hamburg main line on 14 June, drawing to a close a nine-month shutdown that stands as both the most ambitious and the most painful test yet of Germany's effort to drag its railway back from decades of neglect. The roughly 270-kilometre corridor, one of the busiest in the country, was closed last August for a comprehensive overhaul. Work on the route saw 165 kilometres of track, 249 switches and five kilometres of noise barriers renewed

Airbus has flown the world's longest-range airliner for the first time, sending the A350-1000ULR aloft from Toulouse in a milestone that underlines European aerospace's grip on the most demanding end of commercial aviation. The aircraft, designated MSN 707, took off from Toulouse-Blagnac on 2 June and flew for three hours and 43 minutes, reaching just above 41,000 feet. A dedicated Airbus test crew ran general performance checks and trialled the jet's reworked fuel system, th

The engine inside an LNG carrier has become the decisive factor in its economic survival, according to analysis published this week by Wood Mackenzie, which warns that Europe's tightening emissions regime is cleaving the global fleet into winners and casualties. Modern vessels fitted with ME-GI engines, which produce the lowest methane slip, now carry the cheapest compliance costs on European routes. Older steam turbine and dual-fuel diesel electric (DFDE) ships are accumulat

From 1 June, Europe's car manufacturers may for the first time report the full life-cycle carbon footprint of their vehicles under a common EU methodology, a quiet but consequential shift that recasts how the bloc measures the industry's environmental performance. The new framework moves beyond the tailpipe. Rather than counting only the emissions a car produces on the road, it captures the carbon embedded across a vehicle's entire life, from raw material extraction and batte

Alstom, Europe's largest train maker, has confirmed it is in confidential exploratory talks over the potential sale of its Kassel locomotive plant in Germany, in a move that underscores the growing tension between the continent's rail manufacturing base and a defence sector hungry for industrial capacity. The French group said the discussions with an unnamed interested party were open-ended and that confidentiality obligations prevented further comment. Local media reports ha

European airlines are entering the peak travel season under acute fuel-cost pressure, with carriers cutting schedules, lifting fares and turning to governments for relief as Middle East supply disruptions tighten kerosene availability across the continent. The International Air Transport Association warned that European carriers could begin cancelling flights as early as late May, with constrained fuel availability threatening summer schedules and forcing airlines, airports a

Europe's shipping industry is absorbing its heaviest carbon bill yet, as the bloc's Emissions Trading System completes its phased rollout and begins demanding allowances for the entirety of vessels' emissions on EU-linked voyages. The maritime sector was formally pulled into the EU ETS on 1 January 2024, beginning with 40% of its costs, rising to 70% in 2025, and reaching 100 per cent from 2026. The step-up is steep. The move from 70 to 100% coverage almost doubles compliance

Europe’s automotive industry is confronting a difficult reality: the continent may have won time in the electric vehicle transition, but it has not secured control of the supply chain. That concern intensified this week after Chinese battery giant CATL signalled it would prioritise domestic manufacturers and long term strategic partners as global demand for lower cost battery cells accelerates into 2027. The announcement reverberated across Europe’s car sector, where executiv

Around Europe’s rail industry, one question is beginning to eclipse the old debate over punctuality: who will own the next generation of the continent’s high speed network? That question sharpened this week after fresh details emerged around Italian private operator Italo’s planned €3.6bn expansion into Germany, a move that would challenge Deutsche Bahn on some of Europe’s busiest intercity routes. The proposal, which includes up to 50 daily services linking Munich, Berlin, H

European air connectivity ground to a near standstill in 2025, the International Air Transport Association has warned, blaming a punishing combination of regulatory burden, high costs and unresolved competitiveness failings for choking the route growth that underpins the continent's economy. Data released by the trade body shows the EU route network expanded by just 1 per cent last year, a net gain of 154 routes to bring the total to 14,797. The figure sits below the 1.5 per

Bergen-based G2 Ocean, the world's largest operator in the open hatch shipping segment, has ordered six new vessels and committed to its first wind-assisted propulsion retrofit, in a fleet renewal programme that underscores how European owners are positioning for a tightening regulatory landscape. The six gantry crane newbuildings, each with a deadweight capacity of 65,400 tonnes, will be constructed by New Dayang Shipbuilding in Yangzhou, China, with deliveries beginning in