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Indicator Assessment
Total growth
In 2017, energy consumption in the transport sector in the 28 EU Member States (EU-28) was 32 % higher than in 1990 (Fig. 1). For the EU-28 plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey (EEA-33), the figure was 38 % (Fig. 2). In the EU-13, most of this growth occurred in road and maritime transport. In the EU-15, however, the growth occurred mainly in air transport, although the largest absolute increase in energy consumption occurred in road transport.
Split of energy consumption between old and new EU Member States
In 2017, transport in the EEA-33 countries resulted in the consumption of approximately 19 148 petajoules (PJ, 1015 joules) of energy. The original EU-15 Member States accounted for the vast majority of this energy consumption (79 %), with the EU-13 Member States accounting for just 13 % of the energy consumed. The remaining 8 % was consumed in the remaining European Environment Agency (EEA) member countries.
Since 1990, energy consumption in transport has increased by 102 % in the EU-13 (see Fig. 2). In 2017, just one Member State — Latvia — consumed less energy in the transport sector than it did in 1990, while Lithuania and Greece's transport energy consumption remained roughly the same. Six Member States more than doubled their transport energy consumption over the same period: Czechia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland and Slovenia.
Between 1990 and 2007, energy consumption in transport in the EU-15 showed steady growth. In 2017, two of the EU-15 Member States saw a reduction in transport energy consumption (Italy and Denmark). Total energy consumption in the EU-15 was still 24 % higher in 2017 than it was in 1990.
In the EU-15, total transport energy consumption slightly increased, by 1 %, between 2016 and 2017. Maritime and rail transport energy consumption remained roughly the same, while energy consumption in air transport increased the most, by 6 %. In the EU-13, energy consumption increased across all transport sectors. The growth was largest for air transport (17 %), followed by maritime transport (14 %). Energy consumption in road transport grew by 9 %, while energy consumption in inland navigation grew by 7 %. Energy consumption in rail transport increased by 3 %.
Sectoral trends
In the EEA-33, aviation has shown the largest growth in energy consumption of all modes of transport, increasing by 103 % between 1990 and 2017, as shown in Fig. 3. In 2017, it was the mode of transport with the second highest energy consumption after road transport. The EU-15 accounted for most of this growth, with air transport fuel consumption increasing by 92 % over the period. The strongest period of growth for aviation in the EEA-33 was between 1990 and 2007, when it grew by 82 %. However, between 2007 and 2017, energy consumption in aviation in the EEA-33 increased by only 12 %. Air transport is predicted to be the mode that will grow the most and is expected to become the second largest passenger transport sector after road transport by 2050. This is because of, for example, the increasing number of international trips to emerging economies in Asia. Nonetheless, energy consumption is predicted to grow less than aviation activity, as more energy-efficient aircraft are introduced and the fleet is renewed. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has set ambitious targets for reductions in fuel consumption and emissions by improving fuel efficiency by 1.5 % per year until 2020 and capping aviation emissions from 2020 (EC, 2013).
In the EU-13, energy consumption in road transport grew by 117 % between 1990 and 2017. In the EU-15, it grew by 19 % over the same period. Overall, the price of passenger cars has decreased since 1990, encouraging growth in vehicles in the EEA-33 (see TERM 20).
Energy consumption in maritime transport increased by 56 % across the EEA-33 between 1990 and 2007, before decreasing by 19 % between 2007 and 2017. The countries with the highest energy use in maritime transport are Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain.
Rail transport accounts for a relatively low proportion of energy consumption partly because of the relatively small modal share, but also because, in most situations, rail transport is less energy intensive than other modes of transport. Rail and domestic waterways were the only modes of transport in the EEA-33 for which an absolute decrease in energy consumption was recorded between 1990 and 2017.
Energy consumption in the domestic waterway transport sector in the EEA-33 remained fairly constant throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The sector experienced an increase in activity between 2002 and 2006, most notably in the EU-15, with energy consumption in 2006 up 18 % on 1990 levels in the EEA-33. It has since declined and, in 2017, consumption was 17 % lower than in 1990 for both the EU-15 and the EEA-33.
Overall, transport energy consumption in the EEA-33 was 38 % higher in 2017 than in 1990.
Policy
Policies that (1) reduce the demand for transport or encourage a shift towards more environmentally friendly modes of transport; (2) improve transport management; and (3) enhance vehicle energy efficiency are required to meet the greenhouse gas reduction targets set by the Kyoto Protocol and the EU 2030 climate and energy package. The EU 2030 policy framework for climate and energy, agreed in 2014, includes:
In 2018, a political agreement was reached between the Council and the European Parliament to raise the 2030 targets on renewable energy to a binding target of at least 32 % and on energy efficiency to at least 32.5 %.
Policies that focus on only the incremental efficiency of vehicles will not be sufficient to deliver a long-term, low-carbon transport sector. Further development must also optimise the performance of multi-modal logistics chains, and use transport and infrastructure more efficiently through improved traffic management and information systems, advanced logistics and market measures (such as the completion of an integrated European railway market), and the removal of barriers to short-trip sea shipping, etc. (EC, 2011).
In May 2014, the EEA member countries adopted the Athens Declaration, which emphasised the benefits of short-trip sea shipping in an attempt to shift long-distance transport away from roads and address capacity, energy and climate challenges (GR, 2014). This builds on the goal of the Transport White Paper (EC, 2011), which aims to shift 30 % of road freight travelling over 300 km to other modes of transport, such as rail or waterborne transport, by 2030, and to shift more than 50 % by 2050. This will be done by facilitating efficient and 'green' freight corridors. A review of the implementation of the Transport White Paper was undertaken in 2015 (EC, 2015). This reiterates support for the targets and the need for a comprehensive strategy to decarbonise transport.
This indicator considers total energy consumption in transport in PJ from 1990 onwards. The transport modes included are bunkers (sea transport), air transport (domestic and international), inland navigation, rail transport and road transport.
In this indicator, transport energy consumption is measured in terajoules (1 TJ = 1012 joules).
Reductions in fuel consumption in the transport sector, and/or reductions of related impacts, may be achieved via three primary means:
Although climate policy and the Kyoto Protocol are important drivers of reducing fossil fuel consumption (and air quality policy to a lesser extent), this indicator is primarily concerned with energy policy. Other related issues are addressed in TERM002 (Greenhouse gas emissions from transport in Europe), TERM003 (Emissions of air pollutants from transport) and TERM031 (Use of renewable fuels in transport in Europe).
The EU has set itself the following targets:
If the 2030 policy framework, proposed in January 2014, is accepted, these targets will be built upon. Additional targets — which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 % by 2030 and increase the proportion of energy that is renewable by at least 27 %, also by 2030 — will be set. Improvements in energy efficiency are still encouraged (as part of the '20-20-20' target to increase energy efficiency by 20 % by 2020), but no new target has been proposed (EC, 2014).
Two key documents published by the European Commission in 2011 outline possible strategies for the transport sector, which are compatible with the 2050 target. These are the Roadmap for moving to a competitive low-carbon economy in 2050 (EC, 2011) and the third decennial Transport White Paper, Roadmap to a single European transport area — Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system (EC, 2011).
The impact assessment that accompanied the 2011 Transport White Paper (EC, 2011) suggests that a 70 % reduction in oil consumption in transport from 2008 levels should be achieved by 2050.
Energy statistics for transport are collected from Member States and collated by Eurostat. To assess whether total energy consumption in transport is growing, time series data for energy consumed were obtained from Eurostat. Data for various fuels were downloaded for bunker (sea), air (domestic and international), inland navigation, road and rail transport. Data for bunkers cover the quantities of fuel delivered to sea-going vessels of all countries. Data for inland and coastal waters are not included in bunker (sea) data. Data for air transport cover quantities of fuel consumed in national and international air traffic. Data on the energy consumed by electric and diesel trains are included within rail data.
Since Eurostat data are used to process statistics, the Eurostat methodology should be referred to for data collection and specification (see Eurostat, ITF and UNECE, 2009).
No methodology for gap filling is applied for this indicator.
No methodology references available.
Data trends within individual countries are difficult to ascertain, as energy consumption data often show unexpected variability from year to year. Energy consumption is calculated based on fuel sales and a common questionnaire is used to report it.
National data vary significantly from country to country and depending on the fuel type and production/consumption sector. The most reliable data come from the EU-15 countries. However, oil pipeline data are lacking for the majority of countries, making them less reliable. Occasionally, data used in older time series may change because of revisions in the methodology used. Such changes have resulted in small alterations, of a few per cent.
For the EU-13, data are generally much less reliable. Gaps are frequent, as are conspicuous jumps in consumption (e.g. doubling or more).
No uncertainty has been specified.
For references, please go to https://eea.europa.eu./data-and-maps/indicators/transport-final-energy-consumption-by-mode/assessment-10 or scan the QR code.
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