354 million euros in funding for logistics specialists

Good news for the logistics sector: the Road Freight Transport Commission in Germany wants to ease the burden on the logistics sector and also promote environmental and climate protection with an immediate action program. The relief package for road freight transport includes additional investments of 354 million in 2024 for the industry's central funding programs - for "de minimis", for "trailer funding" and for "commercial fast charging".

The emergency program is a response of the expert commission, consisting of industry associations and the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), to the CO₂ double burden, which places a heavy burden on medium-sized logistics companies in particular. The program strengthens decarbonization and electrification in road freight transport.

The immediate action program has three priorities:

First, the environmental protection and safety toll harmonization program (formerly De-minimis) will be increased by an additional €60 million. This means that a total of 371.9 million euros will be available for this funding program in the 2024 federal budget. This means that, among other things, that applications already submitted under the heavily oversubscribed €30 million funding program from 2023 can now be approved.

Secondly, 60 million euros will be made available for the successful "Energy-reducing components" (EMK) funding program, also known as trailer funding. This means that new applications can be submitted to BALM and open applications approved in the near future.

And thirdly, the remaining applications from the 1st funding call "Commercial fast charging" amounting to almost 84 million euros will be approved and, due to the high level of participation from the transport and logistics sector, around 150 million euros will be made available for the rapid publication of a 2nd funding call "Commercial fast charging".

The members of the commission are representatives of road freight transport from eleven associations, freight forwarders, the transport sector, industry, the CEP sector and the automotive industry. The commission aims to draw up a joint action paper by July 2024.

Companies can apply to the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM)  for the environmental protection and safety toll harmonization program from Monday, 6 May 2024 from 9 am.

More information on the immediate action program can be found here.