In the last five years the geostrategic context has shifted considerably. War, trade imbalances and a decline in competitiveness due to policies such as decarbonisation create new challenges. New policies are necessary to ensure the resilience of European transport and the global competitiveness of European companies.

The main driver of EU transport policy over recent decades has doubtlessly been the construction of the Single European Transport Area (SETA). This broad objective remains relevant as there are obvious gains in competitiveness when reducing fragmentation and increasing competition in the SETA.

However, additional competitive gains can be achieved by reinforcing a systemic approach in European transport, and regulation has an important role to play. Fragmentation in the transport ecosystem due to vertical and horizontal separation reduces efficiency, and the current regulatory framework lacks coordination tools. Urban nodes play a fundamental role in such a systemic approach. EU transport policy has always focused on corridors, but more attention should be paid to nodes, and in the case of transport, nodes are in and around cities and metropolitan areas. Nodes are indeed key to increasing the efficiency and resilience of the overall transport system. They are also key to competitiveness.

Digitalisation enables new efficiencies because it facilitates information exchange and coordination. It is the best tool to reinforce a systemic approach. Furthermore, digitalisation empowers more active infrastructure management to create efficiencies in all the network industries. Regulation is necessary to accelerate business-to-business data exchanges when bottlenecks persist, which is often the case in transport.

The Draghi Report calls for a more active industrial strategy. Transport is a good case in point as it has been at the frontline of large innovation programmes in the EU (ERTMS, SESAR, etc.). Investment in transport programmes should not be replaced by investment in new technologies such as AI and new materials etc. but combined with them. Valuable lessons can be learnt from the difficulties in implementing technologies developed by these programmes.

In the next five years there will need to be a focus on implementing decarbonisation legislation, which will lead to important challenges.

There is a chicken-and-egg problem, as the supply of chargers for electric vehicles and providers of alternative fuels in general is too slow, thus limiting the uptake. Furthermore, transport is the hardest-to-abate emission sector in Europe. In the longer term, as decarbonisation in transport progresses, energy might well become a bottleneck and costs will increase, thus challenging connectivity. The Draghi Report is particularly vocal about aligning decarbonisation with industrial policy. In transport this means that innovations need to be supported to develop new technologies. Massive investment in the deployment of existing and future solutions will have to be ensured, making decarbonisation not only a challenge but an opportunity. Doubts will deter the necessary investments and exacerbate the chicken-and-egg problems. However, flexibility is necessary to accommodate the targets and obligations in these hard-to-abate sectors.

Against this backdrop, the third edition of the Summer School on Transport Regulation will enable participants to share insights on the fundamental regulatory principles of the transport sector through hands-on activities based on real cases and examples with instructors from academia, national regulatory authorities and ministries, the European Commission and the industry.

After completing this course participants will have:

• a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental regulatory principles of the EU’s transport and mobility sectors;
• acquired knowledge of the most pressing transversal issues affecting transport and mobility, namely digitalisation, decarbonisation, and resilience; and
• the ability to recognise the main limitations of the liberalisation agenda in transport;
• obtained a solid understanding of the main policy and technology tools available to tackle decarbonise transport while making it smarter and more resilient;
• familiarised themselves with best practices and experiences across the different transport modes.

In addition, registering for the Summer School secures you a place for the academic conferences on Rail Regulation (7 July 2025) and Aviation Regulation (11 July 2025). The conferences will evaluate the existing policies and analyse new proposals to accelerate the growth of the Railways and Aviation Industries. The approach would be interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary, allowing for a specific yet holistic overview of the current regulatory frameworks. They will discuss current economic and regulatory policies relating to air and rail transport and identify future regulatory challenges.

The course is given in English and developed for:

• Professionals engaged in the regulation of the transport sector
• Professionals engaged in the different transport modes
• Government agencies
• Regulatory bodies
• NGOs
• European and national transport-related associations

Please note that for this course only a selected number of participants will be admitted.

Applicants shall meet the following admission requirements:

• Completion of online registration
• Identification of two topics of interest that fall within the scope of the summer school’s focus (digitalisation, decarbonisation, railways, aviation, multimodality) and to be discussed during the course.

Course Programme 2025

Tuesday 8 July 2025

Topic of the day: Innovation
9:00 – 10:15 Introduction to the Summer School
10:15 – 12:00 Joint session
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 14:30 Parallel sessions:
Air Session I. Implementation of SES 2+. Part I
Rail Session I. Topic TBC
14:30 – 15:00 Coffee break
15:00 – 16:30 Parallel sessions:
Air Session II. Implementation of SES 2+. Part II
Rail Session II. Topic TBC
16:30- 17:00 One-to-one discussions with lecturers

Wednesday 9 July 2025

Topic of the day: Competitiveness
9:00 – 10:15 Joint session I
10:15 – 12:00 Joint session II
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 14:30 Transport Competitiveness Summit. Part I
14:30 – 15:00 Coffee Break
15:00 – 16:30 Transport Competitiveness Summit. Part II
16:30- 17:00 One-to-one discussions with lecturers

Thursday 10 July 2025

Topic of the day: Environment
9:00 – 10:15 Joint session I
10:15 – 12:00 Joint session II
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 14:30 Parallel sessions:
Air Session I. Topic TBC
Rail Session I. Metropolitan high-speed network. Part I
14:30 – 15:00 Coffee Break
15:00 – 16:30 Parallel sessions:
Air Session II. Topic TBC
Rail Session II. Metropolitan high-speed network. Part II
16:30- 17:00 One-to-one discussions with lecturers

At the end of the course, participants will receive a Certificate of Participation.

Each year, the Florence School of Regulation – Energy and Climate (FSR Energy & Climate) awards scholarships for a wide variety of training courses targeting a broad audience of professionals and academics.

Applications will be assessed by a Selection Committee of FSR members on a yearly basis. The successful candidates will be informed after February 2024 and will be provided with all relevant information on how to enroll in the online course or residential training of their choice.

Send your application by 2 February 2025.

Find more information here

General fee: 2,500 €

Fee for FSR Transport donors and public authorities: 1,500 €

One day participation fee: 1,000 €

One day participation fee for FSR Transport donors and public authorities: 750 €

The fee includes participation at the Summer School (and in addition the Rail Conference on July 7 and the Air Conference on July 11), coffee breaks, lunches, welcome aperitivo at FSR premises (July 7), and social activity (guided visits to the EUI villas).

The fee does not include travel expenses & accommodation.

Deadline: 31 May 2025 for registration and payment

Cancellation Policy

Paid registration fee is non-refundable. However, registrant substitution may be made up to 20 days before the start date of the course.

For more information on logistics, please contact the RSCAS Conference Unit.