1. Nº 22.26 Madrid, 25 de marzo de 2026 IRU LLAMA A LA ACCIÓN CONJUNTA DE MINISTROS DE TRANSPORTE DE LOS 27 ANTE LA CRISIS DE COMBUSTIBLE

3. materia energética no bastan si no incorporan una visión específica del transporte . Por otro, advierte de que las medidas nacionales aisladas pueden crear fragmentación, distorsiones de mercado y problemas transfronterizos , precisamente porque el transporte funciona a escala europea y depende de corredores internacionales. Por eso pide que se apoye desde el Ministerio la convocatoria urgente del Consejo de Ministros de Transporte de la UE , bajo presidencia chipriota, para debatir la situación y activar soluciones concretas. La carta describe también por qué el impacto es tan severo para las empresas. El combustible supone normalmente alrededor de un tercio de los costes operativos, mientras que muchas compañías trabajan con márgenes de apenas entre el 1% y el 3%. Eso significa que una subida brusca del gasóleo puede ponerlas rápidamente en problemas de liquidez. Incluso cuando existen cláusulas de revisión del precio del transporte, esas cláusulas suelen aplicarse con retraso, y en sectores como el taxi o parte del transporte público, las tarifas reguladas impiden repercutir de inmediato el incremento de costes. Además, la IRU subraya que la crisis no sólo eleva precios, sino que está provocando disfunciones operativas : compras preventivas, tensiones de suministro, retrasos en entregas de combustible, acceso restringido en ciertos lugares y desequilibrios entre países. Menciona expresamente el fenómeno del “tank tourism ”, es decir, transportistas que cruzan fronteras para repostar donde el precio es más favorable, lo que agrava las escaseces locales. Por supuesto, en el texto se formulan varias propuestas. La primera es preparar un plan de contingencia específico para el transporte con criterios claros de prioridad de suministro si la crisis se prolonga. La segunda es una intervención financiera coordinada en la UE: armonizar medidas sobre fiscalidad del combustible, cargas medioambientales y mecanismos temporales de estabilización de precios; además, plantea un alivio del IVA en el transporte de viajeros para contener el coste al usuario final.

4. También pide actuaciones para corregir las distorsiones transfronterizas, gestionar los picos repentinos de demanda en corredores de tránsito y, sobre todo, crear un marco europeo de apoyo a los operadores. En este punto, la carta es muy relevante porque reclama expresamente flexibilizar las reglas de ayudas de Estado y elevar temporalmente el límite de las ayudas de minimis hasta 600.000 euros (en nuestra opinión será solo un primer paso y, como sucedió en la crisis anterior de 2022, tendría que irse ampliando hasta, al menos, 2 millones) desde luego, los topes actuales son insuficientes dada la magnitud de la crisis. Añadimos desde Bruselas que se vea incluso la posibilidad de suspender temporalmente ciertos recargos externos incorporados a peajes y tasas de uso de carretera y proponemos un fondo europeo de crisis para empresas en dificultades. Por último, la IRU pide reforzar la coordinación sobre las reservas estratégicas de petróleo, no sólo para aumentarlas, sino para asegurar que, si se liberan, esa liberación se traduzca en disponibilidad real de diésel en los corredores logísticos clave. El mensaje final de la carta es claro, como decíamos al inicio de este texto es que, en una crisis así, el transporte no puede ser tratado como un efecto secundario de la política energética, sino como un sector estratégico que requiere atención específica y acción coordinada. C/ Príncipe de Vergara, 74, 3 planta - 28006 MADRID Tlf.: 91 451 48 01 / 07 – Fax: 91 395 28 23 E-mail: astic@astic.net Nota: Prohibida la edición, distribución y puesta en red, total o parcial, de esta información si n la autorización de A ST IC

2. Nº 22.26 Madrid, 25 de marzo de 2026 IRU LLAMA A LA ACCIÓN CONJUNTA DE MINISTROS DE TRANSPORTE DE LOS 2 7 ANTE LA CRISIS DE COMBUSTIBLE Desde esta asociación hemos venido solicitando desde el inicio de la crisis la activación de la delegación permanente de IRU en Bruselas, dirigida por Raluca Marian. Fruto de ello fue la urgente comunicación que desde allí se hizo a la Comisión Europea para que, entre otras cosas, revisase los límites de las ayudas de Estado que establece la regulación e ur opea, que en estos momentos limita a 300.000 euros el máximo montante que un Estado miembro puede entregar en un período trianual por empresa o grupo de empresas. Ayer, en esta línea, se ha dirigido una carta desde IRU Bruselas a los 27 ministros de transporte de la UE, incluido el de España, cuya copia puede usted encontrar en el anexo; en ella se realiza, en esencia, una petición urgente para que se impulse en la UE una respuesta coordinada ante la crisis de precios y suministro de combustible que ya está afectando gravemente al transporte por carretera, con la visión de que, en una crisis así, el transporte no puede ser tratado como un efecto secundario de la política energética, sino como un sector estratégico que requiere atención específica y acción coordinada La IRU explica que la volatilidad energética europea ya se está traduciendo en subidas anormalmente altas del gasóleo , de entre el 30% y el 35% , y que eso golpea de lleno a un sector especialmente vulnerable: el transporte por carretera, formado por más de un millón de operadores en la UE, la mayoría pymes. Recuerda además que el problema no es marginal, porque la carretera mueve más del 75% de las mercancías interiores de la U E y sostiene también buena parte de la movilidad colectiva de viajeros. El argumento central de la carta es doble. Por un lado, la IRU señala que las respuestas generales en

5. 71 Avenue de Cortenbergh 1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 743 2580 info@iru.org Mr Óscar Puente Santiago Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility Paseo de la Castellana, 67 28046 Madrid SPAIN By email BR 1062049 / RMA Brussels , 24 March 2026 RE: Urgent EU Transport Council action needed to address fuel market crisis Dear Minister Puente Santiago, European Council discussions have highlighted growing energy market volatility and supply pressures. Evidence from the road transport sector shows that these pressures are already translati ng into abnormally high fuel prices which are still increasing and concrete distortions on th e ground. While the European Council set clear political directions last week, notab ly by requesting the European Commission present a toolbox of targeted temporary measures, it is now essential that transp ort ministers provide coordinated and sector-specific guidance to ensure that this toolbox adequately reflects the realities and helps addressing the challenges of road transport. Without such input, there is a clear risk that the measures will remain too general and fail to address the specific challenges faced by a sector that is both directly exposed to fuel disruptions and indispensable t o maintaining supply chains and mobility of people across the Union. This would pose a direc t risk to the security of supply and to people’s mobility in the EU. At the same time, beyond the design of the EU response, there is an equally pressing need for coordination among Member States. We recognise and welcome the individual efforts und ertaken by Member States to address the situation, including essential support measures for companies facing acute financial pressure. However, the inherently cross-border nature of transport c orridors requires further coordination to avoid fragmentation, market distortions and unintended disruptions. For these reasons, we c ount on your support in calling on the Cypriot Council Presidency to urgently convene to discuss the evolving situation in the road transport sector, as well as solutions and contingency plans. In this context, the road transport sector would like to propose the measures set out below for the Transport Council’s consideration, with a view to supporting a coordinated and effec tive response across Member States. 1. Immediate market situation and operational impact Since the onset of the crisis, fuel prices in road transport have increased by between 30 - 35% across the European Union, causing a severe shock for a sector composed of over one milli on operators, predominantly SMEs. The scale of the issue is illustrated by the sheer volume of fuel involved: heavy- duty vehicles consume around 6.8 billion litres of diesel per month across th e EU. At the same time, alternatives to road transport remain very limited: more than 75% of inland freight in the E U is carried by road, while public transport and many other forms of collective mobility r ely directly on road-based operations and remain largely irreplaceable in the short term. This shock is particularly difficult for operators to absorb. Fuel typica lly represents around one third of total operating costs, while many companies commonly operate on margins between 1% and 3% , leaving virtually no buffer to accommodate sudden increases. Even where co ntracts include fuel adjustment mechanisms, price escalation clauses often take effect with a delay, placing ope rators under significant liquidity pressure. In some markets such as taxi services or many pub lic transport contracts, regulated tariffs and ticket fares prevent operators from recovering sudden cost spikes. At the same time, precautionary and panic-driven reactions have led to a surge in demand, resulting in situations such as temporary supply distortions, delayed fuel deliveries, r estricted access to fuel, and

6. 2 cross- border imbalances. Phenomena such as “tank tourism”, whereby operators cross bo rders in search of more favourable prices, are further exacerbating local shortages. 1. Necessary measures We fully support the strategic objective, reaffirmed by the European Council, of ac celerating the transition towards more resilient and sustainable energy systems. In road transport, this includes the transition of fleets to zero-emission vehicles and the need for long-term investment s ignals supporting the acceleration of renewable and low-carbon fuels. However, while these structural measures are essential, they will take time to deliver. The immediate priority must be to s afeguard security of supply by ensuring the survival of road transport operators and the continuity of supply chains and pa ssenger mobility in the coming months. In this context, to prevent fragmentation of the internal market and severe disruptions on key transport corridors, we call on Transport Ministers to urgently convene and coordinate at EU level to en sure that the forthcoming EU response adequately addresses transport-specific challenges , and to discuss in particular: − Contingency plan. Develop a contingency plan for the transport sector, including road transport , as part of or alongside the broader EU response, to be activated should the crisis persist beyond the short term. This should include clear principles for fuel prioritisation in case of shortages. The main objective is to safeguard the continuity of essential logistics flows, the security of supplies along key road transport corridors, and to ensure people’s mobility; − Financial intervention. Achieve a more coherent and coordinated approach to addressing fuel price spikes, including measures related to excise duties and environmental charges added to the fuel price and temporary price stabilisation mechanisms, ensuring consistency across Member States and preserving the integrity of the internal market. This should also include targeted VAT relief measures in passenger transport, where operators often serve final co nsumers, thereby ensuring the affordability of travel for public and collective means of road transport; − Tackling local and structural cross-border distortions. Coordinate responses to distortion s such as “tank tourism”, which rapidly deplete reserves in certain regions and underme national support schemes; − Tackling sudden surges in demand. Develop mechanisms to manage panic-driven behavio urs along key transit routes and corridors, where sudden surges in demand risk temporarily exhausting local reserves and disrupting the functioning of European supply chains; − Supporting framework. Establish an adequate EU support framework for transport operators, including adjustments to state aid rules and a potential temporary suspension of all external cost charges added to road tolls and user charges as well as a dedicated EU crisis fund to hel p companies in difficulty. Current state aid ceilings are insufficient given the scale o f the crisis, and a temporary increase of the de minimis aid cap to €600,000, combined with greater flexibility in application, is necessary to ensure that support measures are effective; − Strategic reserves. Strengthen coordination at EU level on both the build- up and potential release of strategic oil stocks. While we welcome the European Council’s focus on increas ing reserves, it is equally important to ensure their coordinated and effective use. Particular attention should be given to ensuring that any release translates into actual availability of refined products, including diesel, along key transport corridors and logistics hubs, and no t only into overall market stabilisation. At a time of acute crisis, it is essential that transport is not treated as a sec ondary effect of energy policy, but as a strategic sector requiring dedicated attention and coordinated action. W e stand ready to support Member States and EU institutions in developing effective and coordinated soluti ons. Yours sincerely, Raluca Marian Director EU Advocacy /General Delegate, IRU Permanent Delegation to the EU