By Thomas Jeremie Hayden-Lefebvre & Swyn Griffith – Green Mobility Magazine
An interview with Andor Deli, former Member of the European Parliament and Hungary’s national coordinator for the EU–Western Balkan Green Lanes Initiative.
Andor Deli, former Member of the European Parliament and Hungary’s national coordinator for the EU–Western Balkan Green Lanes Initiative, discusses border efficiency, freight flows, and the role of transport policy in the EU’s enlargement process.
You grew up in a region shaped by external borders and administrative constraints. How did those early experiences influence your understanding of mobility not only as a technical issue, but as a political and economic one?
During my childhood, back in the 1980s, travel was almost always associated with queuing at border crossings. I vividly remember spending long hours sitting in a car under the blazing summer sun or in the freezing cold of winter, waiting to cross. Later, as a student, I experienced another form of queuing, standing in line at consulates to apply for tourist or study visas. These are experiences that are difficult to imagine for many Europeans today, especially younger generations who have grown up with freedom of movement as a given. Living through those constraints made me deeply appreciate what it truly means to travel freely, without administrative or physical barriers. The desire to improve and simplify mobility, and to better connect people, countries, and regions, has remained at the very core of my motivation ever since. This was also my main driving force when I had the opportunity to serve as a Member of the European Parliament for two consecutive mandates between 2014 and 2024.
During your time in the European Parliament, which policy areas most defined your work, and how did transport emerge as a priority within your broader legislative portfolio?
I am a lawyer by profession, and even before joining the European Parliament, I had received extensive training in European law and had accumulated substantial experience with regulatory procedures at both national and regional levels. In that sense, working in the European Parliament offered an ideal opportunity to broaden my perspective on legislation and regulatory policymaking at the highest European level. By contrast, European transport policy was a new field for me. When I began my career in the Committee on Transport and Tourism, I quickly realised that although it was not among the most publicly hyped parliamentary committees, it was very much a space of realpolitik. It was, and in my view still is, a rare committee within the European Parliament where debates are less ideological and far more focused on practical issues that directly shape the everyday lives of citizens and businesses.
Looking back, which legislative files or negotiations do you consider most significant in strengthening connectivity and regulatory coherence across the European transport area?
There were many legislative files that I consider particularly significant. These ranged from major framework initiatives, such as the regulation on Trans European Transport Corridors, which defines the backbone of transport connectivity across the continent, or the Mobility Package governing freight transport and the movement of goods, to smaller, though no less important, files dealing with issues such as driving licences or road tolling systems. These topics rarely make headlines or dominate mainstream political debates, yet they quietly and steadily shape our daily lives, how we travel, how goods move across borders, and how our online purchases reach our homes. That understated but tangible impact is precisely what always fascinated me about European transport policy.
How did your personal background and post-parliamentary experience lead to your role in the EU–Western Balkan Green Lanes Initiative, and what are the principal operational and administrative bottlenecks it seeks to address at EU external borders?
The Serbian province of Vojvodina, my region of origin, lies only a few kilometres from the EU border, yet it remains outside the Union. Unfortunately, my childhood experience of waiting for hours at border crossings remains part of everyday life for many people in the region. These delays are not merely an inconvenience or a personal frustration, they also carry serious economic consequences. Numerous studies, including analysis by the European Commission, show that three hours of waiting at a border crossing can amount to a tariff increase of around two percent. This affects not only neighbouring economies but also the European Union itself.
Hungary plays a particularly important role in this context, as it operates one of the EU’s busiest external border crossings with Serbia, with around 600 trucks passing through on an average day. Hungary’s involvement in the initiative was therefore both natural and necessary. While the Ministry of EU Affairs coordinates the national effort, the Green Lanes project itself is a truly multilateral and cross-border undertaking. It brings together EU Member States, neighbouring non-EU countries, the European Commission, European transport agencies, regional organisations, and a wide range of other stakeholders. I have always been motivated by complex, multi-level challenges, which is why I was genuinely honoured to be appointed as Hungary’s national coordinator and contact point within this initiative.
How does the EU–Western Balkan Green Lanes Initiative coordinate the work of the European Commission, the Transport Community, CEFTA and participating countries to harmonise border procedures and digital systems? In what way do these efforts support the broader enlargement agenda while addressing structural and administrative constraints in the region?
If one looks at the map, it becomes immediately clear that the Western Balkan countries are geographically surrounded by EU Member States and the Schengen Area. On average, more than two-thirds of their trade is conducted with the European Union, and all of them maintain free trade agreements with the EU. Moreover, many key intra-EU trade routes transit through the region, for example, freight flows from Greek ports to other Member States. Beyond the economic facts, this creates a geographic and logistical imperative to integrate the Western Balkans more closely with the Union. At present, the region functions almost like an enclave within the EU.
In this context, the Green Lanes Initiative offers an opportunity to strengthen cross-border cooperation, harmonise rules and standards, and build mutual trust between the authorities of EU Member States and those of Western Balkan candidate countries, even before reaching full EU membership. In many ways, it functions as a preparatory training ground, allowing future Member States to gain hands-on experience with how freight transport operates within the single market. One of the most crucial tools in this process is digitalisation. Linked data systems for freight transport, including advance notifications of truck arrivals at borders, more efficient and secure control procedures, and shipment tracking, are essential. At present, these are among the most pressing challenges for Western Balkan partners and are being addressed through the Green Lanes Initiative with the support of neighbouring EU Member States, the European Commission, and experts from organisations such as the Transport Community and CEFTA.
Looking ahead, what milestones would be realistic and meaningful for transport and trade integration between the EU and the Western Balkans over the next decade?
The most important short-term objective must be to significantly speed up border control procedures for freight at the EU’s external borders. At the same time, there should be a clear and credible perspective that, within a reasonable timeframe, all Western Balkan countries will become members of the European Union. Full membership would ultimately guarantee free and unhindered mobility for both goods and people, delivering lasting economic and social benefits on both sides of the border.
About Andor DELI
Andor Deli (1977) grew up in Vojvodina, Serbia, an experience that defined his focus on cross-border connectivity. A lawyer by training, he served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2024, specialising in transport policy and tourism. He now serves as Hungary’s EU policy and regulatory expert, drawing on over two decades of experience in transport legislation and European policymaking.
