Freight operations in the European Union during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicountry comparison

Global supply and transport chains have been heavily affected by governmental measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. To counteract the negative externalities of each measure, the various countries had to levy countermeasures. This chapter uses a literature review to analyze which COVID-19 pandemic containment measures had a negative external effect on the supply and transport chains within the European Union (EU) and which countermeasures were levied to reduce and prevent these effects. The chapter results show that the breakdown of supply and transport chains within the EU during the first wave was due to the closure of factories and the closure of borders within the EU. The countermeasures developed by the European Commission and the member states during the first wave, such as the introduction of the “Green Lanes” transport concept, are able to help relax the situation.