To ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of EU transport, concrete measures are still needed, said MEPs in a report adopted in the Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) this week and intended to feed into the Commission review of the 2011 White Paper on Transport. Further efforts to boost air, road, rail and maritime transport, reduce road injuries and close loopholes in passenger rights legislation should be made, they add.
The transport sector is a driving force of the EU economy and should remain a frontrunner in generating further economic growth and job creation, say transport MEPs in the report adopted on Tuesday with 38 votes in favour, three against and five abstentions. It is important to eliminate barriers which hinder private investment in transport infrastructure, they say, and stress the importance of innovation and intelligent transport systems in a modern European transport system.
"Modernisation of European transport policy is urgently needed: we make too little use of intelligent transport systems,” said Wim van de Camp. “The modal shift to rail and inland waterways needs more promotion and doubling of public transport in the cities is also necessary to maintain liveable cities," he added.
The document outlines the priorities and directions that the TRAN Committee would like to see the1690 European Commission take as they continue the consultation process for the revision of the White Paper on Transport. Essentially, the Parliament position stresses that consumers must be at the heart of transport policy initiatives.
Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Region I has welcomed the vote and supports this assessment of the White Paper’s objectives. In addition to placing road users at the heart of transport policy, post-licence training for vehicle users was highlighted as a priority in the draft that was approved. This is an issue that the FIA has been promoting over many years to improve road safety. The report further foresees the constructive use of intelligent transport systems and highlights the importance of digitisation for better productivity and efficiency. The document also calls for a swift adoption of a reduction by 40 per cent of the serious injuries from road accidents, a target which was recently withdrawn by the Commission.
However, FIA Region 1 claims the report does not go far enough in its evaluation of the White Paper and believes that the ten goals identified in the original White Paper should have been revised. For example, Priority 1 intends to remove all conventionally fuelled vehicles from city centres by 2050, which has the potential to exclude many road users that are not able to afford alternative fuelled vehicles or do not have access to adequate public transport. Further, Priority 10, calls for a road charging scheme where the ‘user pays’ or ‘polluter pays’, however there are no clear methods on how this can be calculated nor any method to include the amount that drivers are already paying in vehicle-related taxes.
Jacob Bangsgaard,8054 FIA Region I director general said: “Mobility creates growth throughout Europe and has numerous benefits for society. While it is important to develop a vision on a more sustainable model, people’s needs should remain at the heart of political goals. Policymakers must remember that each mode has a role to play to make transport more inclusive, greener, safer and more efficient. Emerging technologies must be strategically deployed to integrate and optimise different modes of transport.”
When it comes to future legislation in the transport sector, FIA Region I urges the European Institutions to focus on core competences, including: Building a robust European infrastructure network to support all modes of transport; Protecting consumer data when it comes to vehicle telematics and offering the right to redress if that data is misused; Setting binding targets for CO2 emissions from cars post 2020; Funding for research, development and deployment of new car technologies.
The transport sector is a driving force of the EU economy and should remain a frontrunner in generating further economic growth and job creation, say transport MEPs in the report adopted on Tuesday with 38 votes in favour, three against and five abstentions. It is important to eliminate barriers which hinder private investment in transport infrastructure, they say, and stress the importance of innovation and intelligent transport systems in a modern European transport system.
"Modernisation of European transport policy is urgently needed: we make too little use of intelligent transport systems,” said Wim van de Camp. “The modal shift to rail and inland waterways needs more promotion and doubling of public transport in the cities is also necessary to maintain liveable cities," he added.
The document outlines the priorities and directions that the TRAN Committee would like to see the
Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Region I has welcomed the vote and supports this assessment of the White Paper’s objectives. In addition to placing road users at the heart of transport policy, post-licence training for vehicle users was highlighted as a priority in the draft that was approved. This is an issue that the FIA has been promoting over many years to improve road safety. The report further foresees the constructive use of intelligent transport systems and highlights the importance of digitisation for better productivity and efficiency. The document also calls for a swift adoption of a reduction by 40 per cent of the serious injuries from road accidents, a target which was recently withdrawn by the Commission.
However, FIA Region 1 claims the report does not go far enough in its evaluation of the White Paper and believes that the ten goals identified in the original White Paper should have been revised. For example, Priority 1 intends to remove all conventionally fuelled vehicles from city centres by 2050, which has the potential to exclude many road users that are not able to afford alternative fuelled vehicles or do not have access to adequate public transport. Further, Priority 10, calls for a road charging scheme where the ‘user pays’ or ‘polluter pays’, however there are no clear methods on how this can be calculated nor any method to include the amount that drivers are already paying in vehicle-related taxes.
Jacob Bangsgaard,
When it comes to future legislation in the transport sector, FIA Region I urges the European Institutions to focus on core competences, including: Building a robust European infrastructure network to support all modes of transport; Protecting consumer data when it comes to vehicle telematics and offering the right to redress if that data is misused; Setting binding targets for CO2 emissions from cars post 2020; Funding for research, development and deployment of new car technologies.
