In the second half of the year 2000 the EU agenda offers the French Presidency a unique opportunity to redirect EU transport policy into line with other EU policy areas.
The principles of sustainable development need to be the defining principles for Europeantransport policy. Transport policy should have as its goal the social, economic andenvironmental objectives inherent in sustainable development.
The products of the Commission work programme this year – a review of the programme implementing the Common Transport Policy, adoption of a Green Paper on urban transport,revision of the transport TEN guidelines – along with the finalisation of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) offers the French presidency an unrivalled opportunity to advance this goal.
Europe must stand firm over its future targets for carmakers as it cannot afford to fall further behind China.
The decision to create a Europe-wide carbon price was right but creates significant political risk. The good news is it can still be fixed.
It's about time the EU requires parts of key products to be made locally – and nowhere is this more urgent than in the battery sector.