Making transport serve Europe

T &E and BirdLife International position  - White Paper on Transport

Vote on the ‘Izquierdo Collado’ report

– Tuesday 5 November

 

 

The Commission’s White Paper on the Common Transport Policy (“European transport policy for 2010: Time to decide”), adopted in September 2001, is the guiding plan for European transport over the coming decade. T&E and BirdLife believe the White Paper to be a poor strategic road-map, as it makes insufficient reference to existing Community goals and principles.  The Common Transport Policy must reflect the commitments to transport sustainability enshrined in the Amsterdam Treaty, and reinforced at the Gothenburg European summit in 2001[1].  In addition, policy development should take full account of previous statements from the European Parliament on sustainable transport; such as the Parliament’s decision on the TENs mini-review.

 

T&E and BirdLife International believe that it is vital that the following principles are reflected in the new EU Common Transport Policy:

 

1.                  The Common Transport Policy (CTP) should have the right objectives

The CTP White Paper does not identify the right goals for transport, or the means to achieve them.  The CTP should include the following, but does not:

a)                  A headline objective of decoupling transport growth from economic growth

b)                  Policies which maximise the benefits of technology, and which prioritise modal shift and demand management

c)                  A specific requirement for the Community’s economic, social and environmental objectives – including biodiversity – to be integrated into the definition of transport policies. Strategic Environmental Assessment should be fully implemented before the adoption of transport plans to ensure the achievement of these objectives.

Transport policy can contribute positively to meeting the wider Community objectives as regards the environment and environmental integration, laid down in Articles 2 and 6 of the Treaty.  European transport policy needs to aim to manage transport demand and break the link between transport growth and economic growth: this will serve social and environmental goals, as well as benefiting Europe’s economy

 

2.                  Citizens should be at the heart of transport policy, not only transport users

Transport affects Europeans in many ways, both when they are travelling and when they are not.  Transport policy should serve citizens all of the time, not only when they are transport users. One way to do this would be to ensure that transport’s external costs are internalised, thereby ensuring that all of society benefits.

 

3.                  The CTP should target established Community objectives, not only congestion and modal split

The Community has a range of economic, social and environmental objectives.  They are more meaningful than congestion and broader than climate change.  The Community’s environmental objectives are set out in the 6th Environmental Action Programme. Transport’s environmental challenges include not only climate change, but also biodiversity, air pollution, noise, waste, land-take, and habitat loss.  EU transport policy needs to reflect the Community’s broader objectives.  Re-balancing transport modes can only partially contribute to them: other policies are also needed.  Modal split cannot be an objective in itself.

 

4.                  Halving road deaths requires real action; including new Community measures

Achieving the praiseworthy goal of halving the number of road accident deaths will take more measures than those included in the CTP white paper.  Community action is needed for the most dangerous roads – including urban roads.  The CTP should include standards for active safety equipment and EU action to combat excessive speed, such as lower speed limits.

 

 

 

T&E and BirdLife International welcome the Draft Report by Parliament’s Rapporteur, Juan de Dios Izquierdo Collado MEP, on the Commission CTP white paper, which generally reflects the above-mentioned concerns.

 

T&E and BirdLife International have particularly strong views on the following amendments proposed to the report, and would make the following recommendations to MEPs:

 

Support C

Amendment #

27; 46; 111; 190; 223; 253; 259; 266; 271; 277; 291

 

Oppose D

Amendment #

22; 23; 26; 55; 70; 92; 116; 117; 119; 120; 122; 187; 188; 216; 274; 281

 

 

 

 

 

For more information

T&E

Stephanos Anastasiadis, Policy Officer: +32-2-502 9909 or Stephanos.Anastasiadis@t-e.nu

BirdLife

Alex Veitch, Energy and Transport Policy Officer: +44-1767-680 551 or Alex.Veitch@rspb.org.uk

 

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[1] See Presidency Conclusions, Göteborg European Council, 15-16 June, 2001, particularly paragraphs 19-32.  Paragraph 29 discusses sustainable transport and says, among other things, “Action is needed to bring about a significant decoupling of transport growth and GDP growth.”