51996IP0075

A4-0075/96

Resolution on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the Common Transport Policy Action Programme 1995-2000 (COM(95)0302 - C4- 0351/95)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission Communication on the Common Transport Policy Action Programme 1995-2000 (COM(95)0302 - C4-0351/95),

- having regard to the Commission White Paper entitled The future development of the common transport policy - a global approach to the construction of a Community framework for sustainable mobility (COM(92)0494),

- having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mr Luettge and Mr Simpson on the mandatory fitting of spray-suppression devices to lorries (B4-1326/95),

- having regard to its resolutions of

. 18 September 1992 on the Green Paper on Transport and the Environment ((OJ C 284, 2.11.1992, p. 165. )),

. 15 December 1992 on delays in the completion of the internal market in transport ((OJ C 21, 25.1.1993, p. 37.)),

. 22 January 1993 on electric road vehicles for use in towns ((OJ C 42, 15.2.1993, p. 256. )),

. 27 May 1993 on the White Paper on the future development of the CTP ((OJ C 176, 28.6.1993, p. 164. )),

. 18 January 1994 on the future development of the common transport policy ((OJ C 44, 14.2.1994, p. 53. )),

. 11 March 1994 on the recommendation for a Council Decision on the opening of negotiations between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on road and air transport ((OJ C 91, 28.3.1994, p. 313. )),

. 11 March 1994 on the recommendation for a Council Decision on the opening of negotiations between the European Community and certain third countries concerning the carriage of goods and passengers by road ((OJ C 91, 28.3.1994, p. 298. )),

. 22 April 1994 on the social aspects of the transport sector ((OJ C 128, 9.5.1994, p. 463. )),

. 28 September 1994 on the July 1994 Committee of Enquiry report on the transport of goods by road ((OJ C 305, 31.10.1994, p. 50. )),

. 19 January 1995 on the Commission communication on the European contribution to the development of a global satellite navigation system ((OJ C 43, 20.2.1995, p. 71. )),

. 14 February 1995 on the Commission communication on the way forward for civil aviation in Europe ((OJ C 56, 6.3.1995, p. 28. )),

. 7 April 1995 on the bilateral 'open skies' agreements concluded by several Member States with the USA ((OJ C 109, 1.5.1995, p. 325. )),

. 29 June 1995 on the Commission communication to the Council and the European Parliament on telematics applications for transport in Europe ((OJ C 183, 17.7.1995, p. 30. )),

. 16 November 1995 on congestion and crisis in air traffic ((OJ C 323, 4.12.1995, p. 92.)),

. 1 February 1996 on safety at sea ((OJ C 47, 19.2.1996, p. 27. )),

. 15 February 1996 on the air disaster off the coast of the Dominican Republic ((OJ C 65, 4.3.1996, p. 172.)),

. 15 March 1996 on flight and duty time for aircrew ((OJ C 96, 1.4.1996, p. 340.)),

- having regard to its opinions of:

. 30 November 1994 on the general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks ((OJ C 363, 19.12.1994, p. 23.)),

. 13 July 1995 on recording equipment in road transport (tachograph) ((OJ C 249, 25.9.1995, p. 128. )),

. 13 July 1995 on the use of vehicles hired without drivers for the carriage of goods by road ((OJ C 249, 25.9.1995, p. 139. )),

. 16 November 1995 on access to the ground-handling market at Community airports ((OJ C 323, 4.12.1995, p. 94.)),

. 16 November 1995 on an alternative model for driving licences ((OJ C 323, 4.12.1995, p. 107.)),

. 29 November 1995 on marine equipment ((OJ C 339, 18.12.1995, p. 21. )),

. 13 February 1996 on the organization of the market in the inland waterways sector ((OJ C 65, 4.3.1996, p. 30.)),

. 29 February 1996 on the granting of aids for transport by rail, road and inland waterway ((OJ C 78, 18.3.1996, p. 24.)),

. 29 February 1996 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers ((OJ C 78, 18.3.1996, p. 26.)),

- having regard to its decision of 13 December 1995 on the common position established by the Council on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network ((OJ C 17, 22.1.1996, p. 58. )),

- having regard to its resolutions of 17 May 1995 on the functioning of the Treaty on European Union with a view to the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference - implementation and development of the Union ((OJ C 151, 19.6.1995, p. 56. )) and 13 March 1996 embodying (i) Parliament's opinion on the convening of the Intergovernmental Conference, and (ii) an evaluation of the work of the Reflection Group and definition of the political priorities of the European Parliament with a view to the Intergovernmental Conference ((OJ C 96, 1.4.1996, p. 77.)),

- having regard to the declaration adopted at the end of the second Pan- European Transport Conference held in Crete from 14 to 16 March 1994 (PE 203.975),

- having regard to the outcome of the meeting of 25 and 26 September 1995 between the European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism and the transport committees of the Member States' parliaments (PE 214.456),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism and the opinions of the Committee on Social Affairs and Employment, the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection and the Committee on External Economic Relations (A4-0075/96),

A. whereas the progress made by Europe in the course of its history is based on the quality and scope of its communications networks,

B. whereas transport and the trans-European networks are the basis for social, economic and cultural development,

C. whereas an efficient and effective transport network is a basic requirement for the single market, the free movement of persons and goods, the integration and development of the entire continent of Europe, economic revival and job creation,

D. whereas challenges such as that of sustainable mobility, which are to be attempted by means of the Common Transport Policy (CTP) and the Trans- European Transport Networks (TETNs), require a credible response in the form of an increase in, and a deepening of, joint measures at European level,

E. whereas observance of the subsidiarity principle established in Article 3b of the EC Treaty must not, in the specific field of transport, provide a pretext for not fully pursuing other principles and interests - including those laid down in the EU Treaty - such as environmental protection, traffic safety, improving the quality of life, steady social and economic growth, peace and long-term development within Europe,

F. whereas an efficient and effective transport network and the associated links with third countries must, if they are to serve and satisfy the socio- economic needs of modern society, take into account the requirements of public service, environmental protection, traffic safety, the improvement of links (especially in less-developed areas) and the integration of outlying and, especially, ultra-peripheral regions,

G. having regard to the fundamental role played by transport in reducing the external dependence of ultra-peripheral regions and ensuring access to them; whereas, therefore, there must be a suitable transport policy for the Union's island regions, so as to reduce the handicaps arising from their geographical characteristics,

H. whereas transport and transport infrastructure are among the key aspects of regional planning and therefore have a direct impact on regional disparities,

I. whereas the priority given under Article 129b of the EC Treaty, in connection with the objectives of trans-European networks, to peripheral, landlocked and island regions merely underlines the regional planning function of the networks and their essential contribution to efforts to combat regional disparities,

J. whereas the aim of the action programme is to establish an integrated, reliable, accessible, efficient, effective, competitive and environmentally- sound transport system which takes into account the requirements of users and workers in the sector; whereas, furthermore, one of the objectives of the action programme is to improve the quality of the European transport system,

K. whereas, however, the CTP should not be restricted to establishing a transport system with such characteristics but should also pursue the objective of creating a culture and an awareness of transport and safety,

L. whereas the CTP Action Programme 1995-2000 should be regarded as a natural development not just of the Commission White Paper on the future development of the common transport policy but also of Parliament's abovementioned resolutions of 27 May 1993 and 18 January 1994 on the future development of a common transport policy,

M. whereas the political and economic analysis carried out by the Commission when setting the agenda for the CTP between now and the year 2000 was inadequate, to say the least, since it was restricted to the legislative planning document on which this resolution is based and lacks an essential economic and statistical foundation on which to prepare and assess any kind of social and economic policy,

N. whereas the Commission's action programme completely ignores the regional dimension, i.e. the repercussions on regional disparities of the common transport policy,

O. whereas since the White Paper on the CTP was submitted the basic issues relating to the transport sector - such as the impact on the environment and the quality of life, air and road congestion, the imbalance between different regions and different modes of transport - have remained unchanged and in certain cases have become more complicated,

P. whereas it will not be possible to achieve an optimum balance between the various modes of transport if there are basic differences in the ways in which infrastructure and external costs are charged to them,

Q. whereas the 1995-2000 action programme as submitted, although it contains important initiatives for the development of a CTP and the trans-European networks, should be combined with measures to improve the overall efficiency and security of transport infrastructure and modes, in close cooperation with industry,

R. whereas there is an enormous gap between the Community financial resources earmarked for the trans-European transport networks during the 1994-1999 period (ECU 1.868 billion) and the total cost of the projects established by the Commission in the Delors White Paper for the same period (ECU 200 billion),

S. whereas the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund are by far the most important source of Community funding for transport infrastructure,

T. whereas in the future, as in the past, the Pan-European Transport Conferences and the continuation of pan-European transport policy will be very important elements in the work of the Commission and European Parliament,

U. whereas the decisions regarding the TETNs, if implemented in the spirit of the common transport policy, will provide a general stimulus for the European economy and will also bring the European Union closer to its people since the initiatives involved are visible ones which will also create jobs,

V. whereas the demand for transport has increased virtually in parallel with gross domestic product (approximately 2.6% in real terms) and whereas transport services account for approximately 4% of GDP and provide 7 million jobs,

W. whereas socio-economic reasons would appear to indicate that a uniform time throughout the European Union Member States should be applied to transport, tourism and communications systems, upholding the other principle established by the European Parliament in its opinion of 17 December 1993 ((OJ C 20, 24.1.1994, p. 531. )) on the Seventh Directive 94/21/EC on summer-time arrangements ((OJ L 164, 30.6.1994, p. 1.)) that the whole Community should be in a single time zone (except Greece); bearing in mind also that the current arrangements in practice add an extra hour for the westernmost countries of the European continent (Portugal, Ireland), when in fact putting the clocks forward by a single hour would enable Europe to have a single time,

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the first CTP Action Programme 1995-2000 includes statistical data relating to the current and forecast traffic volumes on the main international transport routes for each mode of transport, to build up EU-wide databases on traffic accidents and casualties for the individual modes of transport and to ensure that all initiatives provided for in the action programme are brought into line with the general CTP objective which it intends to pursue; in this connection, measures to prevent traffic and transfer it to more sustainable modes of transport, such as rail, urban waterways for passenger transport, long-distance waterways for the transport of goods and non-motorized modes of transport, should be intensified;

2. Welcomes the goals set out by the Commission in its 1995-2000 action programme and in particular the principle that 'efficient, accessible and competitive transport systems are vital to the society and the economy of the Union';

3. Approves the broad lines of action chosen by the Commission: system development, improving the environment, improving safety, and taking account of the social dimension;

4. Recognizes that the action programme presented by the Commission is a necessary and useful framework programme to implement the aims and priorities of the White Paper on 'The future development of the Common Transport Policy¨, although a more concrete approach and the inclusion of a comprehensive statistical background would be appropriate;

5. Calls on the Commission, therefore, to ensure that, following the third pan- European Conference on Transport in Helsinki and at the latest by 31 October 1997, an amended 1997-2000 action programme relating to the common transport policy and the trans-European transport networks is drawn up in cooperation with the European Parliament and that it includes the new proposals for action put forward by the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee;

6. Also calls on the Commission to draw up, every two years, with effect from 31 July 1998, a fully comprehensive CTP planning and implementation document indicating the objectives achieved (with particular regard to the establishment of a balance between the various modes of transport) and the repercussions of the CTP on other policies and vice versa, together with an updated sector-based statistical analysis of recent developments in, and the safety of, the transport sector;

7. Hopes that by the year 2000, when the action programme expires, the Commission will draw up another White Paper to ensure further development of the CTP and the TETNs at the beginning of the 21st century;

8. Calls for a specific cost-benefit analysis to be carried out both at sectoral and national level for all proposed rules governing transport modes;

9. Calls for the amended action programme to include coherent financing arrangements which ensure coordination with existing structural instruments, in particular the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund;

10. Considers it a matter of urgency that the amended action programme should include a section on the measures needed to coordinate the implementation of the transport policy and the infrastructure guidelines with action taken under the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund;

11. Calls for customs and competitions policy to be more closely integrated in transport policy; in fact, with the liberalization of markets, customs procedures are often being abolished and frontiers opened, while at national level transport companies are still being penalized, for example as regards tariffs and regulations for certain types of transport;

12. Considers that initiatives in the transport sector during the 1996-2000 period should focus in particular on the charging of external transport costs, market rationalization, transport research, transport safety and environmental protection, with initiatives in the TETN sector to be closely linked to changes in the current European transport system in order to establish a cleaner, integrated inter-modal system which will guarantee sustainable mobility and provide incentives particularly for the development of transport networks in areas which are less developed from the infrastructure point of view;

13. Calls on the Commission to carry out an accurate study of the social and employment-related implications of liberalizing the transport sector in Europe and to submit a report on the subject to Parliament; points to its innumerable calls (which have remained unheeded) for liberalization processes to be paralleled by social accompanying measures;

14. Agrees with the Commission regarding the need for further promotion of dialogue between the social partners in the transport sector; considers it essential, therefore, for efforts to be made to ensure that the social partners are able to use the joint committees in particular in order to seek contractual solutions;

15. Calls on the Commission to submit legislative proposals, particularly as regards working hours in the sectors excluded from the Framework Directive 93/104/EC ((OJ L 307, 13.12.93, p. 18.)), if the social partners do not reach agreements within a reasonable space of time; points out, by way of example, the now unacceptable length of time taken for Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 ((OJ L 370, 31.12.85, p. 1.)) to be amended; notes, on this subject, that under the general directive, working hours cannot exceed 48 hours;

16. Considers, moreover, that it is necessary for the Commission to make a major effort to monitor and control the implementation of the rules relating to working conditions and times in the sector; expects in particular compliance with working hours to be effectively monitored in all Member States and calls on the Commission, therefore, to submit proposals as to how effective monitoring can be ensured in the Member States;

17. Calls on the Commission to submit legislative proposals concerning an efficient Europe-wide breakdown and rescue service and the establishment of a maximum limit valid throughout the EU for alcohol consumption by drivers;

18. Also calls on the Commission to consider the possibility of applying the above framework directive to 'non-travelling' staff working in the transport sector following the example set by the agreement reached between the social partners concerning ground staff in the air transport sector;

19. Stresses the indissoluble link between safety, environmental protection, vocational training and working conditions; calls therefore on the Commission to take specific action to promote training in the sector and the mutual recognition of the licences, diplomas and certificates which enable people to work in this sector; points out that the particular nature of the sector requires action to be taken to facilitate the transfer to different tasks and the adaption to new technologies, particularly by means of in- service training;

20. Calls on the Commission to outline what conclusions can be drawn from the focus on mobility in the context of the HELIOS II programme and the list of priority themes outlined in Annex II of its October 1993 document which includes issues for consideration such as the adaptation of public transport vehicles, adaptation of departure and arrival points, door-to-door transport for people who are unable to use public transport and adaptability of vehicles; urges the Council not to block the adoption of a future HELIOS programme;

21. Urges the Commission to ensure that all proposals relating to the transport sector, including research, take into account the particular views and concerns of disabled groups, that, as far as possible, barriers to access to movement are eliminated at the design stage for all transport modes and that special attention is given to the problem of training and informing workers with reduced mobility to enable them to make optimum use of the means of transport at their disposal including appropriate training for transport staff to enable them to assist people with reduced mobility;

22. Proposes that a European Forum on the social aspects of the CTP should be organized to promote dialogue amongst all those involved in the sector (the European Parliament, the Commission's DG VII and DG V, the Member States, the social partners, users' associations, environmental protection bodies and the appropriate international organizations, in particular the IMO and the ILO) with a view to establishing a European 'compatibility pact' for the CTP of the 21st century;

23. Regrets the lack of specifically environmental proposals in the Commission's Work Programme;

24. Believes that, in the field of safety, special efforts must be made to achieve a high safety standard that is valid throughout the European Union;

25. Welcomes the long overdue Green Paper on the internalization of external costs (COM(95)0691) and hopes this will remove many of the hidden subsidies for motor transport; stresses, therefore, that the internalization of external costs is a matter of high priority and that the ideas outlined in the Green Paper on this subject show clearly the possibilities that exist, which must be followed by concrete measures at the appropriate levels as soon as possible;

26. Recalls that the internalization of external costs can only be effective as a method for influencing the use of means of transport if users have genuine freedom of choice, which is not the case in regions with seriously deficient infrastructure in particular peripheral regions;

27. Stresses that the financial instruments available to the CTP and the TETNs should be increased substantially by the Member States and the European Union to enable the European Union to meet the social, economic and environmental challenges in the transport sector, given the ability of those challenges to provide general stimulus for the European economy;

28. Recalls that the largest sources of Community funding for transport policy and the trans-European networks are the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund; believes that full use should be made of the orienting role which such funds can play through the selection of projects and programmes and in the application of joint guidelines; considers it essential, therefore, to ensure the closest possible coordination between transport and infrastructure policy and the structural policies;

29. Reminds the Commission that the cost of road traffic congestion in the EU is roughly equivalent to 2% of GDP per annum; considers that measures to develop infrastructures and promote alternative forms of transport and combined transport will release resources for the creation of new jobs;

30. Calls on the Commission, in application of the subsidiarity principle and taking into account the distribution of powers within Member States, to implement its action programme in conjunction with regional and local authorities;

31. Deplores the fact that Title IV (Transport) of the EC Treaty does not provide for a comprehensive common transport policy including all the aspects of such an important activity from the social and economic point of view, particularly as regards transport safety, and repeats the request it made to the Commission in the above-mentioned resolution of 18 January 1994 for it to submit, by 31 May 1996, a report on the adequacy of the EU Treaty to support, from the point of view of the legal basis, the options for a revised CTP;

32. Requests therefore that, when the Treaty is being revised, a common integrated transport policy should be introduced which takes into account the financial, economic, social and environmental objectives of the EU; also requests that, with regard to the policies of the European Union, the Treaty should define the scope of concepts such as public service, universal service, accessibility, equality, continuity and quality and should make provision for powers governing the safety and control of air traffic;

33. Calls for the principle of subsidiarity to be applied with regard to summer- time arrangements so as to avoid the practical difficulties experienced by Member States and to restore a stable time system throughout the year; calls also for a single European system without changes between winter-time and summer-time to be established rapidly in accordance with the principles laid down in the Washington Convention which is based on the passage of the sun over the reference meridian (central meridian) of 15°;

34. Calls on the Commission to review the substantial state aids which currently distort competition between the various modes of transport; notes that in most countries, for example, the shipping sector has to bear its own infrastructure costs, whilst railways are to a large extent financed through taxes; notes that state aid to the various modes of transport constitutes a major problem, not least in the case of airlines, combined transport and railways, as it limits the opportunities for competing on equal terms and hence distorts the internal market in transport;

35. Points out that engine-room waste, known as sludge, poses a problem, especially in the Baltic Sea, where many vessels dump oil of this type straight into the sea; believes that the creation of sludge-collection facilities at EU ports would help to combat this form of pollution;

36. Regrets that the programme contains no data on measures concerning one of the most serious problems to have arisen during recent years in the EU, namely organized crime in connection with transport operations effected both under the Community transit system and, where destinations are in non-Member States, in accordance with the TIR Convention; notes that such crime is in particular associated with international road transport; believes that this matter ought to included in the programme of work, since it is of the greatest relevance for the development of transport operations within the EU;

37. Considers it essential to deal with the disruptive effects of national frontiers and considers, in this connection, that transport policy should take into account the special needs of border regions;

Road transport

38. Calls on the Commission to present a proposal for the introduction of uniform motor vehicle taxes and uniform taxes on mineral oil for long- distance road haulage, in order finally to eliminate the persisting fiscal distortions of competition in the otherwise uniform internal market;

39. Regrets the lack of any overall Commission strategy to curb the projected increase in car and road haulage traffic;

40. Considers that the road-safety concerns of the Commissioner responsible for transport and the TETNs should be heeded by the industrial sector involved in the technical improvements to vehicles and infrastructure which are essential if road-safety requirements are to be met and by extension that a harmonization programme should be developed for vehicle requirements (including bicycles), infrastructure and traffic rules, without infringing the principle of subsidiarity;

41. Calls, therefore, for the following to be harmonized at European level:

- three-point seat belts on coaches and buses and the requirement for front and rear seat belts in motorcars,

- compulsory installation of spray-suppression systems on lorries,

- roll-over bars on coaches and minibuses,

- road signposting and vehicle security equipment,

- the requirement on the European motorway network for emergency lanes equipped with telephones to enable assistance to be summoned,

- roadworthiness checks for two- and three-wheeled vehicles,

- a points system for driving licences,

- permitted alcohol levels for drivers and appropriate monitoring arrangements,

- speed limits,

- insurance procedures in the event of an accident;

42. Calls for a strategic plan for road safety including, inter alia, the general safety principles to be strictly observed by the TETN infrastructure, protection for the most vulnerable categories of users, such as pedestrians and cyclists or the young and the elderly and a quantified objective for reducing the number of road accidents and people injured or killed;

43. Calls on the Commission to provide Community funds as a matter of urgency for research into, and the development and application of, an effective anti-fog road safety system;

44. Calls for instruction regarding transport use and road safety to be a compulsory part of school curricula in the EU countries and for it to be supported by means of specific Community programmes;

45. Stresses that, in the transport sector concerned with the carriage of persons and goods by road, the necessary measures should be taken so that the Member States take seriously checks on compliance with European legislation and fraud and infringements can be countered;

46. Calls for licences for cabotage in the carriage of goods by road for hire or reward to be harmonized throughout Community territory as provided for in Regulation (EEC) No 881/92 ((OJ L 95, 9.4.1992, p. 1.)), with licences being issued to transport companies which apply for them and not to individual vehicles; also calls for an extension of the European laws governing the activities of road hauliers to companies which are currently exempt from those laws (those using vehicles of less than 3.5 tonnes);

47. Stresses the urgent need for a complete revision of the social legislation relating to road transport (Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85), so as to incorporate a flexible definition of 'service time', for harmonization of vocational training in the sector to enable high safety standards to be met); also calls for 'black boxes' to be introduced on commercial vehicles;

48. Calls on the Commission to confirm the precise emission reduction targets, in accordance with the objectives of the fifth action programme (Towards sustainable development) in order to stabilize CO2 emissions at their 1990 levels by the year 2000, to introduce zero-emission vehicles on to the market by the year 2002, to reduce CO2 emissions by 2005 to 80% of 1990 levels and, by 2005, to reduce emissions of other harmful substances to 50% of 1990 levels;

49. Calls on the Commission to provide incentives for the scrapping of motor vehicles, given that vehicles on the roads in many Member States are outdated, a fact which has adverse effects with regard to safety and environmental protection. Measures should therefore be taken to encourage the replacement of vehicles in order to reduce pollution and give the necessary boost to the vehicle manufacturing sector and related activities;

50. Believes that, since Europe's car industry is in danger of lagging behind the car industry in other parts of the world, the Commission should, as a matter of utmost importance, draw up an inventory of research activities relating to the development of new types of engine, e.g. battery-powered and hybrid engines;

51. Calls for development of the telematics infrastructures already used in connection with road transport and, in particular, for harmonization of multi-purpose payment cards (car parks, public transport, tolls, etc.;

Intermodal/combined transport

52. Stresses the need to promote positive measures to encourage the combined use of the various forms of transport in order to achieve maximum economic efficiency and minimum environmental impact;

53. Stresses the urgent need to establish an independent Community definition of combined transport as a form of transport to be encouraged through the harmonization of technical specifications relating to terminals, units of load, information systems and insurance arrangements and through the promotion, by means of tax concessions, of new undertakings in the sector and of measures for the benefit of suitably-equipped sea and river ports, which are an essential component of the European transport system;

54. Stresses that it is necessary to call for the adoption of the proposal to amend (COM(95)0337) Regulation (EEC) No. 1107/70 ((OJ L 130, 15.6.1970, p. 1, as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No. 3578/92 - OJ L 364, 12.12.1992, p. 11.)) on measures to facilitate combined transport of goods;

Air transport

55. Stresses once again the need to establish a unified European Union air traffic management and control system, which should be open to the other countries of Europe, and to:

- strengthen the harmonization rules as quickly as possible, in particular air-worthiness certificates and the rules applicable to the maintenance and safety of aircraft cabins,

- strengthen the existing rules on civil aviation accidents and disasters through the establishment of reporting systems in the event of an accident and the coordination at Community level of relevant national data,

- adopt, on the basis of Article 94 of the EC Treaty, a regulation which clearly defines the criteria for compatibility between the aid granted by the Member States and the principles by which the common market is governed,

- establish rules to protect the health of cabin crews,

- establish rules on the common requirements in terms of the vocational training and qualifications needed for the performance of any of the tasks called for in the sector,

- set up a Community register of air transport companies,

- harmonize and reinforce the rules on the noise pollution and emissions produced by aircraft,

- establish rules on the protection of passengers (compensation in the event of an accident and codes of practice for travel agencies and airlines in order to improve the provision of information to passengers);

56. Also regrets the absence of a global air transport strategy and a specific study of the full impact of air transport on the environment;

57. Reiterates its view that all bilateral aviation agreements between Member States and third countries should be reviewed immediately to check compliance with international safety standards and should, if necessary, be renegotiated; calls in this connection for close cooperation between the Member States and the Commission with a view to rendering these agreements more uniform and, where appropriate, replacing them with multilateral aviation agreements between the European Union and the third countries concerned;

58. Stresses the need for an authority to oversee ATC (air traffic control) in the EU; notes that, in 1995, more than 18% of all take-offs were delayed by more than 15 minutes, but that, as weather conditions accounted for less than 3% of delays, the vast majority were caused by the 'human factor', and a solution can therefore be found; believes the Commission should take this into account and follow up earlier work in this field with proposals for a regulation;

59. Calls for the directive on the opening up of ground-handling service provision to enter into force only once it has been ensured that neither social standards nor safety and training standards at airports will be reduced;

60. Calls for the strict application of the principle of 'one time, last time' to state aids in the air transport sector without exception;

61. Welcomes the fact that the Commission document addresses the issue of nitrogen emissions from aircraft, as this is a matter of utmost importance for the aviation industry; believes that in order to develop a common structure which has a neutral effect on competition, rules should be introduced in the form of a regulation; believes, however, that it must be ensured that the timetable for introducing standards in this field is acceptable;

62. In view of the recent developments at the JAA (Joint Aviation Authority), calls on the Commission to submit as a matter of urgency proposals in relation to flying time and working hours of pilots and cabin staff in the EU, by means of a democratic process taking into account the appropriate legal bases (Articles 84(2) and 118a), in accordance with the procedure for cooperation with the EP and appropriate consultation of the social partners;

Transport by inland waterway

63. Hopes that to encourage the position of inland waterway transport the Commission, notwithstanding the responsibilities of those involved in transport and loading in the sector, will act as a coordinator in providing incentives and that, with the aid of a working party of some experts from international transport and loading organizations from the Member States most concerned and some independent experts, it will carry out a study and will report to the Council and Parliament before 1 January 1998;

This report should pay particular attention to:

- the anticipated market position of inland waterway transport in European goods transport,

- the danger that, because of the continued scrapping of smaller vessels, ever larger areas in the Union will not have the opportunity to be served by inland waterway transport,

- the opportunities which could be created for inland waterway transport by improving the essential infrastructure,

- the strengthening of the position of inland waterway transport in intermodal transport,

- the possibility of additional instruments to allow action to be taken in the event of serious distortions of the market,

- an accompanying social policy in order to prevent reorganization problems;

Transport by sea

64. Considers that transport by sea plays a strategic role in relation to the European economy and trade with the rest of the world; hopes, therefore, that the budget resources allocated to transport by sea, which are extremely modest by comparison with the appropriations for other forms of transport, will be substantially increased;

65. Considers that transport by sea, in particular in the form of cabotage, should be regarded as part of the trans-European networks and linked optimally to the other modes of transport (road, rail, inland waterway, inland ports);

66. Calls for the inclusion within the CTP action programme of measures relating to:

- land-based infrastructures for satellite systems to allow a rapid response whenever vessels get into difficulty,

- the strengthening of national coastguard services, including better coordination amongst the various services and, in the medium term, the establishment of a European coastguard service,

- binding rules concerning inspections to check the structural soundness of vessels, combined with a system of severe penalties adopted at national level, to be imposed whenever negligence and/or default result in an accident at sea,

- the establishment of a European system of vessel monitoring,

- the possibility in adverse weather conditions of allowing vessels to enter harbour to find a safe haven,

- enhancement and strengthening of port state control to operate with effective flag state control,

- the designation of sensitive areas in Community waters and the establishment, together with the Member States concerned, of the safest sea routes for different kinds of vessels according to their size, cargo and specific weather conditions;

67. Calls for advantageous tax and legislative measures to promote the European fleet, including the setting up of the EUROS register, the establishment of the necessary standards and action to banish vessels which do not conform to international agreements;

68. Calls for measures to discourage the use of flags of convenience and the increasingly common practice of taking on unskilled crew members in order to reduce labour costs; and calls for the creation of a European institute for the training of seamen;

69. Considers that, to meet the challenge of a sophisticated and competitive world market, incentives should be provided for the European shipbuilding industry, the establishment of maritime consortia and joint ventures between European shipping industries and between businesses operating in the maritime transport sector;

70. Hopes that a Community regulation will be adopted on the uniform incorporation into the national laws of the EU Member States of the MARPOL Convention 73/78 on marine pollution;

71. Notes that a number of countries have decided to introduce more stringent safety requirements for ro-ro vessels; believes that the Commission should draw up a proposal harmonizing provisions in this field, so that these more stringent safety rules become the standard in all 15 Member States;

Rail transport

72. Considers the proposed liberalization measures to be broadly sufficient for the development of European railways but calls for further initiatives to develop rail freight services and passenger sleeper services (which are currently quite inadequate and unreliable) through the speedy establishment of the conditions for complete interoperability;

73. Considers that rail liberalization will achieve success only if all modes of transport bear the external costs to which they give rise and the uniform application of Community rules ensures non-discriminatory market access and equal competitive conditions;

74. Calls for harmonization of the rules on competition and social provisions for all modes of transport through further development and their effective transposition in the Member States; compliance with them is not guaranteed, particularly in the case of road haulage; their absence constitutes a distortion of competition to the detriment of the railways;

Transport in urban areas

75. Considers that although the urban and metropolitan transport of passengers by waterway concerns a large number of cities and regions it has hitherto been penalized, not least because of the scant attention devoted to this mode of transport by the European Union's programmes concerning transport policy; this is in contrast with the development potential of this transport system, which shows particular awareness of environmental problems and is able to absorb a substantial proportion of urban traffic in the most congested cities with inland waterway networks;

76. Calls for the inclusion of specific measures for the renewed exploitation of urban waterway transport, the aims of which should include boosting technological research in order to develop new boats or means of propulsion more compatible with the environment, a renewed impetus in the building of vessels for urban passenger transport and the rehabilitation of waterfront sites for the location of new terminals;

77. Calls for the action programme to include measures to increase accessibility in urban areas and to encourage the introduction of collective and public passenger and small utility electric vehicles, for the development of public transport (with a view to more effective integration between the networks of various modes of transport and between them and private transport), the establishment of free carparks on the outskirts of the main towns and cities and coupled with a frequent and subsidized shuttle service to the town/city centre, the increased use of urban waterway transport, the establishment and improvement of cycle infrastructure, the safety of pedestrians and the restriction of air and noise pollution by methods including public intermodal transport routes and systems to allow access to historic centres, with restrictions on private motor vehicles in city centres and a ban on traffic in the centres of cities with a major architectural heritage;

78. Calls on the Commission to strive for a personal right to mobility for the people of the EU as a logical follow-on from the recent submission of the Commission Green Paper on the Citizens' Network (COM(95)0601); considers that particular attention should be paid to people with reduced mobility, for example through the promotion of interconnections, improvements to the accessibility of transport, removal of barriers preventing access to buildings and the distribution of information on more accessible forms of transport;

79. Emphasizes its request to the Commission and the Member States to redefine the notion of public service to take account, among other things, of the right to mobility referred to above and reconcile market forces with the uncompromising ethics of public service; underlines the importance of developing urban public transport as a source of new jobs in connection with the reorganization of town planning, journey times and the pace of urban life;

External relations

80. Is especially aware of the extreme importance of the transport sector both as regards the Union's internal operation and its relations with non-member countries; calls once again, therefore, for the European Union to reach specific air and land transport agreements with all the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean area, based on the principles established at the Second Conference on Pan-European Transport Policy, held in Crete, and accompanied by financial protocols to encourage the development in those countries of transport policies in accordance with the objectives of the CTP;

81. Calls for these agreements to assign priority to safety, particularly as regards harmonization of technical inspections of motor vehicles and the provisions in force in the European Union to limit air pollution and noise nuisance, and safety requirements for motor vehicles;

82. While approving the actions laid down by the Commission where external relations are concerned, hopes that the Commission will also devote attention to transport problems involving other regions: developing systems concerning relations with the Mediterranean Basin, Latin America and the countries of Asia, and that special attention will be given to harmonizing rules to ensure healthy competition to the advantage of consumers and business; considers in particular that maritime agreements with the ASEAN, South American and Lomé Convention countries should be concluded;

83. Urges the European Union to adopt a common policy on external civil aviation agreements and calls for each bilateral agreement negotiated between the European Union and a third country, particularly in connection with the 'Open Skies' agreement with the USA, to cover areas such as the granting of cabotage rights for foreign airlines on a reciprocal basis;

84. Calls on the Commission to encourage the ratification by the Member States of all the international conventions concerning the transport sector; calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote, in the appropriate fora, the ratification by third countries of such conventions or agreements, to ensure fair competition and prevent social and environmental 'dumping'; notes, among the conclusions of the Crete Pan-European Conference (March 1994), its commitment to promote social dialogue in the transport sector in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe;

85. Calls for the safety and control standards for motor vehicles laid down by the Convention of the UN Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva on road safety to be strengthened and urges the EU to accede to that convention;

Trans-European networks

86. Points out that, in the assessment of trans-European infrastructure projects, the national benefit for the individual Member States is not the only thing that should be taken into account; the net benefit for the European Union as a whole should also be analysed; moreover notes that TENs represents an important step towards the creation of short-term employment existing in the construction industry and associated sectors, in the field of advanced technology and also in secondary industry, particularly SMUs;

87. As far as the financing of the Trans-European Transport Networks, which are essential to the completion of the Single Market, is concerned, the instruments and financial means must be substantially increased, which concerns especially the strengthening of the infrastructural funds and the European Investment Fund (EIF); calls also for the promotion, by means of, inter alia, the establishment of a European infrastructure fund, of all instruments which facilitate the recourse to private capital for the funding of new investments; special emphasis must also be given to the fostering of private-public partnerships to overcome the difficulties in this field;

88. To this end, calls for the adoption as soon as possible of a Community directive to establish suitable institutional conditions for facilitating cooperation between public and private capital (rules on tendering, questions relating to competition, etc.) in the construction of priority projects: with regard to the extension of the trans-European networks to third countries, calls for these countries to be allowed to take part in the setting up of planning authorities;

89. Supports the idea that completion of the priority trans-European transport network projects to be determined by the Council and the European Parliament should be speeded up through the placing on the financial markets of 'Union bonds' for each individual project;

90. Calls in particular for priority to be given to projects designed to bring together North and South, the Mediterranean and the Baltic, the east and west of the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and, in particular, for integrated communications systems to be developed for southern Europe and other parts of the continent which are lagging behind, in particular peripheral regions;

Budgetary aspects

91. Points out that the financial programming set out in the Commission report is of a purely indicative character and that the corresponding programming indicated in the financial statements submitted at the time of the Preliminary Draft Budget should be updated after the vote on each budget;

92. Notes that the financing of trans-European networks and structural improvement measures in inland waterway transport was not envisaged at the time of adoption of the Financial Perspective;

93. Welcomes the fact that the Madrid European Council shares Parliament's view that a revision of the Financial Perspective is necessary to ensure the financing of the networks and considers that this financing could be provided within the limits of the own-resources ceiling which will enter into force after ratification by the Netherlands, all the other Member States already having completed their ratification procedures;

94. Calls, therefore, on the Commission to submit a proposal for a revision, pursuant to point 12 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 29 October 1993, to make it possible to finance the transport policies which were not envisaged in the Financial Perspective;

95. While understanding the emphasis placed on developing trans-European transport networks, considers that the appropriations for the external aspects of the common transport policy, ECU 1 m in 1995, and 1.5 m earmarked for 1996, are very small and should be substantially increased in future, in view of the importance to the Union of external economic relations;

96. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the governments and parliaments of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CCEEs) as well as the Russian Federation and the CIS, the governments and parliaments of the Mediterranean countries, the governments and parliaments of the member countries of the European Economic Area, the governments and parliaments of the ASEAN countries, the US Government and Congress, the European Conference of Transport Ministers, the UN Economic Commission for Europe, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).