2.12.2011   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 351/13

A.

whereas the transport sector is an important element in the development of the European Union and its regions and cities, and one which has a direct influence on the competitiveness and social cohesion of the regions and cities and thereby makes a significant contribution to achieving the European single market,

B.

whereas transport has a triple role: an economic role, a social role and a territorial cohesion role, all of which are essential for European integration,

C.

whereas the transport sector plays a key role in the economy and employment, given that it represents 10 % of the EU’s prosperity (viewed in terms of gross domestic product) and provides over 10 million jobs and will therefore have a crucial role in the implementation of the EU 2020 strategy,

D.

whereas transport is an essential element of European policy, and whereas, therefore, the EU needs a financial framework that responds to the transport policy challenges in the years ahead, stimulates the economy in the short term, increases productivity in the medium and long term and strengthens Europe as a research location,

E.

whereas the transport sector has a considerable impact on the environment and on people’s health and quality of life, and, whilst facilitating people’s private and professional mobility, was responsible, as a whole, for 27 % of total CO2 emissions in 2008, and whereas this figure has since risen even further; whereas road transport accounted for 70,9 %, aviation for 12,5 %, sea and inland waterways for 15,3 % and railways for 0,6 % of total CO2 emissions from the transport sector in 2007,

F.

whereas in Europe all modes of transport have made efforts to improve safety; whereas, however, in 2008 approximately 39 000 people died in traffic accidents and 300 000 people were seriously injured, which means that further efforts are required as regards all aspects of safety, notably road safety,

G.

whereas the EU undertook, in the climate change package, to achieve a 20 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared to 1990, which remains a binding target,

H.

whereas the goals set in the 2001 White Paper have been attained only in part, so that the question of whether they should be maintained or reformulated needs to be examined, and, where proven necessary, efforts to achieve those goals need to be strengthened,

I.

whereas problems with transposition, such as late or incorrect transposition, have a considerable impact on the effectiveness of European legislation; whereas, therefore, there is an urgent need for action in this regard,

J.

whereas Parliament’s work must be consistent, particularly in areas which affect transport policy directly such as, for example, environment and social policy, urban and land use planning and employment and economic policy,

K.

whereas the financial and economic crisis has hit the transport sector hard, a situation which should, however, be taken as an opportunity to support and promote the transport industry in a forward-looking way, especially through promoting the sustainability of transport modes and investments in, among other things, rail and waterway transport; whereas this will ensure a more level playing field in the market,

L.

whereas, as part of the forthcoming review of the agencies, agencies’ added value has to be analysed, as does the need to set up a European transport agency,

M.

whereas it is vital for measurable targets to be set for the transport sector, as a way of both monitoring the efficiency of transport policy more effectively and establishing social and economic planning guidelines, as well as demonstrating that the proposed measures are necessary for the implementation of the transport policy put in place,

N.

whereas significant developments in research, infrastructure and technology require adjustments to be made to financial resources and instruments,

O.

whereas developments in society and in a wide range of economic sectors are giving rise to increased demand in the transport sector, as a result of which all means of transport are vital; whereas, however, these should be measured according to their efficiency in economic, environmental, social and employment policy terms,

P.

whereas, in the future, the sustainable interworking of all modes of passenger and freight transport will be necessary in order to achieve safe, sustainable, logistically consistent and therefore efficient transport chains, including multi-modal solutions and the linking of local and long-distance transport,

1.

Is convinced that EU policy in general needs a clear and coherent vision of the future of transport as a sector at the core of the single market, guaranteeing free movement of persons and goods and ensuring territorial cohesion throughout Europe; takes the view that, while continuing to generate a significant part of Europe’s sustainable growth and competitiveness, the transport sector must guarantee economic efficiency and develop within consistently high social and environmental standards;

2.

Is convinced that demographic change, in particular in urban areas, will give rise to safety and capacity challenges for transport and mobility, and that the basic right to mobility, ensured by, among other things, improved accessibility and the construction of missing infrastructure links, and the applicability of this right, are crucial in this regard; stresses that, in this context, well-integrated multimodal transport chains including walking and cycling and public transport are the way ahead for urban areas; points out in that connection that in urban areas the existing structure in particular will determine which mode is most appropriate; considers that good public transport links in rural areas will cut down on private car use; calls, in the interest of creating coherent urban and suburban transport systems and retaining the rural population, for the formation of Functional Urban Regions;

3.

Asks the Commission to introduce Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) for cities of more than 100 000 inhabitants and, with due respect for the principle of subsidiarity, encourage cities to draw up mobility plans which propose an integrated transport concept with the objective of reducing environmental damage and making mobility healthier and more efficient;

4.

Considers that increasing demand also results, inter alia, in a strain on capacity and reduced efficiency due to infrastructure problems in the field of freight transport, that, primarily, comodal use and the safety of transport users and transported goods should therefore be increased and that a fundamental improvement of the infrastructure, in particular the elimination of bottlenecks known about for years, is essential;

5.

Stresses that decarbonising transport is one of the main challenges of future EU transport policy and that all available, sustainable means should be used in order to achieve this, such as an energy mix promoting the research and development of more environmentally friendly technologies and modes, price formation measures and the internalisation of the external costs of all modes of transport, provided that the revenue generated at EU level is used to improve the sustainability of mobility and measures are taken to adapt the behaviour of transport users and professionals (awareness-raising, environmentally friendly behaviour, etc.); underlines that, to this end, the priority development of financial incentives ruling out any distortions of competition between modes of transport and Member States in the process should be undertaken;

6.

Recognises that, according to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), maritime transport emits 3 to 5 times less CO2 than land transport but is concerned about the expected emissions of SOx and NOx from maritime transport, which will be approximately equivalent to land-based transport by 2020, and the inconclusive attempt by the IMO to put in place a CO2 emission reduction system;

7.

Stresses the need for the general public to be better informed about the consequences of leisure-time travel and calls on the Commission to consider leisure-time travel in its policy approach;

8.

Emphasises that safety must continue to be one of the priority objectives of the future transport policy and that the safety of active and passive users of all transport modes has to be guaranteed; considers it to be of the utmost importance to reduce the health effects of transport, especially through the use of modern technologies, and to ensure the rights of passengers in all transport modes, particularly those with reduced mobility, by means of clear and transparent regulations; supports the creation of a charter of passengers’ rights in the European Union;

9.

Calls on the Commission to present a very brief study detailing the best practices of the Member States concerning the impact of speed limiters for all types of vehicles and roads, both urban and inter-urban, with a view to presenting legislative measures aimed at reducing emissions and improving road safety;

10.

Underlines the necessity of guaranteeing both personal safety and legal certainty for workers in the transport sector by, among other things, creating a sufficient number of safe and secure parking places and harmonising the enforcement of road transport rules and the sanctions for which they provide; stresses also that the introduction of cross-border enforcement of sanctions will improve road safety for all users;

11.

Draws attention to the fact that the provision of parking areas in the trans-European road network (TERN) has not kept pace with the increase in road freight transport, which means that compliance with the permissible driving times and rest periods established for professional drivers, especially during night-time hours, and road safety more generally, will be seriously compromised unless the quality and quantity of rest facilities are improved in the EU Member States;

12.

Considers that the development of passenger and freight transport as a whole is largely dependent on effective use of the various modes of transport, and that the goal of European transport policy should therefore be efficient comodality, which is closely linked to the decarbonisation, safety and economic aspects of transport; believes that this will lead to an optimal reallocation between the different transport modes and a shift towards more sustainable transport modes, and will provide for interoperability within and between the modes, promote more sustainable transport and logistics chains and modal choices and enhance seamless traffic flows across modes and nodes;

13.

Stresses that efficient comodality should be measured not only in terms of cost-effectiveness but also according to criteria of environmental protection, social and employment conditions, safety and territorial cohesion, with attention also being paid to the different technical possibilities and starting levels of the different modes of transport and of the countries, regions and cities in Europe;

14.

Underlines that efficient comodality means improving infrastructure – among other things by developing green corridors, reducing bottlenecks and improving rail and waterway transport –, advancing safety through new technologies and improving working conditions;

15.

Calls for regular reviews of European legislation and its transposition and implementation, with a view to guaranteeing the effectiveness thereof; calls on the Commission consistently to remove the obstacles caused by incorrect or late transposition of European legislation in the Member States;

16.

Proposes that in the new framework of the Lisbon Treaty, and with the Commission’s consent, at least one joint meeting be held every year with representatives of the national parliaments responsible for transport, with a view to sharing and cooperating to ensure better, more effective implementation of EU transport legislation;

17.

Considers that transport plays an essential role in completing the European single market and freedom of movement for persons and goods, and that regulated market opening should be achieved, primarily in the rail transport sector, in all EU Member States; takes the view that this complete market opening will benefit consumers and should be accompanied by measures safeguarding the quality of public services, as well as a long-term investment plan for infrastructure and technical interoperability in order to improve efficiency and safety and measures aimed at avoiding distortions of intra-modal and inter-modal competition, inter alia in the social, fiscal, safety and environmental fields; the internalisation of external social and environmental costs should be carried out gradually, starting with the more polluting road and air transport modes;

18.

Calls on the Commission and on Member State authorities to facilitate the completion of the liberalisation of cabotage transport, to reduce the prevalence of empty mileage and to provide for a more sustainable road and rail network in the form of more freight transport hubs;

19.

Believes it essential, in order to achieve an efficient maritime transport system that complements other modes, to focus once again on a clear liberalisation process enabling it to be truly competitive;

20.

Underlines, with regard to the economic requirements, the importance of genuinely European management of transport infrastructure (freight and passenger rail transport corridors, Single European Sky, ports and their connections with the transport network, maritime area without borders, inland waterways) with a view to eliminating the ‘border effect’ in all transport modes and enhancing the EU’s competitiveness and appeal;

21.

Calls for the establishment of a common European reservation system in order to enhance the effectiveness of the various modes of transport and to simplify and increase their interoperability;

22.

Underlines that transport has an impact on social, health and security policy and that, in the context of creating a single transport area, employment and working conditions and education and training must be harmonised at a high level and must be continually improved on the basis of an effective social dialogue at European level; stresses that the creation of, inter alia, European training centres and EU centres of excellence in the relevant Member States can contribute to promoting the measurable quality of training and the status of transport sector employees, as well as to the mutual recognition of training courses;

23.

Considers that, in order to achieve greater effectiveness in transport policy, there is a need to evaluate programmes (such as Galileo and ITS for all transport modes) and, depending on the results, strategy and programming should be reoriented as appropriate; sees a consequent need for, among other things, a new road traffic safety programme, further revitalisation of the TEN-Ts, a mid-term review of NAIADES, the urgent and full implementation of the Single European Sky programme, SESAR and the Eight Framework Programme for Research and the continuation of Marco Polo in a simplified form;

24.

Is of the view that technical interoperability and its financing, European certification, standardisation and mutual recognition are essential elements of an effectively functioning single market, and that their enforcement should figure more prominently among the tasks of the various agencies; underlines that all the agencies should strive for, and swiftly attain, a similarly high level of responsibility and competence and should be evaluated regularly; encourages in particular the development of the full potential of the European Railway Agency, including the progressive assumption by the agency of responsibility for certifying all new rolling stock and railway infrastructure and for regular audits of national safety authorities or equivalent bodies in the Member States, as laid down in Directive 2004/49/EC of 29 April 2004;

25.

Underlines that 75 % of transport is road-based, and asks for consideration to be given to the need for an agency for road transport, in particular to improve road safety and also to guarantee people’s fundamental right to safe mobility by supporting new applications (such as Galileo or equally suitable technologies for intelligent transport systems) and conducting research programmes; considers, in addition, that this agency should be able to take regulatory action if obstacles to a sustainable single market need to be removed;

26.

Points out that inland waterway transport is still confronted with a disparate institutional framework and requests the establishment of permanent and structured cooperation between the competent institutions in order to fully exploit the potential of this mode of transport;

27.

Calls for a research and technology agenda for the transport sector; considers that this agenda should be drawn up in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders in order to understand the needs of the sector and, accordingly, improve the allocation of EU funding; takes the view that priority should be given to projects to decarbonise transport, increase the transparency of the supply chain and transport safety and security, improve traffic management and reduce administrative burdens;

28.

Emphasises that research and development and innovation require support, since they lead to considerable environmental improvements in all transport modes due to a reduction in exhaust gases and traffic noise, improve safety by creating solutions to ensure better use of existing infrastructure capacity and to reduce traffic bottlenecks, and, not least, result in increased energy independence across the modes in the entire transport network; stresses in this respect that intelligent, interoperable and connected transport organisation and safety systems, such as ERTMS, Galileo, SESAR, ITS and equally appropriate technologies, require support in terms of research and development as well as in their application; calls on the Member States to ensure that all citizen across Europe benefit from these intelligent transport systems; notes that the necessary framework conditions and open standards must be introduced for promising technologies, without giving an undue advantage to any specific technology;

29.

Underlines that within the framework of climate protection and EU energy independence, each transport mode should reduce its CO2 emissions and be supported by research and development in innovative, energy-efficient and clean technologies and renewable energies which leads to, among other things, more sustainable vehicles in all transport modes; considers that this would at the same time strengthen the competitiveness of European companies;

30.

Emphasises the need for a uniform definition of relevant terms relating to road safety and accident research, in order to ensure comparability of findings and of any measures that may be implemented;

31.

Stresses that harmonising transport documents in line with the latest communication standards, as well as their multimodal and international applicability, can result in a considerable improvement in safety and logistics and a drastic reduction in the administrative burden;

32.

Emphasises that an efficient transport policy requires a financial framework that is appropriate to the challenges arising and that, to that end, the current resources for transport and mobility should be increased; considers the following to be necessary:

33.

Calls for a coherent and integrated transport policy promoting, inter alia, transport by rail and ship, port policy and public transport by means of financial support which is not measured by competitiveness criteria in line with EU rules on state aids;

34.

Considers that the financial and economic crisis must serve as an opportunity to give targeted support to the field of transport and to promote investment in, first and foremost, safe, environment-friendly and therefore sustainable transport through the provision of financial assistance; takes the view that EU investments in transport projects should be taken into consideration in the context of the EU 2020 strategy, since transport and mobility systems afford unique opportunities for creating stable jobs;

35.

Is convinced that the definition of a European core network within the overall TEN network, which remains a priority of EU transport policy, should be evaluated according to criteria relating to sustainable development at European and also regional and local levels, and that multimodal platforms and dry ports remain an essential element of infrastructure supply, since they enable effective interconnections to be made between different modes of transport;

36.

Is of the opinion that TEN-T projects should remain a priority of EU transport policy and that there is an urgent need to tackle the lack of infrastructure and to overcome the historical and geographical obstacles that remain at borders; underlines that TEN-T should be integrated into a pan-European network with links extending beyond the EU, and considers that this process can be accelerated by stepping up funding;

37.

Calls for inland waterway transport infrastructure, inland ports and the multimodal linking of sea ports with the hinterland and rail connections to be given a greater role in European transport policy, as well as greater support, in order to help reduce the environmental impact and increase the safety of EU transport; considers that the environmental performance of inland waterway vessels can be radically improved if new engines equipped with the latest emission control technology are installed;

38.

Highlights the need to look at short-sea-shipping and sea-highway projects in a broader context embracing the countries in Europe’s immediate geographical environment; points out that this will require a better synergy to be achieved between regional policy, development policy and transport policy;

39.

Recognises that regional airports play a crucial role in the development of peripheral and outermost regions by increasing their connectivity with hubs; considers it particularly useful to apply intermodal solutions where possible; takes the view that (high-speed) rail links between airports offer an ideal opportunity to sustainably link different modes of transport;

40.

Stresses that the creation of a European transport area is an important priority which depends to a large extent on international acceptance under agreements which have yet to be negotiated for all transport modes, particularly in connection with air and sea transport, and that the EU should play an increasingly formative role in the relevant international bodies;

41.

Calls for compliance with clearer, more measurable targets to be achieved in 2020 with reference to 2010, and therefore proposes the following:

42.

Calls on the Commission to monitor progress towards reaching these targets and to report annually to Parliament thereon;

43.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.