Brussels, 05/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - Debates on the future of transport will take pride of place during the Hungarian term of presidency of the EU Council, which hopes to ensure an effective and innovative system is set in place for transport in Europe. Debate has therefore been initiated on the new White Paper as has review of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) policy, at the top of the list of priorities to be covered by the Hungarian Presidency regarding European transport policy. Hungary will, inter alia, take the initiative of organising a debate on review of TEN-T policy before the European Commission puts forward proposals on this in June 2011. Review of the policy will, moreover, be the main theme of the informal transport ministers' meeting in Gödöllö on 7 and 8 February. Review of the NAIADES programme for inland navigation and the single rail area, that Hungary links to the Danube strategy presented in December (DUROPE 10274) and which Budapest would like to see adopted during the June European Council, are two other dossiers that the Hungarian Presidency hopes to see completed by the end of its term of presidency.
Transport ministers will above all hold a policy debate in Council in March (31 March) on the draft directive on the single rail area (see EUROPE 10217), in the aim of reaching a political agreement on the subject of review of the first rail package at the Transport Council on 16 June. Also in March, ministers are expected to seek political agreement on the regulation for revising the competences of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). This review, proposed by the Commission last November, seeks to increase the Agency's authority in line with the provisions of the third maritime package. Among other things, it is a matter of giving EMSA greater power of intervention regarding pollution of the marine environment (the Agency will be able to intervene in the event of maritime pollution caused by sources other than shipping, for example oil platforms), involving it more closely with the EU's maritime research work or by making the conditions of participation in its work more flexible for non-EU countries. Also in the field of maritime and inland navigation, Hungary expects the Council to adopt conclusions on mid-term review of the NAIADES programme. The Presidency will be organising a conference dedicated to this programme which aims to promote inland navigation, in Budapest on 6-8 April. Hungary plans to continue discussion reactivated by the Belgian rotating Presidency which preceded it on changes to the Eurovignette directive (a revised directive on tariffs levied on heavy vehicles for the use of certain transport infrastructure). In particular, it will make an effort to achieve during its mandate a second-reading agreement on the subject of the text.
The first half of 2011 will also be focusing on a significant number of events regarding aviation. The Presidency plans to organise a high level conference on implementing the European Single Sky (3-4 March, Budapest). The March Council should be informed by the Commission on the strategy for deploying the SESAR programme (the Single Sky technological chapter) aimed at developing new technology for air traffic control in Europe. The Council may also approve a series of decisions on aviation, in particular to: - open negotiation with a view to concluding a comprehensive agreement with Moldova (June); - approve the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US and the EU on civil aviation research (March); - approve the signing of a framework agreement for cooperation between the EU and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) (March); - and open talks on including cabotage in the EU-Switzerland air agreement (March). On the subject of the White Paper, the June Council of Ministers will hold the first policy debate on this new strategic document that the European Commission will present in the spring with a view to defining the broad lines of the transport policy for the next decade. According to Budapest, it is essential for this strategy to really take into account criteria for environmental and financial effectiveness in transport. The same objective should be reflected in the new TEN-T policy. (A.By./transl.jl)