Brussels, 29/05/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 28 May, the transport and tourism committee examined the report presented by Wim van de Camp (EPP, Netherlands) that looks at implementation of the 2011 Transport White Paper.
This report is part of the European Commission's White Paper mid-term review. The goal is to assess the progress accomplished and propose other measures for attaining the objectives, although the rapporteur considers “it is still too early to fully assess the impact of several policy measures taken since the adoption of the White Paper”.
More than 625 amendments have been submitted, which the rapporteur believes too high and who had explicitly called on the groups to try and limit the number of these amendments. Most of the amendments focus on sustainability and include the objectives adopted in October 2014 by the Council on the CO2 package, points out the rapporteur. He also regretted that the majority of his counterparts consider transport mainly as an area of spending rather than one of generating income. He asserted that, “as the EPP rapporteur, I believe it is always necessary to earn money before spending it. There are other political groups that believe the opposite, which I consider not very healthy”.
Together with the Horizon 2020 framework programme for research and innovation, the 2011 White Paper highlights the need to develop a clean automobile sector, sustainable replacement fuels and the development of smart infrastructure in an effort to encourage sustainable urban transport (see EUROPE 11323). One of key objectives is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% compared to 1990 levels. (Pascal Hansens)