Brussels, 09/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - There will be no revision of the roadmap for a single European transport area or a new White Paper, announced Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc after the Transport Council in Luxembourg on Thursday 8 October.
Following a policy debate, the member states were of the opinion that the objectives, as they stand, are sufficient and that the EU is moving in the right direction, the commissioner said. Rather than amend or add new objectives, member states' efforts will focus first on applying the provisions that already exist.
Ministers called for the emphasis to be on simplifying administrative procedures and decarbonising Europe's economies, with minds focused on the Paris conference which opens at the end of next month. Digitisation of transport services is also a priority. The commissioner said that citizens have to be put back at the heart of European transport policies. “Cities have to be given over to people, not vehicles”, she observed (our translation).
Bulc also highlighted the internationalisation of transport solutions and the European industry, and innovation. She noted the role that could be played by the Juncker plan's European fund for strategic investments (EFSI), a presentation on the transport strand of which was made the same day by Commission Vice-President with responsibility for Investment and Competition Jyrki Katainen and European Investment Bank Vice-President Pim van Ballekom.
Luxembourg Minister for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure François Bausch, who chaired the Council, stressed that the pace of greening of transport must be picked up and he offered alternatives, such as active mobility (walking, cycling), that had been highlighted the previous day during the informal meeting of the Transport Council. A number of member states had urged that greater account be taken of national particularities, he said. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)