The first joint meeting of European transport and environment ministers, which ended on Tuesday 30 October in Graz (Austria), could mark a turning point in the transition to clean, safe and affordable European mobility, based on innovation and a profound transformation of a sector that must act much more decisively on climate change, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
At least this is the ambition stated in the 'Graz Declaration' adopted by the ministers and intended to usher in a “new era” in which all parties - Commission, Member States, regional and local authorities - will work on a 'green contract' for a new mobility that meets these requirements. This declaration is a statement of faith in sustainable mobility, aiming at zero carbon emissions by 2050, with guidelines for common solutions that can guide Member States in their actions and also encourage behavioural changes for all.
A holistic European strategy by 2021. The European Ministers invite the European Commission to use this declaration as a basis for presenting a holistic strategy with all the necessary legislation by 2021.
"The conventional combustion engine is not finished, but biofuels will be needed. Lithium batteries will make electric vehicles more competitive and affordable", explained Norbert Hofer, Austrian Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology.
"Our general approach is to achieve zero emissions. We already know how to reduce 60% of emissions; there is still 40% left. This is why it is essential to have new solutions, new business models", underlined the European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc. The Commission is satisfied that support for clean vehicles is mentioned. He added that "2018 remains the year of multimodal transport. It will be necessary to ensure that all modes of transport be combined. We must also exploit the opportunities offered by digitisation and big data. Ministers are calling for a holistic approach."
The issue is very important, because "transport is the only key sector that has not succeeded in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. On the contrary, they are increasing", insisted Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy. In the same vein, the Austrian Federal Minister for Sustainability and Tourism, Elisabeth Köstinger, also stressed the harmful effects of transport on health. "Transport is one of the main contributors to substances that pollute the air. All Member States have the same problem. We must find common solutions for the future", she said.
The Graz Declaration is structured around the following five areas:
- Clean vehicles. The text contains the promise to quickly introduce low-emission, zero-emission vehicles and low-carbon fuels onto the market and to develop appropriate charging infrastructures.
- A strategy for the management and planning of sustainable mobility that will guide and support sustainable mobility choices and options in the EU, Member States, as well as at regional, local and company levels. This should include in particular digitisation and automated vehicles, identification of incentives and support programmes for the management of multimodal, clean, safe and inclusive mobility and planning of cities, regions, tourism businesses, schools and youth.
- Active mobility to promote health and sustainability, which includes including the health benefits of active mobility in cost-benefit analyses for projects to be funded by the TEN-T 'Connecting Europe' facility in the EU post-2020 budget.
- Safe and inclusive mobility that promotes, in particular, training and awareness raising for all road users, harmonisation and application of new safety technologies.
- Multimodal and infrastructure.
A step in the right direction. "For Luxembourg, transport, the environment and climate protection are of paramount importance. 64% of our CO2 emissions come from the transport sector", emphasised Luxembourg's Minister for the Environment, Carole Dieschbourg, on the sidelines of the session.
The Graz Declaration is not binding, of course, but "its great merit is that it is oriented towards multimodality and also addresses active mobility - cycling, walking - which is often forgotten with electrification. We have to work on all aspects", she said. According to her, it is "a step in the right direction" and "the fact that different areas are covered can make it a working tool". (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)