Brussels, 27/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - Intermodality as a tool for integrating environment and transport policies will be the central theme of the Informal Transport and Environment Council to be held from 14 to 16 September in Louvain-la-Neuve. In a document presented this summer by the Belgian Transport Minister, Isabelle Durant, and Environment Minister Magda Aelvoet, the Belgian Council Presidency proposes that ministers should focus their debate on the political means that could be brought into play to promote a rapid changeover from road to rail, rather than on the technical aspects, and on the transport of goods rather than passenger transport.
With this in view, the Presidency poses three questions: 1) Is the aim of maintaining the repartition between the different modes of transport at its 1998 level in 2010 an appropriate goal for achieving the European transport and environmental objectives? 2) Can equitable and effective pricing measures help to correct the imbalance between the different kinds of transport and how can they allow transfer between modes of transport to be promoted? 3) Beyond the measures of transfer between the different kinds of transport, do the environment and transport ministers agree to call on a joint group of environment and transport experts to control the progress of integration of the two policies, and suggest means for implementing this integration, using the existing indicators more effectively and developing other instruments to guide the political decisions taken?
On the basis of the Communication on the future of transport policy in Europe in the run up to 2010, presented in July by the Commission (see EUROPE Documents No2245-2246) and the draft White Paper on this subject expected for the new session after the summer break, the Presidency is already taking position in its presentation document so that the EU fixes "flexible and indicative" objectives (allowing for mid-term revision). It hopes there will be "internalisation of external transport costs, beginning with their identification and their gradual implementation", and calls for better assessment of the real impact of investment that will be needed to improve the market shares of rail transport.
Presenting the European Parliament's Plenary Session (from 3 to 6 September)