Brussels, 12/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission adopted its White Paper "European Transport Policy for 2010: Time to Decide" as expected (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.8, for details). In a press release, the European Commission explained that its "objective for the next ten years is to refocus Europe's transport policy on the demands and needs of its citizens", singling out specific areas of its weighty document such as promoting passengers' rights, improving road safety, ensuring high quality transport services in Europe, and carrying out major infrastructure work. It says that the first of these measures is designed to "shift the balance between modes of transport by revitalising the railways, promoting maritime and inland waterway transport and linking up the different modes of transport", since "if nothing is done, Europe will rapidly be threatened with 'apoplexy at the centre and paralysis at the extremities'".
In the press release, the European Transport Commissioner, Loyola de Palacio, said, "The European Union must meet the expectations of Europeans and recognise requirements that are at times contradictory, in order to contribute to economic development while improving our quality of life. Europe's citizens deserve an efficient transport system offering a high level of quality and safety: the White Paper lays the foundations for this on the basis of a more imaginative and rational use of the different means of transport and infrastructure". Ms de Palacio had to cancel the scheduled press conference as a result of the terrorist attack in the US.
The White Paper is available in English, French and German on the web: http: //http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/energy_transport/en/lb_en.html . Tomorrow, EUROPE will publish the Action Programme connected with the White Paper in our EUROPE/Document series.
Road transport industry: "Yes, but…"
In a press release, the International Road Transport Union expressed support for the realistic analysis made in the White Paper, but was concerned at the "prescription". The road hauliers fell that the political measures proposed were insufficiently based on the three principles of innovation in technology and management; incentives for innovative new solutions; and creating new infrastructure. The IRU said it would be virtually impossible to cope with the forecast growth in demand if investment in infrastructure was distorted by the cross-funding of road and rail foreseen by the Commission. In this connection, the French Federation of Road Transport published a statement in which it said it would not be opposing the increased charges designed to cut road congestion and balance out different forms of transport, but it would ensure that road haulage companies were not charged extra simply in order to finance the bad management of other forms of transport, and more specifically lack of productivity, lack of quality services, the breakdown in rail transport or, most emphatically, financing the reduction in the working week on the railways.