Awaited for more than a year, the Commission's White Paper on the future of transport in Europe was finally adopted on 12 September. Noting that its strategy is designed to break the link between constant transport growth and economic growth in order to reduce the pressure on the environment and prevent congestion while maintaining the EU's economic competitiveness, the White Paper proposes a range of measures to ensure regulated competition between the different modes of transport, encourage the linking up of the different modes of transport, alleviate bottlenecks and place the user at the heart of the EU's transport policy. More importantly, it proposes methods of finance - cross-subsidising road and rail, surtaxes on routes in the Alps and the Pyrenees to fund the building of tunnels and other infrastructure, adopting a common framework for integrating the cost of pollution or congestion in the tolls for accessing infrastructure, and so on (see EUROPE of 12 September, p.8 and 5 September, p.13). Most of the proposals are not new in themselves, but they have now been incorporated into an overall strategy in the form of an Action Programme annexed to the White Paper, which we append in French, English German.
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ACTION PROGRAMME
The measures proposed in the White Paper may be summarised as follows:
1. SHIFTING THE BALANCE BETWEEN MODES OF TRANSPORT
1.1. Improving quality in the road sector
Harmonise inspections and penalties by the end of 2001 in order to:
promote efficient, uniform interpretation, implementation and monitoring of existing road transport legislation;
establish the liability of employers for certain offences committed by their drivers;
harmonise the conditions for immobilising vehicles;
increase the number of checks which Member States are required to carry out (currently on 1% of days actually worked) on compliance with driving times and drivers' rest periods.
Keep the road transport profession attractive by promoting the necessary skills and ensuring satisfactory working conditions.
Harmonise the minimum clauses in contracts governing transport activity in order to allow tariffs to be revised should costs increase (e.g. a fuel price rise).
1.2. Revitalising the railways
Gradually open up the railway market in Europe. By the end of 2001 the Commission will submit a second package of measures for the rail sector with a view to:
opening up the national freight markets to cabotage;
ensuring a high level safety for the railway network based on rules and regulations established independently and a clear definition of the responsibilities of each player involved;
updating the interoperability directives for all components of the high-speed and conventional railway networks;
gradual opening-up of international passenger transport;
promoting measures to safeguard the quality of rail services and users' rights. In particular, a directive will be proposed to lay down the terms of compensation in the event of delays or failure to meet service obligations. Other measures relating to the development of service quality indicators, terms of contract, transparency of information for passengers and out-of-court dispute resolution mechanisms will also be proposed.
Step up rail safety by proposing a directive and setting up a Community structure for Railway Interoperability and Safety.
Support the creation of new infrastructure, and in particular rail freight freeways.
Enter into dialogue with the rail industries in the context of a voluntary agreement to reduce adverse environmental impact.
1.3. Controlling the growth in air transport
Propose the introduction by 2004, in the context of the Single Sky, of:
a strong regulator with adequate resources independent of the various interests at stake, and capable of setting objectives allowing traffic to grow while guaranteeing safety;
a mechanism enabling the military to maintain defence capabilities while using the scope for cooperation to ensure more efficient overall organisation of airspace;
social dialogue with the social partners, which could begin with the air traffic controllers, allowing consultation, following the experience in other sectors, on aspects of the common aviation policy that have a considerable social impact. This dialogue could lead to agreements between the organisations concerned;
cooperation with Eurocontrol to draw on its expertise and know-how to develop and administer the Community rules;
a surveillance, inspection and penalties system ensuring effective enforcement of the rules.
In the framework of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, rethink air transport taxation and negotiate the introduction of a kerosene tax by 2004 and differential en route air navigation charges.
Launch a debate in 2002 on the future of airports in order to:
make better use of existing capacity;
review the airport charges systems;
integrate air transport into a logical system with the other modes of transport;
determine what new airport infrastructure is required.
Present a revision in 2003 of the slot allocation system, in order to improve market access while taking account of the need to reduce environmental impacts at Community airports.
Negotiate with the United States a Joint Transatlantic Aviation Agreement to replace the current open skies agreements.
1.4. Adapting the maritime and inland waterway transport system
Develop the infrastructure needed to build veritable "motorways of the seas".
Simplify the regulatory framework for maritime and inland waterway transport by encouraging in particular the creation of one-stop offices for administrative and customs formalities and by linking up all the players in the logistics chain.
Propose a regulatory framework for safety controls for passengers embarking on ships offering European cruises in order to combat the risk of attacks, along the lines of what is done in air transport.
Tighten up the maritime safety rules in cooperation with the International Maritime Organisation and the International Labour Organisation, in particular:
by incorporating the minimum social rules to be observed in ship inspections, and
by developing a genuine European maritime traffic management system.
Encourage the reflagging of the greatest possible number of ships to Community registers, based on the best practices developed in social and fiscal matters, by proposing in 2002 measures on tonnage-based taxation and the revision of the guidelines on State aid to maritime transport.
Improve the situation of inland waterway transport through:
the current standardisation of technical requirements for the entire Community waterway network by 2002;
greater harmonisation of boatmasters' certificates throughout the Community's inland waterway network, including the Rhine. The Commission will present a proposal on this subject in 2002;
harmonisation of conditions in respect of rest periods, crew members, crew composition and navigation time of inland waterway vessels. The Commission will present a proposal on this subject in 2002.
1.5. Linking up the modes of transport
Establish by 2003 a new programme to promote alternative solutions to road transport (Marco Polo), which could have a budget of some 30 million euros per year in help launch commercial projects.
Propose by 2003 a new Community framework for the development of the profession of freight integrator and the standardisation of transport units and freight loading techniques.
2. ELIMINATING BOTTLENECKS
In 2001 revise the trans-European network guidelines in order to eliminate bottlenecks by encouraging corridors with priority for freight, a rapid passenger network and traffic management plans for major roads, and adding to the "Essen" list such projects as, by way of illustration:
a high-capacity railway route through the Pyrenees for freight;
East European high-speed train/combined transport Paris-Stuttgart-Vienna;
the Fehmarn bridge/tunnel between Germany and Denmark;
the Galileo satellite navigation project;
improvement of the navigability of the Danube between Straubing and Vilshofen;
the Verona-Naples rail link, including the Bologna-Milan branch;
the interoperability of the Iberian high-speed rail network.
In 2001 increase to 20% the maximum funding under the trans-European network budget for the main bottlenecks, including those still remaining on the Union's frontiers with the accession candidate countries, and then introduce conditionality rules.
In 2004 present a more extensive revision of the trans-European network aimed in particular at integrating the networks of the accession candidate countries, introducing the concept of "motorways of the seas", developing airport capacities and improving territorial cohesion on the continental scale.
Establish a Community framework for allocating revenue from charges on competing routes to the construction of new infrastructure, especially rail infrastructure.
Harmonise minimum safety standards for road and rail tunnels belonging to the trans-European transport network.
3. PLACING USERS AT THE HEART OF TRANSPORT POLICY
3.1. Unsafe roads
Set a target for the EU of reducing by half the number of people killed on European roads by 2010.
By 2005 harmonise the rules governing checks and penalties in international commercial transport on the trans-European road network, particularly with regard to speeding and drink-driving.
Draw up a list of "black spots" on trans-European routes where there are particularly significant hazards and harmonise their sign-posting.
Require coach manufacturers to fit seat belts on all seats of the vehicles they produce. A directive to this end will be proposed in 2003.
Tackle dangerous driving and exchange good practices with a view to encouraging responsible driving through training and education schemes aimed in particular at young drivers.
Continue efforts to combat the scourge of drink-driving and find solutions to the issue of the use of drugs and medicines.
Develop a methodology at European level to encourage independent technical investigations, e.g. by setting up a committee of independent experts within the Commission.
3.2. The facts behind the costs to the user
In 2002 propose a framework directive setting out the principles and structure of an infrastructure-charging system and a common methodology for setting charging levels, offset by for the removal of existing taxes, and allowing cross-financing.
Make the tax system more consistent by proposing uniform taxation for commercial road transport fuel by 2003 to round off the internal market.
In 2002 propose a directive guaranteeing the interoperability of means of payment on the trans-European road network.
3.3. Rights and obligations of users
In 2001 increase air passengers' existing rights through new proposals concerning in particular denied boarding due to overbooking, delays and flight cancellations.
In 2001 put forward a regulation concerning requirements relating to air transport contracts.
By 2004, and as far as possible, extend the Community measures protecting passengers' rights to include other modes of transport, and in particular the railways, maritime transport and, as far as possible, urban transport services. This concerns in particular service quality and the development of quality indicators, contract conditions, transparency of information to passengers and extrajudicial dispute settlement mechanisms.
Propose an adjustment of procedures for notifying State aid, particularly in cases relating to compensation for public service obligations on links to the Community's outlying regions and small islands.
Clarify the general principles which should govern services of general economic interest in the field of transport in order to provide users with a service of quality, in keeping with the Commission communication on services of general interest in Europe.
4. MANAGING THE EFFECTS OF TRANSPORT GLOBALISATION
Link the future Member States to the EU's trans-European network by means of infrastructure of quality with a view to maintaining the modal share of rail transport at 35% in the candidate countries in 2010 by mobilising private-sector finance.
Make provision in the Community's future financial perspective for adequate public funding of infrastructure in the new member countries.
Develop the administrative capacities of the candidate countries, notably by training inspectors and administrative staff responsible for enforcing transport legislation.
Full membership for the European Community in the main international organisations, in particular the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the International Maritime Organisation, the Rhine Navigation Commission, the Danube Commission and Eurocontrol.
By 2008 develop for the EU a satellite navigation system with global cover, over which it will have control and which will meet its accuracy, reliability and security requirements (Galileo).