Brussels, 14/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - German Social Democrat Willy Piecyk (expert in transport issues and author of an EP report on the trans-European networks) has praised the European Commission's White Paper on transport policy, saying that it makes an unaccommodating analysis of the European transport situation and a whole string of good proposals for a new policy. The MEP recognised that in order to implement its proposals, the Commission would need plenty of allies, particularly in the European Parliament since the Council of Ministers and its national bureaucracies have not necessarily been the catalyst, so far, of a new transport policy. He said that it was clear that the current European transport policy had to be changed and start moving in the direction set out by the Commission since the system was close to the point of collapse.
More specifically, in a press release, Mr Piecyk mentioned the internationalisation of costs (where he argues that the Commission's insistence on "true costs" merits support); focussing EU aid on modes of transport that respect the environment; and the introduction of more competition for rail transport.