Brussels, 06/01/2006 (Agence Europe) - The road, rail, aviation, maritime and space sectors are all, without exception, transport areas that Austria plans to cover during its six-month Presidency.
Road safety will remain high on the political agenda of the Union in 2006. The European Commission is expected to present a series of measures on user behaviour, the safety of road infrastructures and technical fittings on vehicles, the Presidency's work programme states. Furthermore, the Council will continue negotiation on the proposal to establish a single model of driving licence throughout Community territory, after earlier discussions on the issue during the Transport Council of December 2005 (EUROPE 9082) were unsuccessful.
Vienna will also place emphasis on the EU's external relations in the field of air transport and, in this context, will pursue talks aimed at concluding an air agreement with the United States. It will support the Commission's negotiations with third countries on the basis of the horizontal mandate and any new request from the Commission for mandates to negotiate with third countries will be examined. Other issues in the air sector include the strengthening of passengers' rights and broadening of the European Air Safety Agency's mandate (on the basis of Commission proposals: EUROPE 9068).
The third maritime package, presented on 23 November by the Commission (EUROPE 9074), will appear on the Austrian Presidency's agenda, which will also have to come to grips with the tricky issue of liberalising port services, on which the European Parliament is to give its stance during the January plenary after the confusion that reigned on this issue during the debate in parliamentary committee (EUROPE 9075).
Inland navigation, the Third Railway Package, the Marco Polo II programme, the European system of radionavigatoin by satellite, Galileo, and mid-term review of the White Paper on European transport policy in the run up to 2010 will also be among the Austrian Presidency's priorities.