Brussels, 17/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - Antonio Tajani has taken the commitment to continue with the transport policy outlined by his predecessors, Loyola de Palacio and Jacques Barrot, based on four areas of work (mobility, protection, innovation and international relations). During a three-hour hearing before the European Parliament, on Monday 16 June, the commissioner designate for transport (succeeding Franco Frattini after his departure in May this year) also assured MEPs of his impartiality, especially on the Alitalia dossier. He stated his determination to complete certain strategic initiatives by the end of his tenure, such as the third maritime package and the establishment of the Single Sky programme, in order to ensure “effective and quality transport at affordable prices based on infrastructure that make up the backbone of Europe”. Mr Tajani also took a step in the Parliament's direction, promising, during this year, to amend legislation restricting the transport of liquids on board aircraft.
By way of introduction, this former MEP and a member of the close circle around Silvio Berlusconi, welcomed the growing role of the European Parliament, where he spent 14 years, immediately going on to stress his independence. “The fact that an MEP becomes commissioner is purely confirmation of the increasingly important role played by the EP”, he said. Speaking in French, he went on to say: “I shall act independently of any national, local, political or economic influence”. Evoking the results of the Irish referendum, Mr Tajani said the EU needed “rapid responses” and called for ratification of the Lisbon Treaty to be continued.
Mobility: Without amending the timetable established by his predecessor, Mr Tajani announced the publication of the “European Single Sky” package of 25 June and the forthcoming setting up of the action plan on airport capacities. He also confirmed the importance of accelerated implementation of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) and measures for stepping up the pace of financing for the 30 priority projects. Five days after the inquiry opened on the air company Alitalia (EUROPE 9680), Mr Tajani gave his assurance that, during his term of office, he would ensure “uniform application and rigorous control of application of laws on transport-related state aid”. “The Commission is the guardian of the treaties” and “must intervene each time it feels the rules are not being upheld”, he said in response to a question put by Georg Jarzembowski (EPP-ED, Germany). “There must not be a difference between Alitalia and Olympic Airlines or any other airline”, he stressed. Answering a question put to him by Erik Meijer (GUE, NL), Mr Tajani reaffirmed that there would be no conflict of interest over the Alitalia dossier because of the fact that he is of Italian nationality. “I am not a shareholder of Alitalia. I do not believe it is necessary to entrust the Alitalia dossier to another commissioner”, he said, pointing out that the European Commission had recently opened “an investigation to see whether, in fact, as the European Commission suspects, it is really a question of state aid”. Stating the need to speed up the setting in place of TEN-T, he went on to say: “I would have the same attitude towards my own country as I would have towards others”, that is, “pestering the member states to invest more”. On the subject of State aid with regard to ports, Mr Tajani nonetheless remained cautious. “Ninety percent of goods arriving in Europe go through the ports”, he pointed out, acknowledging that “before making the slightest proposal, I shall wait to see what the DG is doing and I shall hear what the Parliament has to say”.
Protection of citizens and the environment. During his speech, Mr Tajani took a step towards the European Parliament, pledging to “take all the necessary measures” to adopt “all” the proposals on the maritime package, and to review the legislation on air security. Mr Tajani announced a “hearing in Parliament so that experts from member states can share their opinions” and spoke of his intention to make public the “majority of safety rules”. “This summer”, the commissioner designate above all foresees the adoption of a new version of Regulation 622/2003, which establishes common air security norms, as well as a roadmap for “replacing the liquids regulation by an alternative method for detecting dangerous liquids” (possibly by using advanced technology). “Security measures should be proportional to the risk and understood by the passengers”, he said, nonetheless reserving the right not to divulge information “that would directly threaten security”. On the subject of road safety, he will pursue the timetable developed by Commissioner Barrot, in the aim of reducing the number of fatal road accidents by half by 2010. Setting out the details of this objective, Mr Tajani promised to act on both the legislative and communication levels, in an effort to: - facilitate application of crossborder penalties for road offences; - present in 2009 the updated legislation on chronometric tachographs; - strengthen the security of road infrastructure management; - and work on the fourth action plan on road safety to cover the period 2011-2020. Neither is there any change when it comes to the Eurovignette. Mr Tajani has announced for 8 July the publication of a “package of measures to make transport more sustainable”.
He said that the package would offer “a strategy and a way to internalise external costs that would work for all forms of transport”. When questioned by MEPs, Mr Tajani confirmed that the proposal on the Eurovignette directive would contain a non-binding system for internalising external transport costs for heavy goods vehicles. “It's not about penalising road transport,” he said, but about “facilitating it”.
Innovation. Mr Tajani said that “all my energy” would be devoted to the deployment of Galileo. The development of SESAR (the technical chapter of the Single Sky), the ERTMS project (rail traffic management system) and the development of intelligent road transport would be his priorities.
International relations. At the top of his agenda will be the Western Balkans (with the swift conclusion of a treaty setting up a transport community with the Western Balkans) and civil aviation. “Negotiations with third countries on mutual recognition of security measures for duty-free sales” were continuing, Mr Tajani said. He announced that agreements would shortly be concluded with Croatia, the United States and Canada. He also hoped that there would be a compromise on flying over Siberia, but remained cautious when asked by MEPs about the discriminatory rail tariffs applied by Russia to Lithuanian trains. “It is very difficult to intervene on the tariffs of a non-European country,” he acknowledged, adding that “we will not hesitate to intervene,” when the time comes. Parliament will reveal its position on the appointment of Mr Tajani on Wednesday 18 June. (A.By./transl.jl/rt)