Brussels, 10/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - Clear delimitation of the fields of EU responsibility, a global European integrated mobility approach, and the setting in place of an urban mobility platform: such are the recommendations of the European Parliament adopted on Wednesday 9 July after analysis of the Green Paper on urban mobility (see EUROPE 9509).
With the adoption by 558 votes to 100 and 33 abstentions of the own-initiative report by Reinhold Rack (EPP-ED) on a “new culture of urban mobility”, the Parliament affirms the need to respect the principle of subsidiarity, but considers that firmer measures, mainly at Community level, should be taken to make urban transport greener, more fluid and more innovative. It above all stresses that an “integrated global approach” should be developed with regard to urban mobility, which would serve as a common framework for European, national, regional and local players.
Instead of imposing standardised solutions, this approach should “give a clear stimulus to cities and urban areas to establish integrated and comprehensive Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), with an emphasis on long-term city planning and spatial planning”. The Commission is invited to examine how to link SUMPs to EU co-financing of transport projects in cities of more than 100,000 inhabitants and to EU legislation, decisions and targets concerning the reduction of accidents, CO2 emissions, local gas emissions and noise.
The Parliament calls for the adoption of rules and/or guidance for standardisation and harmonisation of: - design and functioning of green zones and road pricing; - technical and organisational requirements for the interoperability of the various modes of passenger and freight transport; - mobility of people with disabilities, the elderly, people with young children, etc.; - improvement of road safety; - and the accessibility and interoperability of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). The EP also wants to create a European platform for urban mobility that would gather the data, best practice and information on urban mobility. Gilles Savary (PES, France) restated the request to create a Community programme, URBAN-T, specifically dedicated to the development of sustainable transport. It awaits adoption of an action plan on sustainable mobility announced by the Commission for the end of the year. (A.By./transl.jl)