NoC49/52 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.2.92
Opinionon'TowardsaEuropeannetworkoftransportsystems'(ReportbytheGroup
Transport2000Plus)
(92/C49/14)
On22January1991theCommissiondecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,on
'TowardsaEuropeannetworkoftransportsystems'(ReportbytheGroupTransport2000
Plus).
TheSectionforTransportandCommunications ,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingthe
Committee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon11December1991.TheRapporteur
wasMrGhigonis,withMrBleseractingasCo-Rapporteur .
Atits292ndplenarysession(meetingof19December1991)theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
areferenceworkforassessingthestateofEurope's
transportsystems—astatewhichgivesmuchcause
forconcern.Thereport,whichisnotbindingonthe
Commission ,adoptsaserioustone.Themainmessage
isthatdecisiveactionwillhavetobetakenimmediately
ifatransportcrisisistobeavoidedinEurope.ThereportoftheGroupTransport2000Plus,chaired
jointlybyMrsNeelieSmit-KroesandMrEdgardPisani,
isintwoparts.PartIIcontainsalengthysummaryof
thenumerousinterviewsandconsultationsheldbythe
Group.
PartIformsthereportproperandisdividedintofour
chapters.Thefirstthreeareanalytical,andasummary
ofthepolicyguidelinesproposedtotheCommunity
authoritiesformstheessenceofchapterfour.
ThisOpinionconsistsof:
I.AsummaryoftheGroupTransport2000Plus's
report.
II.Ananalysisofthecurrentcrisis.
III.AsummaryoftheCommittee'swork.
IV.Themainthrustoftransportpolicy.2.TheEEC'sfailings
2.1.TheGroup'smembersagreedlargelywiththe
criticismoftheEEC'slackofresolve,understanding
andactioninafieldwhichisuniversallyconsideredto
bedecisivefortheachievementoftheCommunity's
objectives.Itisrecognizedthattransportisavital
aspectofcontemporary societyinEurope.Statistics
showthatthetransportsectoraccountsfor7%of
GrossNationalProduct(GNP),7%ofjobs,40%of
publicinvestmentandnearly30%ofenergyconsump­
tionintheEEC.Quiteapartfromthis,transportalso
reflectsawayoflife:itgivesastructuretospaceand
determinesthefunctioningofsociety.Aboveall,it
contributestoeconomicgrowth,andtheeconomyitself
dependsongoodtransportation .Atatimewhencom­
municationissoimportant,itisinterestingtonotea
reportofthiskindstatingthesetruths.Theyhighlight
thepastfailingsoftheEEC,andforthistheEECis
criticizedalongwiththeMemberStates.I.SUMMARY OFTHEGROUP
TRANSPORT 2000PLUS'SREPORT
InDecember1989,theEuropeanCommission'sTrans­
portCommissioner ,KarelVanMiert,setupagroup
ofsevenprominentfigurestodefinetheEuropeanCom­
munity'sinternalandexternaltransportproblemsin
themediumandlongterm.Thestudywastocover
thefutureSingleMarket,environmental protection,
technologicalprogressandtheextensionofexisting
networkstoCentralandEasternEurope.
1.Causeforconcern
1.1.ThegroupdecidedtocallitselftheGroup
Transport2000Plusandpresenteditsreportlast
Januaryafterhavingheldinterviewsandconsulted
morethan200experts.Thisreportwillnowserveas2.2.Theconsequencesoftransport'sdevelopment
havenotbeenforestalled .Theestablishment ofacoher­
ent,integratedtransportpolicyhasbeendeferredfor
toolong.Thedevelopmentofroadusagehasnotbeen
inlinewithchanginglifestylesintheMemberStates.
TheEEChasnotactedintimetohaltthedeclinein

24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC49/53
infrastructure investment .Ithasnotrealizedthatthe
relativepoorqualityofrailandinlandwaterwaytrans­
porthasautomatically givenroadtransportaboost.It
hasalsofailedtoapplytherulesofhealthycompetition
inthissector,andhasprovedtobeincapableofpro­
gressingresolutelytowardsharmonization andlib­
eralization .3.4.Theseviewsarenotalwaysfreeofcontroversy .
Take,forexample,theEcoBonussystem(*),which
consistsofestablishingaredistributionfundfinanced
byalevyequaltothesellingpriceofalloil-basedfuels,
i.e.doublingfuelprices.Alsotobefoundaretheusual
thoughtsonenergyconsumptionandtheviewthatroad
freightchargesaretoolowandthefinaluserdoesnot
paytherealcostsgenerated,therebyraisingthequestion
oftheexternalization ofcosts.Thereisunanimityon
theprincipleoftheuserpayingfortheuseofroad
infrastructure . 2.3.Asaresultofthispoliticalshortsightedness the
commontransportpolicy'sfailureisapossibility.The
delaysandfinanciallossesinthesectorareunaccept­
able;therehasbeennoadequateresponsetotheexplos­
ivegrowthinvehiclenumberandthecallforthe
extensionofinfrastructure (whichsadlylacksacoher­
entEuropeannetwork);andexternalcostsaredisre­
gardedwhentherealcostoftransportiscalculated.
Otherconsequencesincludehindrancesstemmingfrom
differencesontheground(e.g.signpostingdifferences)
andthelackofimprovement inthequalityofrail
freightservicesandinairtrafficcongestion.However,
theworstrepercussions ,accordingtothereport,are
firstlythefailureofthegeneralpublicandmostgovern­
mentstorecognizetheprioritywhichshouldbegiven
totransportandsecondlythecontinuinglowpro­
portionofGNPdevotedtotransportinfrastructure
investment .4.Growthimpliesmobility
4.1.Whatdoesemergefromthissortofopinion
poll—which,asthereportmakesclear,isnotatall
scientific—isthateconomicgrowthwillgohandin
handwithincreasedmobilitybuttheEECisnotfully
preparedtotaketherequisitedecisions.Inotherwords,
thereareurgentproblemstobesolved,thefirstone
beingtheproblemofcongestion,whichultimatelyjeop­
ardizestheCommunity'sobjectives.TheGroupfaith­
fullyreportstheremarkmadebymorethanoneperson
thattheSingleActwillprovideonlyapartialsolution
tothetransportproblem,foralthoughitactsasa
stimulusontheroadtowardsthecommonmarket
(includingthecommontransportmarket),itoffersno
answertothethreatofcrisis.
3.Threeareasmostunderthreat
3.1.TheGroupsinglesoutfromtheverystartthree
areaswhichitconsiderstobeparticularlyunderthreat
—urbantransport,majorroadsandmotorwaysandair
transport(especiallyairportaccessroutes).5.Europehaspassedthepointofnoreturn
5.1.ThereportproposessolutionsforaEuropean
transportstrategyand,morespecifically,makesrec­
ommendations .Iftherecommendations arerejected—
accordingtotheteamofwisemenbroughttogetherby
Commissioner VanMiert—alternativesolutionsought
tobepresented.
5.2.Afterstatingthattransporthasbecometoo
cheap(2),theGroupaffirmsthatthedaysaregone
whenexistingnetworkswerecapableofabsorbingthe
boomin(airandroad)trafficdespiteasharpfallin
governmentspendingonnewinfrastructure .Today,
Europehasgonebeyondthepointofnoreturn:
increasesintraffichavenowbecomecounterpro­
ductive.Thereportstatesinratherdramaticterms3.2.TheGroup'slistofnuisancefactors(lackof
safety,noise,trafficdensity,discrimination ofthe
underprivileged ,deteriorationofbeautyspots,pol­
lution,socialconsequences )reflectstheopinions,facts
andfigurespublishedinPartIIofthereport.
3.3.PartIIdoesnottelltransportprofessionalsany­
thingnew.Itlistsfamiliarproblems :missinglinksin
Europe'sinfrastructure ;pooruseofexistinginfrastruc­
tureincludingmotorways (duetoalackoftraffic
management);congestionintherectangleformedby
theBenelux,Germany,NorthernFranceandthe
SouthernUK;limitsonfinancingcapacity;failingsin
theareaofplanning;damagecausedbycarusage;poor
modalsplit,etc.Strongfeelingsarevoiced,viz.thatthe
remedyismoreaquestionoforganizationthanof
technology,that'withoutroadtransportwecan'tcope',
thattherailwaysdonotoperateonfreemarketprin­
ciplesandthatmaritimetransportshouldberevived.(')DevelopedinSwitzerland :itappliesstrictlythe'userpays'
principle,theuserbeingthecardriver,thepublictransport
passengerortheconsumeroffreight.
(2)Awarenessoftheirrealcostisblunted,itisstated,because
transportcostsarenotincludedinbills.

NoC49/54 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.2.92
thatthenegativefactorsduetosuchincreasesare
threateningtheSingleMarketandindeedthevery
essenceoftheCommunity .Itaddsstraightawaythat
theproblemsrelatingtoinfrastructureanditscostsare
themostnoticeable .ecological).Thethirdoption—theonefavouredbythe
wisemen—involvesawholesetofnewshort-,medium­
andlong-termguidelinesandpresupposesgreatercoop­
erationandintegration.Thegrowthinroadusage
wouldgivewaytopublicmulti-modaltransport.
6.4.Oneofthemainprinciplesadvocatedisthat
externalandinternaltransportcostsshouldbepaid,
whileanotherstipulatesthatthecommontransport
policy'sdevelopmentmustgointandemwiththedevel­
opmentofinfrastructure policy.Itisalsostatedthat
subsidieswhichartificiallyreducetransportcostsin
Europeareascourgebutthattheremaybeexceptions
forcertainformsofpublictransportandforcombined
transport.Thelattercaseissoimportantthatunlimited
fundsshouldbesecuredforinfrastructure andter­
minals.5.3.Theauthorsofthereportthinkinthisconnec­
tionthattheoperatingofinfrastructure shouldbe
examined.Thisexamination shouldincludemal­
functions,driver/userinformation ,signposting,priority
andsingle-purpose routes,trafficcontrolsystems,time­
tablereorganization andtrafficrestrictionsbasedon
timeofday,area,vehicletype,etc.Aboveallthereport
recommendsapoliticalapproachandonlyafterwards
shouldthetechnicaldetailsbeconsidered .Inparticular,
a'systematic'approachisneeded.Transportisnotan
isolatedproblemandcannotbeconfinedwithinthe
limitsofitsownpurposesandaims.
6.Balancebetweenfreedomandnuisances7.Thepricetobepaid
7.1.TheGroupTransport2000Plus'smainrec­
ommendations arepromptedbytheideathatthecon­
sumermustbemadeawarethatmobilityiscostlyand
freighttransportistoocheap.Theconsumermust
pay,butthemoneymustcoverexpenditurerelatedto
transport .
7.2.InpracticetheGrouprecommendsanincrease
inthevariablecostsoftransport(levyonexciseduties)
withaparallelcutinfixedcosts(motorvehicletax)so
thatthereisnochangeintheoveralltaxburden.6.1.Theenvironmentoccupiesaspecialplace.The
reportnotesthatalltransportdecisionsaffectthe
environment .Iturgesthattheseeffectsbespeltout
andthatenvironmental prioritiesbeidentified,warning
againstthosewhobydefendingtheenvironmentfrom
apurelypersonalandindividualpointofviewoppose
environmentally-friendly meansoftransport.Thecon­
clusiondrawnbytheGroupisthatthetrendwillbein
twodirections,firstlytowardscollectivetransportand
secondlytowardstransportbyrail(]).
6.2.Thereportconfirmsthatfreedomisnotwithout
itslimitsinthesensethatabalancemustbestruck
between(a)thequestforfreedomofchoice,growth
andtheliberalizationofmovementofgoods,persons
andservicesand(b)theneedforsafeguardstocurbthe
perverseeffectsofexcessivefreedom.Thefreetransport
marketmechanismisnotbeingcalledintoquestion,
however,andwithregardtopollutionitisclearlystated
thatratherthanbanningoflimitingcarorlorryuseit
isthedamagecausedthatshouldbelimitedbythe
statutebook.7.3.Withregardtoroadpricing,theGroupcallson
MemberStatestointroduceasetofinstrumentswhich
chargeusersinrelationtotheplaceand/ortimeof
travelling.Thisrevenueshouldnotgotothetreasury
butshouldbespentonimprovingtransport.
8.Europeanfundsuggested
6.3.Finally,theGroupseesthreeoptions.Thefirst
oneconsistsofcontinuingwithpresentpoliciesbecause
ofthelackofmeansforapplyingothers.Theincreased
saturationresultingfromthiswouldhave'worrying'
consequences .Thesecondwouldmeanalargeincrease
ininfrastructure investmentandwouldsoonrunup
againstbarriersofallkinds(financial,land-related ,8.1.Finally,theGroup,awarethattaxreformwill
notprovideMemberStateswithmoremoney,advo­
catestheestablishmentofaEuropeanfund(2)tofinance
theconstructionandupkeep(bytheMemberStates)of
ECinfrastructure .Thefundshouldtotalseveralbillion
(!)However,thereportnotestheincreaseincarusageforecast
overthenextdecade:70%inNorthernEurope,300-500%
inSouthernEuropeandcloseon1000%inEasternEurope.(2)FinancedbyatleastECU1centperunitofenergyconsump­
tionforeachmodeoftransportandindexedtotheannual
increaseinvariablecosts.

24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC49/55
ECUs(includingonebillionfromprivatecardrivers),
andnon-ECcountries—startingwiththeCommunity's
immediateneighbours—shouldbeabletoparticipate
inthefundonthesameterms.1.2.4.Thissituationistoblameforthecongestion
alreadytobefoundoncertaintransportnetworks,and
theforecastincreaseingoodsandpassengertransport
betweennowandtheendofthecenturyisboundto
makemattersworse.
8.2.TheGroupisthusrecommending anewpan­
Europeantransportpolicy.Itsclosingthoughtisthat
theimplementation ofagoodEuropeantransportsys­
temdoesnotonlyconcernlocal,regional,nationaland
ECauthoritiesandtransportersofallkinds.Italso
demandsthesupportofpublicopinionwhichmustbe
informedifwearetofindawayoutoftheimpasse
createdbycontradictorypositionsontheenvironment ,
regionalpolicy,thecostofinvestmentandpricing.
Transport'splaceinsocietywillthusberecognizedand
proclaimed .
II.ANALYSIS OFTHECURRENT CRISIS
1.Thefacts2.Failuretoact
ItwaswiththeaboveinmindthattheCommittee
addressedtheproblemraisedbytheGroupTransport
2000Plus'sexperts.
2.1.Itnotedthatthecommontransportpolicyitself
isseriouslyimbalanced,havingnooverallplanfor
satisfyingtransportneeds,fewmeansofanalysisand
evenfewerfunds.
2.1.1.Thepolicyhasprovedtobeineffectualas
regards:
—theinadequacyofinfrastructureandthedifficulty
ofallocatinginfrastructurecoststousers,
—theneedtostreamlinetheuseofinfrastructure by
improvingtrafficmanagement ,
—theneedtoimprovetransportequipmentsoasto
ensurethatthisequipmentishighlyproductiveand
makesagreatercontributiontowardstheenviron­
ment,safetyandenergyconservation .
2.1.2.Inaddition,theemergenceofsafety,environ­
mentandenergy-related factorshasgiventransporta
responsibility tobearwhichithasbeendifficultto
evaluate.
2.2.Inordertogetafullpictureofthesituationand
understandthetrends,theCommitteeagreesthatour
statisticalknowledgeoftransportproblemsmustbe
improvedandtheeffectsofeachmode'sstructuresmust
beanalyzed.However,itismainlythroughactionin
thepolicymaking fieldthattheCommunitymustbe
putinapositiontocontrolthephenomenainherentin
transport.1.1.ThetitleofChapterOne—'Europeantransport
injeopardy'—sumsupthebasisfortheGroupTrans­
port2000Plus'swork.Economicchangesinproduction
conditions,employment ,thelocationofindustryand
thehumanenvironment wereresponsibleforthe
growthinpassengerandgoodstransportbetween1970
and1990.AccordingtoECMTstatisticsoftheEuro­
peanConferenceofMinistersofTransport (ECTM),
thepassenger/kmindexforpassengertransportin1986
was170(1970:100)whileforfreighttransportthe
t/kmindexwas160.
1.2.Atableappendedtothisdocumentsummarizes
thedevelopmentoftransportandhowthisissplit
betweenthevariousmodes.
1.2.1.Statisticsconfirmthattherehasbeenaparticu­
larlylargeriseintrafficbetweenMemberStatesinall
modesandthatroadtransportiswayoutinfrontof
allotherland-basedmodes.Thisappliestothecarriage
ofbothgoodsandpassengersbyroad.
1.2.2.Onefactlesswellknownisthatseatransport
playsamajorroleintradewithintheCommunityand
betweentheCommunityandtherestoftheworld
(whereitleadsthefield).
1.2.3.However,infrastructure investmenthas
declinedbothinabsolutetermsandinrelationtoneeds,
especiallyintheroadandinlandwaterwaysectors.On
theotherhand,ithasmoreorlesskeptpacewiththe
riseintrafficintherailsector.Duringtheperiod
underconsideration ,theportsdidnotcomeunderthe
Community'sauthority.3.Thenecessaryresponse
TheGroupTransport2000Plus'sreportwarnsabout
theshortcomingsoftheCommunity'sandMember
States'transportpolicies.
3.1.Bycriticizingpollution,energywasteandcon­
gestion,itechoestheviewsmostwidelyheldbypublic
opinion.
3.2.Therearealargenumberofpossibleremedies,
butdiscussionsonthenewtransportpolicyaredomi­
natedbytwoideas:globalityandintermodality .

NoC49/56 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.2.92
3.2.1.Theaimunderlyingtheseideasistoallocate
therevenueleviedfromtransporttotransportinfra­
structure .4.2.Communitytransportpolicymustbemore
ambitiousthanithas.beenoverthepastthirtyyears
(whereitsaimhasbeentostrikeabalancebetween
harmonization andliberalization ).Thisisbecausethe
movestowardsliberalization willhavebeenterminated
withthecompletionoftheSingleMarket,eventhough
thelatterdemandstheextensionofharmonization to
alltermsofcompetition .3.2.2.Bydoingthis,certainmodes,suchaswaterway
transport,seatransportortherailways,couldbe
restoredtoapositionofimportanceintheCommunity .
III.SUMMARY OFTHECOMMITTEE 'SWORK
ThemainideasputforwardbytheGroupTransport
2000PluselicitthefollowingcommentsfromtheCom­
mittee.3.3.Publicconcernmustbetakenintoconsideration
butmostnotleadtounduepessimismandopposition
toanyexpansion.Everyinstanceofcongestionmustbe
examinedperseanddealtwithpositivelyasfaras
possible.Bottlenecksmustbeavertedbyadaptinginfra­
structuretotrafficforecasts.Theexpansionofcapacity
shouldnotbeprohibitedorrefusedfinance.Atthe
sametime,theproductivityoftransportshouldbe
improvedbystreamliningtrafficmanagementandlay­
ingdowntechnicalvehicleregulationswhichensure
efficiencywhiletakingaccountofenvironmental con­
straints.
3.4.TheCommunitymustthereforehavecom­
petenceforallmodesoftransportandensurethat
terminalsandcombinedtransporttechnologyprovide
therequisitelinks.1.Globalapproach
Transportpolicy,whichincludestheplanningoftrans­
portinfrastructure ,shouldbeaddressedglobally.
TheCommitteesupportsthereport'sthirdoption(see
paragraph1.6.3above),whichcallsforthedesignand
implementation ofaclearsetofnewpolicyguidelines
fortheshort,mediumandlongterm.
1.1.AllinalltheGroupTransport2000Plus'sreport
makesaninterestingcontributioninthisrespect,giving
adetaileddescriptionofthevariousaspectsofthe
transportsector'slatentcrisis.Thereportquiterightly
highlightsthethreatoftotalcongestion('Verkehrsin­
farkt')anditsseriousenvironmental repercussions .
1.2.TheCommitteeregrets,however,thatthereport
doesnotadequatelyhighlight:
—thesocio-economic advantagesoftransport,
—theneedtosafeguardtransportusers'freedomof
choiceandthefreedomtonegotiatetransportser­
vices,withdueregardtotherulesgoverningcompe­
tition,3.5.Thiswillsecurethefutureofcombinedtrans­
port,whichconstitutes,alongwiththeTGV,oneof
theassetsofrailtransportdespitetheconstraints
imposedbyfulltrainloadsoperatingonverybusylines
overdistancesoflessthan500km.Combinedtransport
shouldalsobranchoutintowaterwayandmaritime
transport.Atalleventsthereisnodenyingthatthe
transportoffreightandpassengersbyrail,seaorair
mustalmostinvariablyincludeaninitialorfinallegby
road.Combinedtransportwillthereforegenerateroad
trafficinonewayoranother,atleastindenselypopu­
latedandindustrialareas.
—theneedforanefficienttransportsystemandinfra­
structuretailoredtousers'requirements .
4.Theneedforatransportpolicy 1.3.TheCommitteealsoregretsthateveninits
descriptivesectionthereportalmosttotallyneglectsthe
socialaspectsoftransport.
1.4.TheCommitteesubscribestothepointthata
politicalapproachisrequiredinthefirstplaceinorder
toestablishaframeworkforthespecifictechnicalsol­
utions.
1.5.Apartfrommeasuresforoptimizingthevarious
transportmodesandtheirinfrastructure (andespecially4.1.Transportpolicyhasbeenputontrialbecause
ofthefailingsinthefieldofinvestmentandMember
States'indifferences .Ifthereisacrisis,itisbecausethe
infrastructure ,whichwasinitiallytoobiginsomecases,
isnowfrequentlysaturated.Themoneycollectedfrom
usershasnotbeenreinvestedinimprovingnetworks.
Itisthereforemainlybecauseoftheneedtoremedy
thissituationthattheCommunitymustact.

24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC49/57
—taxharmonization whichtakestworequirements
intoconsideration :
•theregulationofcompetitionintheunified
market,
•thetransportmarket'sworldwidedimension(1).waysofimprovingtheutilizationofcapacity)and
measuresforstreamliningtrafficflowsatminimum
cost,theglobalapproachmustobviouslytakeaccount
oftheneedtoavoidneedlessjourneys,regardlessof
whetherthisinvolvesthecarriageofpassengersorthe
carriageofgoods.
1.6.Thedevelopment ofanintegratedglobal
approachtotransportpolicymeansinparticular :
—supportingtheformationofintermodalchainsby
integratingindividualmodes,
—addressinggoodsandpassengertransport,short
andlong-distancetrafficandtheproblemspeculiar
tolargeconurbations asanoverallpackage,
—correlating (a)energyandenvironmentpolicyobjec­
tivesand(b)transportpolicydecisions.3.Transportandtheeconomy
Transportmustbeconsideredinrelationtoothersec­
torsoftheeconomy(industry,commerce,agriculture).
3.1.Inparticular,growthintransportcannotbean
aiminitself.Itdoesnotleadautomaticallytogreater
prosperitythoughitisdirectlylinkedtoit.Effective
management ,evenwithlimitedresources,andenviron­
mentalandsocialcompatibilityarethereforetheprin­
ciplesonwhichtoact.
2.Strategy
Thestrategytobedefinedshouldbeforward-looking .
However,itwillalsobenecessarytodefinemeasures
whichhaveimmediatepriorityandmeasuresforthe
shortandmedium-term .4.Intermodaltransport
Theemphasismustbeplacedonintermodaltransport,
i.e.makingthedifferentmodescomplementary .
4.1.Thereareanumberofcombinedtransportvari­
ationsbasedonthefollowingpermutations :
—roadwithrail,
—maritimetransport/coastalshippingwithrailand/
orwaterwaytransportand/orroad,
—waterwaytransportwithrailand/orroad.
4.2.Itwillbenecessaryforthispurposetoadapt
railandwaterwaytransportinfrastructure .
4.3.Prioritymustalsobegiventothedevelopment
andadaptationofinterfaces.Thisappliestoseaports
andland-basedterminalsusedforthevariouscombined
transportvariationsandtotheinterfacesbetweenlong­
haultransportandlocaldistribution,especiallyin
urbanareas.
4.4.Inaddition,thedevelopmentanduniversal
introductionofstandardizedcontainersforpart-loads
couldgiveintermodaltransportaboostbysimplifying
transshipment routines.Europeanresearchanddevel­
opment(R&D)projectscouldhelphere.2.1.TheCommission isurgedtoseizethechanceto
reformulatetransportpolicyandtranslatethereport
intopracticalproposals,possiblyintheformofaWhite
Paper.
2.2.Thefollowingarethemainmeasureswhich
mustbeincludedinaglobalstrategy:
—theconstitutionofmacroeconomic decision-taking
parameters,tobeachievedbydevisinganobjective
methodforallocatinginternalandexternalcoststo
thevariousmodes,
—thedefinitionofuniformemissionstandardsfor
individualvehiclesandtransportingeneral,
—thepromotionofnewenvironmentally-compatible
carriers,
—themodernization andimprovementofinfrastruc­
ture(withthesupportofaEuropeaninfrastructure
fund),
—theimprovementofcooperationbetweentheCom­
munity'sinstitutions ;inparticular,horizontalcoop­
erationwithintheCommissionshouldbeimproved
sothatthelinksbetweentransport,theenviron­
ment,energyandphysicalplanning,etc.,canbe
evaluatedandaddressedglobally,(')Onthelatterpoint,theCommunity'sValueAddedTax
(VAT)regimemaydiscriminatewithrespecttoactivitiessuch
astouristtravelwhichextendbeyondtheCommunityand
wouldqualifyfortaxremissions .Inthisfield,asinallfields
wherethemarketisworldwide,thetaxsystemshouldbe
consistent .

NoC49/58 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.2.92
5.GlobaltransportpolicyforEurope
TransportpolicyshouldnotbeconfinedtotheCom­
munity;itshouldalsoembracetheEuropeanEconomic
Area(EEA)andthecountriesofCentralandEastern
Europe.beseenaboveallinthelightofthelargenumberof
dailyusers.
8.2.Theinclusioninanintegratedapproachofcon­
cretemeasuresforimprovingtransportworkers'living
andworkingconditionsisveryimportantforthese
workers.Suchmeasureswilloftenhelptoenhance
transportsafety,too.
8.2.1.Itwillalsobenecessarytoenvisagefromthe
outsettheadverseconsequenceswhichtransportpolicy
decisionsmayhaveonlivingandworkingconditions
andemployment .Theseconsequences willhavetobe
avoidedorcompensatedfor.
8.3.Properconsiderationforworkersinthetrans­
portsectorneedsalsobementionedunderthisheading
asafactorforsuccessinachievingtheaimsofan
integratedapproach.Thesuccessofintermodaloper­
ationsdependsonwellqualifiedmanagerialstaff,just
asproperlytrainedworkerswithpropersocialsecurity
coverareneededtohandledangerousgoodsproperly.
8.4.TheintroductionatEuropeanlevelofeffective
workerparticipationschemesmayalsobemadenecess­
arybythemergersandtakeoverstakingplaceonthe
Europeantransportmarket.6.Infrastructure
Theestablishmentofagoodinfrastructurenetworkis
avitalpartoftheEuropeanapproachtotransport.
Thisshouldalsobesupported,ifnecessary,byinvest­
mentfrompublicfunds.
6.1.Intherailsectortheestablishmentofahigh­
speedEuropeantrainnetworkisveryimportant;how­
ever,suchanetworkwillnotbeabletofulfilits
functionsproperlyunlessitinterfaceswiththeother
modes,thusprovidingadequateregionalfeederser­
vices.
6.2.Theneedtobuildandextendroadinfrastructure
mustbeassessedonacase-by-casebasis.Aboveall,the
shortcomings inperipheralregionsmustberemedied.
6.3.TheEuropeaninfrastructurefundmustbeable
toinfluenceinvestmentandenabletherevenuelevied
ontransporttosatisfyneedsinthebestpossibleway.
7.Safetyandprotectionoftheenvironment
7.1.Atalleventstransportpolicymustincludesafety
andenvironmental protectionconsiderations .
7.2.Theemissionlimitsapplicabletoindividual
vehicles,vehicletypesandtransportingeneralare
importantbenchmarksformanufacturers .
7.3.Safety,andparticularlyroadsafety,shouldbe
dealtwithinaEuropeanactionprogramme .Speed
limiterscould,forexample,beadvocatedinthispro­
gramme .9.Researchanddevelopment
Researchanddevelopment inthetransportsector
shouldreceivemoresupport.
9.1.Thedevelopmentofcombinedtransport
interfaces,transportsafetyandtheoptimumutilization
ofexistinginfrastructurecapacityareimportantR&D
topics.
9.2.Technologicaldevelopmentinthetransportsec­
tor,too,shouldalsoconsiderthelinksbetweenatech­
nologyanditsusersorotherparties.Atechnology
whichtakesaccountofthehumanfactorisgenerally
moreeffectiveineconomicterms,too.
9.3.Generallyspeaking,itisnecessarytocoordinate
andguideresearchactivitiesintheCommunity .8.Socialaspects
Socialaspectsformanessentialpartoftransportorgan­
ization.Aglobalapproachisrequiredhere,too.
8.1.Beforeconsideringhowtoreducetheuseofthe
privatecar,stepsshouldbetakentoensurethatday­
to-dayhumanmobilityrequirementsaresatisfiedby
adequatemeans,inparticularbyprovidingefficient
andattractively-priced publictransportserviceswith
thepossiblesupportofsubsidiesfrompublicfunds.
Thequalityofpublictransportservicerequiredmust10.Information
Thegeneralpublicshouldbekeptinformedabout
transportproblems.
10.1.Thereisagreatneedforinformationandcom­
municationbetweenthepolicymakersdeterminingthe

NoC49/59 24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
futurecourseoftransportpolicyandthoseaffectedby
theirpolicydecisions.
10.1.1.Apartfrombeingdirectedatexistinginsti­
tutionalconsultativebodies,acommunications strategy
shouldaimtoestablishadialogueandabalance
betweenthevariousinterestsandneedswhichafuture­
orientedEuropeantransportsystemcatersfor.—accessdifficultiesandtheadditionalcostsoftrans­
porttomarkets,
—inadequatecommunications facilitiesandlackof
technologicalcentreswhichreducetheattractive­
nessofsuchregionsformobileinvestment,
—inadequatehomedemandduetolowpopulation
density.
Transportandtransportinfrastructurehaveavitalrole
toplayinovercomingtheseobstaclestodevelopment
byfacilitatingaccesstomarketsandbyimprovingthe
climateforinvestmentintheregions.Thereisconsensus
intheliteratureonregionaldevelopmentthatinfra­
structureisanecessarybutnotsufficientconditionfor
developmenttotakeplace.Transportandtransport
infrastructurerequirementsmustbeconsideredinthe
formulationofdevelopmentpoliciesfortheperipheral
regions.10.2.Asuccessfulcommunications strategywillbe
basedinparticularontheupgradingoftheEuropean
ParliamentandtheESC.
11.Transparencyoftransportprices
11.1.Transportpricesmustreflectthecostsofthe
variousmodes.Whereversubsidiesaregrantedinthe
publicinterest,theymustbemadetransparent .
IV.THEMAINTHRUSTOFTRANSPORT POLICY11.2.Pricelevelsmustpermitsoundmanagement ,
withdueregardtotransportfirms'runningcostsand,
moreespecially,theirsocialcosts.
11.3.Itwillbepossibleinthiswaytosatisfythe
needsorusers,whosechoiceswillbeguidedbyobjec­
tivecriteriathatmakeeconomicsense.TheCommitteeapprovesthenewshortandmedium­
termpolicyguidelinestobefoundintheGroupTrans­
port2000Plus'spolicyoptions,viz.policycoherence
betweenMemberStates,bettercooperationoninfra­
structuremattersandgreaterintegrationofmodalpoli­
cies.
12.Physicalplanningandregionaldevelopment
12.1.Itmustbethetaskoftransportpolicy(includ­
inginfrastructure policy)toensurethatregionsand
peripheralMemberStatesarealsoproperlytreatedin
theSingleMarket.Thisappliesinparticulartoisland
regionsandMemberStates.Itnotesthatthedevelopmentoftransportwithinafree
marketframeworkisnotspecificallyprescribedbythe
EECTreaty.Thisrefersto'commonrules'forintra­
Communitytransportandto'conditions'underwhich
non-residentcarriersmaybeadmittedtonationaltrans­
portoperations .Butitwouldbedifficulttoargue
againstsuchafreemarketframework .Inthesector
theCommunity ,likemostoftheMemberStates,has
followedthenaturaltrendtowardsmorecompetition
whichisapparentinallmarkets.
Theresulthasbeenincreasedpressureonland-based
transportprices,whichhasactedagainstinternally
financedmodernization ofthesector.Peoplespeakof
'deficit'modesoftransportora'disaster'sector,which
iswhythepublicauthoritiesneedtoprovidelong­
termfinancialsupport,ifonlyforinfrastructure .Forif
transportistobecomefinanciallyself-sufficient ,ques­
tionswillhavetobeaskedabouttoomanyfactors
whichshapemodernsociety,suchasurbanconcen­
tration,industrialdecentralization andthemobilityof
peopleandgoods.
Reversingthisunder-funding oftransportcanonlybe
carriedoutgradually;otherwisetherewillbetoomuch
economicandsocialdisruption.Aboveall,suchastep12.2.AglobalapproachtoEuropeantransportmust
beabletodrawonalong-termapproachtophysical
planning,asformulatedandadoptedbytheCom­
munity(seeESCOpiniononEurope2000,doc.ESC
1127/91).
12.2.1.Inparticular,infrastructurepolicymusthelp
tocountertheconcentration onthebiggestconur­
bationsandpromotethecreationofdecentralizedstruc­
turesinadecentralizedEurope.Inthiscontext,ties
betweenperipheralregionstakeongreaterimportance
comparedwithalopsidedpolicyforlinkingtheperiph­
erytothecentre.
Obstaclestothedevelopmentoftheperipheraland
underdeveloped regionsinclude:

NoC49/60 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.2.92
theywillconsiderablyenhancethenetworks'overall
efficiency.cannotbeconceivedwithinaCommunityframework
unlessconsideration isgiventothetermsofcompetition
ontheworldmarket.OnecannotadoptanyCom­
munityguidelinesforthetransportsectorasawhole
withoutallowingfortheirimpactonthecompeti­
tivenessnotonlyoftransportbutofalleconomic
activityintheEEC.2.1.1.ItisvitalforthispurposetoassistCommunity­
levelR&Dactivitiesinvolvinginnovatoryindustries,
networkoperatorsandcarriers.
1.TheCommitteethereforeconfirmsthethrustof
thecommontransportpolicy,whichhasbeenmarked
since1985(DecisionoftheCourtofJustice)and1986
(SingleAct)byderegulation ,backedupbyquality
objectivesforpeopleandequipmentand,fromnowon,
byaresolutestrivingforsocial,fiscalandtechnical
harmonization .2.2.ProgrammessuchasDrive-2(experimental
phase1991-1994)mustbecomemorewidespread .The
Communitymustbearsomeofthecostoftheresearch
andpilotoperations.Inreturn,theworkshouldbe
publishedandnewmanagementtoolsshouldbemar­
ketedforthebenefitoftheCommunityatlargein
Europe.
1.1.Thisisbecausequalitytransportpresupposes
commoncriteriaforaccesstothemarketortothe
occupationoftransportoperator,commonstandards
fortransportequipmentandmachinery,harmonized
termsofemploymentandaunifiedsystemoftransport
andtaxationlaw.2.3.AspecialeffortmustbemadewithEDItesting
basedonEDIFACT .TheCommunitywouldbenefit
fromencouraginginterchangeagreementsbetween
firmsfromdifferentMemberStatesandbetweencar­
riersandtheirinstitutionalorcommercialpartners.
1.2.Inthetransportsector,theSingleMarketwill
entailmuchmorethan'generalizedcabotage',the
importanceofwhichwasparticularlystressedbythe
authorsoftheTransport2000Plusreport.Thesedid
notseemtobeawarethat'generalizedcabotage'means
theremustbeareallyunifiedmarket,i.e.asingle
Communityeconomic,social,legalandtechnical
framework .3.Thereshapingofpolicyinthesector,whichis
essential,cannotignorethefactthattransporthas
alwaysdevelopedinlinewithtechnicalprogress;from
thetimeofthesteamenginetothatofthesupersonic
aircraft,theregulatoryframeworkhashadtobe
adapted.
3.1.Thedefenceoftheenvironment ,orthe'quality
oflife',whichcoversquestionsofpollution,physical
planningandenergysaving,isoffundamentalimport­
ance.1.3.IngeneraltermstheCommunity'smissionis
stillinlinewiththeaimsoftheTreaty:tolaydowna
singlelegalframeworkfortheremovaloffrontiers,if
notby1993,thenatleastbeforetheyear2000.
1.4.Atthesametime,theCommunity'sotherpoli­
ciesmustbegearedmoretotransportrequirements .
Thiswillinevitablyresultinanadaptationofthetrans­
portfacilitiesusedbyeconomicactivitiesinorderto
reducetransportneedstoacertainextent.3.2.ThehigherpoliticalauthorityoftheCommunity
mustconsidermodernsocialconstraints when
operatingaharmoniousandimaginativesystemofpol­
iticalmanagement .Butthoseresponsiblefortransport
mustensurethatsocietyhasmeansoftransportwhich
areinkeepingwiththeeconomicandsocialneedsofthe
Community .ItisthiswhichmustbetheCommission's
unswervingpriority.
2.Oneofthefirstprioritiesoftransportpolicyis,
whileremainingwithinthepresentfreemarketframe­
work,topromotetheoptimizationofoperatingstruc­
turesinthesectorsconcerned .Infrastructurecongestion
ismadeworsebyabnormaloperatingconditions .4.Althoughthecommonpolicyisdevotedalmost
exclusivelytotheorganizationofthetransportmarket,
anditsmissionisstillfarfromcompleteinthisfield,
thechallengeofthefutureasitispresentedbythe
Transport2000Plusreportisinfrastructure .TheMem­
berStateshavebeenunabletocarryoutpropermanage­
mentanddevelopmentinthisarea.Theirpowershave
beenexercisedwithinanationalframeworkandthe
shortcomingsoftheoriginalEECTreatyhavepre­
ventedtheCommunityfromplayinganeffectiverole.2.1.Thegrowthincongestionisnotinitselfdisas­
trous.Oncetheadvancedtechnologiesavailablefor
datacollection (opticalandmagneticsystems),pro­
cessing(informatics )andtransmission [telematics,Elec­
tronicDataInterchange (EDI)]havebeenperfected,

24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC49/61
infrastructure schemeswhichhavetobecoordinated
atEuropeanlevelsurviveadilutionofpowers?This
questionisthereforetiedupwiththenewtaskswhich
itishopedwillbegiventotheCommunity .4.1.ThenewdraftTreatypreparedbythe
Intergovernmental Conferencecontainsaseparatetitle
givingtheCommunitynewpowersoverinfrastructure
networks.Thisinnovationisnotsufficientlyexplicit
andthenewinstitutionalresponsibilities fortransport
infrastructure willhavetobedefinedmoreclearly.
Also,thereistalkofaddinga'safety'headingtothe
aimsofthecommontransportpolicy;suchanaddition
isusefulbutmoredetailsshouldbeprovided. 4.6.Suchpowersmustextendbeyondthefrontiers
oftheEECtotheEuropeanEconomicAreaofthe
EuropeanFreeTradeAssociation (EFTA)andEastern
Europeancountries,andparticularlytotheAlpinetran­
sitcountries.Theimminentchoking-upoftheRhone
valleyaxis,whichisalreadysaturatedoncertainsec­
tions,ispartiallycausedbytheSwisspolicyof
restrictingEuropeanroadhauliersintransit,thereby
disruptingNorth-SouthroadtrafficintheCommunity .4.2.TheCommitteebelievesthattheCommission
shouldhenceforthhavethepowersandmeanstointer­
veneeffectivelywithregardtoinfrastructureofCom­
munityinterest.Thisshouldinvolveboththesetting­
upandfinancingofschemes.
4.7.Thusthe'Communityinterest'aspectwhich
infrastructurepolicyhastohavemustnotbesubject
tothresholdsofdistance,anditslimitswilldoubtless
bemoreofafinancialnature.4.2.1.Decidingwhetherexternalcostsaretobe
takenintoconsideration isadifficultproblem.Accord­
ingtomanyobserversanddecision-makers ,thesolution
tothisproblemwilldetermineinvestmentdecisions.
ThereforetheCommissionshouldprovidetheCom­
mitteewithalltheinformationavailableonthismatter
andexplainhowitislikelytodealwiththisinits
transportpolicy.
5.ThevitalquestionaboutaCommunitypolicyon
infrastructure ishowtopayforit.TheGroupTrans­
port2000Plus'sreportproposesataxonallusersof
ECU0,01perunitofenergyconsumed.ThisCom­
munitycontributionwouldbeindependentofthetax
harmonizationmeasureswhich,accordingtotheGroup
2000,shouldnotplaceanextraburdenontransport
costs.WhenoneknowswhattheCommission'splans
areforvehicleandfueltaxesandwhatESCOpinions
havesaidonthematter,onecanonlybescepticalabout
the'neutrality'ofsuchharmonization .4.3.EECresponsibilityforinfrastructure isessential
totheachievementoftheSingleMarket.Itwillbe
impossibletointerveneintherunningoftherailways,
inlandwaterways,portsand,aboveall,roadtransport
unlessthereissomemeansforactingoninfrastructure .
Whatisthepointofcapacitymanagementwhich
ignorestheproblemsofthesizeoflandtransportnet­
worksandairandseatransportinfrastructure .
4.4.TheCommunity'sinterestisnottiedexclusively
tolargeinfrastructure links.Urbancongestionaffects
allinfrastructure .ThustheFrenchmotorwayplan
includescertaineast-westandnorth-south routes
designedtoavoidtheParisconurbation ,andthecom­
pletionoftheseroutesisanationaland,logically,a
Communitypriority.TheCommunitymusttherefore
alsotakeactionontheseriousproblemofurbanconges­
tion.5.1.Itislogicalthatthefiscalchargesontransport
modesandfirmsshouldbeassignedtotheinfrastruc­
turewhichtheyuse.Seaandairtransport,however,
alreadypayfortheuseofinfrastructureviaportdues
andairporttaxesandbymakingdirectinvestments
(containerterminals,warehouses).Thedifficulties
raisedbyfixingthecriteriaapplicabletotheproposed
taxwarrantcloserexamination .
4.5.Onerunshereintoamajordifficultycaused
bydecentralization .ThoseMemberStateswhichby
traditionarethemostcentralizedaremovingrapidly
towardsregionalization ,whichinvolvesatranferof
political,regulatoryandfinancialpowers.5.2.Atallevents,onecouldenvisageasupplemen­
tarybutmarginalincomedestinedforaCommunity
fundwhosepurposewouldbenottofinanceinfrastruc­
turebuttoguaranteeloans.
4.5.1.Suchacomplexsituationwillobviouslyaffect
thenewrolethatonewishestoseetheCommunityplay.
Theregionalauthoritiesaffirmthattheyareentitledto
actwithinaCommunityframeworkbutcannational5.3.Therepaymentofthiscapitalwouldinitiallybe
basedonthesystemscurrentlyinforceintheMember
States,whicharefarfrombeingharmonized .Butlater

NoC49/62 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.2.92
itwouldbenecessarytoprovideformorehomogenous
andmoreefficientlevyschemesfornewinfrastructure .7.Railtransportcertainlyneedsmajorcapital
expenditureonitsnewservices,i.e.theTGVandcom­
binedtransport.Butitsfuturealsodependsonmanage­
mentbeingmodernized .
7.1.Althoughrailwaymanagementhasalreadybeen
mademoretransparentbythenormalization of
accountsandpublicserviceobligations,thefinancial
situationisstillnothealthy.TheCouncilDirectiveof
29July1991onthedevelopmentoftheCommunity's
railways,andespeciallyArticle5thereof,givesthe
railwayundertakingsinallcountriesoftheCommunity
thechancetoincreasetheirindependence inmanage­
mentmatters,thuspermittingthenormalization of
accountsandofferingtherailwaysabasisfortheir
financialrehabilitation .5.4.Whatevercollectionproceduresareused,the
setting-upofaEuropeaninvestmentfundposestwo
problems:
—thecreatingofanew'ownresource'throughtrans­
port,and
—theassignmentofthisresourcetoinfrastructure
spending.
5.4.1.Thereis,afterall,ariskofavarietyofpro­
posalsbeingtabledforleviesonenergyconsumption
bypollutingactivitiesotherthantransport,andthese
initiativesshouldthereforebecoordinated .
5.4.2.Communityleviesonpetrolanddieselcon­
sumptionoftransportmustbechannelledintotrans­
portinfrastructure .Thisisbothintheinterestsof
efficiencyandthebestwayfortheCommunityto
exerciseitspowerswithintheframeworkofanew
budgetaryapproach.Inaddition,thefirstarticleontheseparationofinfra­
structuremanagementandtransportoperations (Art.6)
obligesaccountstobetransparentandtobekeptsepar­
ate.Thisseparationisafirststeptowardssolvingthe
problemofdistortionsofcompetitioncausedbythe
factthatinfrastructure costsarenotbornetothesame
extentbythedifferentmodes.
6.Combinedoperationsareakeyaspectoffuture
transport.Theirdevelopmentwouldappeartobethe
mainideabehindthenewapproachtotransportpolicy.
Therepresentatives ofsocio-economic interestgroups
trustthattheCommunitywillprovidefinancialsupport
here,especiallyforinvestment .However,astheCommitteeunderlinedinitsOpinion
of4July1990'theseparationofinfrastructureman­
agementandoperationalactivitiesbetweendifferent
companiesorpublicbodieswillnotbepossibleonall
theCommunityrailnetworks.Ontherailways,more
thanwithanyothermodeoftransport,infrastructure
managementandoperationarecloselylinked.This
interlinkageisclearlydemonstrated bysucheveryday
activitiesasrunningrepairsandmaintenance ,snow
clearance,etc.;thesetasksarefurthercomplicatedby
thegrowingcongestionoflines,whichinturnraises
questionsofsafety'.6.1.Theeffectiveness ofcombinedtransport
dependsonaninfrastructure networkmadeupof
railwayswithgaugesadaptedtothedimensionsof
transportequipmentandplatformsinterfacingwith
othertransportmodes.Bothmustbethesubjectofa
masterplansothatthistechniquemaybeoptimizedin
theEEC.
8.ItisthegeneralviewthattheGroupTransport
2000Plus'sreportsaystoolittleaboutseaandinland
waterwaytransport,whichplayavitalroleinboth
intra-ECandextra-ECtraffic.Seatransportisthemain
carrieroftheCommunity'sexternaltradeimportsand
exports.In1989itcarried87,65%ofimportsintermsof
volumeand51,82%invalueterms.Thecorresponding
exportfigureswere68,97%and46,13%.Inlandwater­
waytransportcarriesabout40%ofthetonnagepassing
betweenMemberStatesandhasgreatpotential,
especiallyfortradewithCentralandEasternEuropean
countries .6.2.Fourtypesoffirmareinvolvedincombined
transportpolicy:therailways,whichareresponsiblefor
themaintenanceandmanagementoftheinfrastructure
whichtheymakeavailabletotheirpartners;thecom­
binedtransportfirms,whichorganizetherailjourneys,
mostoftenwiththeirequipment;thecarriers,whoare
theoperators;andtheusersoftransport,whomust
remainfreetochoosewhichevercarriertheywish.If
thenewtechniqueistobesuccessful,consultation
betweenthesepartnersandmutualtrustareessential.
Thecommontransportpolicymustenablesuchconsul­
tationtotakeplacewithintheframeworkoftherules
oncompetition .
6.3.Itisclearthatcombinedtransportdoesnothave
tobeonlybyrailandroad;itmustalsoinvolveinland
waterway,seaandairtransport. í1)OJNoC225,10.9.1990,point3.1.2.

24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC49/63
WithintheCommunityseatransportcarries28,12%
ofimports(involumeterms)and34,42%ofexports(1).
ThenewdemandfortransportbetweentheEECand
EasternEuropeisboundtoincreasetheneedforsea
andinlandwaterwaytransporttocontributetowards
thereductionoftrafficonland-basedinfrastructure .
8.1.TheCommitteewouldthereforeremindthe
Commissionthatthecommonpolicymustinclude
actiononportinfrastructure andhinterlandconnec­
tions.Theconceptof'aselectgroupofEuropeanmain
ports'shouldbedevelopedsothattheirrolecanbe
optimized(oncecabotagehasbeenliberalized).
8.2.Tomeetenvironmental requirements ,instal­
lationsfortakingoilresiduesandotherwastefrom
vesselsshouldbebuiltswiftlyinCommunityports.
9.AirtransportisbeingliberalizedatCommunity
level.TheCommissionshouldthereforebegiventhe
meanstointerveneintheareasofairportinfrastructure
andtheorganizationofairtrafficcontrol,whichneeds
tobeimproved.
—Forairportsthebasicproblemishowtosafeguard
theiractivityandensuretheyhavelandaccesslinks
inkeepingwiththeirdevelopment .Certainairports
mustinterfacewithothermodesoftransport.Large
airportsofcontinent-wide importancemustbeequippedwithamulti-modalorganizationinwhich
theCommunitymustbeinvolved.
—Theharmonization andrationalization ofairtraffic
controlmustbecomeapriorityforCommunity
action.
10.Finallythecommonpolicyshouldnowallowthe
Commissiontocontinuallymakeforecastsandassess­
mentsintheinterestsofEuropeantransportstrategy.
WiththisinminditissuggestedbyMrPisanithata
researchandforecastingnetworkbeorganized.The
GroupTransport2000Plusproposes,inthesamespirit,
centresofexcellencewhosebasictaskwouldbeto
study,analyze,conductresearchandalsoputforward
proposals(tendencyanddisruptionscenarios).
10.1.TheCommitteeapprovesthesesuggestionsbut
thinksthattheyshouldleadnottothecreationofa
higher-levelresearchcentrebuttoacoordinationofall
themeansofanalysisandforecastingnecessarytothe
controloftransport.Itwillbenecessarytodevelopthe
Community'sroleindefiningresearchobjectivesand
methodsviathecentresofexcellence.Clearly,thisnew
function—whichisofobviousstrategicimport­
ance—willhavetobeperformedopenlysothatallthose
concerned (especiallythoseresponsiblefortransport
modesandthetwosidesofindustry)knowwhatdevel­
opmentsareproposed,bybeinginvolvedinthiswork.
10.2.TheCommitteedeplorestheresearchlaginthe
transportsectorandrecommendsthatsomerapidwork
bedoneonthismatter.(')AccordingtoMemberStates'customsstatisticscontained
inthe1991AnnualReportoftheEuropeanCommitteeof
Shipowners'Associations (ECSA)andpublishedbytheCen­
tralCommitteeofFrenchShipowners (CCAF).
DoneatBrussels,19December1991.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
FrancoisSTAEDELIN