30.11.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC313/43
5.2.TheprospectofCommunityenlargementpre­
sentsmajorchallengestowould-bemembersandthe
presentCommunityalike:
—forcandidatecountries,theirmajorchallengeisthat
ofadaptingswiftlytotheconditionsofEuropean
UniononcetheMaastrichtTreatyisratified;
—forthecountriesofCentralandEasternEurope,
theirsistobeabletorespondtotheaspirationsof
theirpeoples,consolidatingdemocracyandinten­sifyingsocialandeconomicdevelopment ;
—fortheCommunity,itsInstitutionsanddecision­
makingproceduresmustbeadequateforthetask
ofcopingwithalargernumberofMemberStates.
5.3.TheCommitteebelievesthatachievingthese
objectivesentailsdeterminationandaconcomitantpol­
iticalwillbothonthepartofcurrentECMember
Statesandthecountriesaspiringtomembershipofthe
EuropeanUnion.
DoneatBrussels,23September1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH
OpinionontheGreenPaperontheImpactofTransportontheEnvironment :ACommunity
strategyfor'sustainablemobility'
(92/C313/17)
On31March1992theCommissionoftheEuropeanCommunitiesdecidedtoconsultthe
EconomicandSocialCommittee,underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
EconomicCommunity,ontheGreenPaperontheImpactofTransportontheEnvironment :
aCommunitystrategyfor'sustainablemobility'.
TheSectionforTransportandCommunications ,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingthe
Committee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon9September1992.TheRapporteur
wasMrBleser.
Atits299thPlenarySession(meetingof24September1992)theEconomicandsocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionby68votesto32,with18abstentions .
1.Introduction oftransportontheenvironment^).TheGreenPaper
assessestheoverallimpactoftransportontheenviron­
mentandproposesaglobalapproachdesignedtoachie­
ve'sustainablemobility'whichwillenabletransportto1.1.BriefsummaryoftheGreenPaper
OnaproposalfromMrKarelVANMIERT,theCom­
missionerresponsiblefortransportpolicy,theCom-
missionhasadoptedaGreenPaperontheimpact (l)COM(92)46final.

NoC313/44 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 30.11.92
1.3.TheGreenPaper:anoverallassessment continuetofulfilitseconomicandsocialrolewhilst
limitingtheharmfuleffectsontheenvironment .
Ithastoberecognized,however,thattheGreenPaper
doesnotrevealanynewaspectsofthesubjectunder
review.Thedocumentsetsoutalistoftheissuesrather
thanprovidingacarefullydevisedandconsistentbasis
onwhichtoformulateanECpolicyforachieving
sustainablemobilityoverthenexttenyears,soasto
reconcilethegrowingneedsofthetransportsectorwith
theincreasinglyurgentrequirementsofenvironmental
conservationintheCommunity .TheCommitteewelcomesthespecificpurposeofthe
GreenPaper,viz.toinitiateapublicdebateonthe
measurestobetakentoachievethegoalofsustainable
mobility.TheCommitteedoes,however,deplorethe
considerabledelayinadoptingthisoverallapproach.It
isalsohighlyregrettablethatthelargenumberofearlier
documentssubmittedbytheCommissioninthefield
oftransport—onwhichtheCommitteehasalready
issuedOpinions—havenotbeenmoreeffectively
incorporatedinthedocumentunderreview.(Forfur­
therdetails,seeChapterII—'Problemsandissues').
Despitethesecriticisms,theCommitteenotesthatthe
newdepartureintheGreenPaperisnotsomuch
itssubstancebutrathertheoverallCommunity-wide
approach.Thedesiretoachievethegoalofsustainable
mobilityhas,forthefirsttime,ledtoageneralappraisal
ofallthefieldsconcerned.Thisstepgivesgroundsfor
hopethatthefutureECtransportpolicywillfinally
acceptitsfullresponsibility—sadlyneglectedinthe
past—atanyrateinkeytransportsectors,inmany
casestheverysectorsinwhichtransportismost
environment-friendly .
2.Institutionalmatters
2.1.Thepublicdebate
Point129oftheGreenPaperliststhepartiestothe
publicdebatewhichtheCommissionwouldliketo
involveintheformulationofitsfuturestrategyfor
attainingthegoalof'sustainablemobility'.Thesepar­
tiescanbeclassifiedintwocategories :1.2.Invitationtocontributetothedebateontheissues
TheCommissionrecognizestheshortcomingsofthe
GreenPaperandthecomplexnatureoftheproblems
toberesolved.Itisseekingtolaunchadebate,onthe
basisoftheGreenPaper,involvingallthevarious
interestgroupsconcernedinordertolaythefoun­
dationsforacommonstrategy.Inproposinganumber
ofideasforconsideration thedocumentaimstoframe
anoverallapproachtakingaccount,of(a)damageto
theenvironment ,thesocio-economic requirementsof
transportandthewidevarietyofsolutionsofferedby
technologyandresearchand,(b)theresponsibilities to
beshoulderedatEC,national,regional,andlocallevel
andevenonthepartoftheindividualcitizens.The
thinkingandsolutionswhichemergefromthiswide­
rangingpublicdebatewillsubsequentlybeincorporated
inaCommissionWhitePaperonthefuturedevelop­
mentofthecommontransportpolicy.
Toreduceharmfuleffectsontheenvironment—whilst
notrestrictingfreedomofmovementandallowing
transporttocontinuetofulfilitseconomicandsocial
role—theCommission hasaskedtheCommitteeto
considermeasuresinthefollowingfields:
—theframingofstrictenvironmental standardswith
aviewtocurbingwater,airandsoilpollution;
—theoptimaldeploymentofexistingmeansoftrans­
portandmeasurestoboostthecompetitiveness of
environment-friendly modes;
—thedevelopmentofinfrastructures facilitatingforms
oftransportwhichofferanalternativetoroadtrans­
port;
—thepromotionofurbanandinter-urbancollective
transport;
—thesafetransportofdangerousgoods;
—economicandtaxincentivesandthemeasuresto
betakeninordertoensurefairapportionment of
externalcosts;
—theestablishment ofaconsistentandeffectivestruc­
tureforEuropeanresearchinthefieldofsustainable
mobility;
—adrivetoeducatetransport-users abouttheenviron­
mentalimpactoftheirchosenmodeoftransport.2.1.1.Partiesconsulted withintheEC
institutional framework
TheECmachineryforobtainingtheviewsofthe
CouncilofMinisters,theEuropeanParliamentandthe
EconomicandSocialCommittee,isnowwellestab­
lished.Theextensionoftheconsultationprocedureto
includeotherparties—anecessarystepfullysupported
bytheESC—may,however,comeupagainstproblems
whichwerenotforeseenundertheexistinginstitutional
framework .Allthenecessarystepsshouldbetakenin
ordertoensurethesuccessofthismovementtowards
greaterdemocracyintheformulationofafuturestrat­
egywhichwillbeofvitalimportancetosociety.
2.1.2:PartiesconsultedoutsidetheEC
institutional framework
TheCommissionliststhefollowingparties:thesocial
partners,internationalorganizationsandassociations ,

30.11.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC313/45
problemsatsource,itcannotbetheonlyoption.
Restrictingactiontothesubsidiarityprincipleisincon­
sistentwiththeEuropeanTreaties,theSingleActand
theTreatyonEuropeanUnion.Indeedinsomespheres
exclusiverelianceonitcouldseriouslyimpedetheestab­
lishmentofasinglemarketbasedontheabolitionof
competitiondistortionsandtechnicalbarriers.These
considerations areofvitalimportanceinthetransport
andenvironment sectors.thegeneralpublic,industry,transportusersandoper­
ators,environmental protectiongroupsandregional
andlocalauthorities.ItistheESC'sprofoundhopethat
theECwillbesuccessfulinestablishingtherequisite
machineryforinvolvingallthesepartiesingenuine
consultationsontheGreenPaper.Awide-rangingpub­
licdebateinvolvesmorethanmerelyconsultingthe
ESC,whichcannotberegardedinthiscontextasrep­
resentingallthepartieslistedabove.Forthisreason
theESCcallsupontheCommissionto(a)establishas
soonaspossibletheinstitutionalframeworkforsuch
consultation,(b)submitapreciseandexhaustivelistof
thepartiestobeconsulted,(c)determineareasonable
deadlinefortheseconsultationsand(d)makeprovision
forafinaldebatebetweenalltheparties.Inthecaseof
someoftheparties,e.g.incertaincountriestheusers
ofcollectivetransport,itwillbedifficulttofindrep­
resentativespokesmen,yetthisnewinstitutionalframe­
workmustbeestablishedifthegoalofestablishinga
wide-rangingpublicdebateistobeanythingmore
thanapioushopeoftheGreenPaper.Wide-ranging
consultationisboundtostrengthensupportforthe
finalstrategyamongalltheinterestgroupsconcerned,
particularlyconsumerprotectionbodies.2.3.1.Otherprinciplestounderpinsus­
tainablemobility
TheTreatyonEuropeanUnionstipulatesthat:
Article2:
TheCommunityshallhaveasitstasktopromote
throughouttheCommunityaharmoniousandbalanced
developmentofeconomicactivities,sustainableand
non-inflationary growthrespectingtheenvironment .
2.2.GreenPaper—WhitePaper
Inthesecondparagraphofpoint129,itisstatedthat
thedebate'shouldalsoprovideablueprintforthe
forthcomingWhitePaperontheFutureDevelopment
ofCommunityTransportPolicy'.TheESCdeplores
theinconsistencyoftheapproachbeingpursued,inas­
muchasnoprecisedeadlinehasbeensetforsubsequent
actiontobetakenandtheformulationoftheglobal
strategyontransport—astrategywhichhasbeen
repeatedlycalledforbyalltheinterestgroupscon­
cerned.Theincreasingdelayintacklingthemoreand
moreurgentproblemsisjeopardizingtheplannedcon­
sultationandthreatenstopostponetheintroductionof
aglobalstrategyindefinitely .Forthisreason,theESC
considersitabsolutelynecessarytodrawupaprecise
timetableforfuturework,includingthedraftingofthe
WhitePaper.Suchaprocedurewouldalsoguarantee
thatthefutureWhitePaperheedstheOpinionsofthe
ESC,andofcoursethoseoftheotherparties.Article3:
TheactivitiesoftheCommunityshallinclude:
f)acommonpolicyinthesphereoftransport;
g)asystemensuringthatcompetitionintheinternal
marketisnotdistorted;
j)thestrengtheningofeconomicandsocialcohesion;
k)apolicyinthesphereoftheenvironment ;
m)thepromotionofresearchandtechnologicaldevel­
opment;
n)encouragement fortheestablishmentanddevelop­
mentoftrans-European networks.
Article3b:
TheCommunityshalltakeaction,inaccordancewith
theprincipleofsubsidiarity,onlyifandinsofarasthe
objectivesoftheproposedactioncannotbesufficiently
achievedbytheMemberStates.
Article130r(2):
Communitypolicyontheenvironmentshallbebased
ontheprecautionaryprincipleandontheprinciplesthat
preventiveactionshouldbetaken,thatenvironmental
damageshouldasapriorityberectifiedatsourceand
thatthepollutershouldpay.Environmental protection
requirementsmustbeintegratedintothedefinitionand
implementation ofotherCommunitypolicies.2.3.ECpowersinthetransportandtheenvironment
sectors
IntheGreenPaper,theCommissionover-emphasizes
theprincipleofsubsidiarityinthefieldsoftransport
andtheenvironment .Thoughinthecaseofcertain
specificissuesthisprincipleisakeyelementintackling

NoC313/46 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 30.11.92
Article129b(2):
Withintheframeworkofasystemofopenandcompeti­
tivemarkets,actionbytheCommunityshallaimat
promotingtheinterconnection andinter-operability of
nationalnetworksaswellasaccesstosuchnetworks.
(TitleXII:Trans-European networks).Itshalltake
accountinparticularoftheneedtolinkisland,land­
lockedandperipheralregionswiththecentralregions
oftheCommunity .
Clearlythesebasicprinciplesforachievingsustainable
mobilityhavenotallbeenincludedintheGreenPaper.
Failuretotakeaccountofalltheseprinciplesunderthe
globalapproachtofindingasolutiontothecurrent
crisiswillcondemnthewholeoperationtofailurefrom
theoutset.accountofthesocialcostoftransport;theymust
notbeintroducedunilaterallyinspecificMember
Statesinviewoftherisksofdistortingcompetition ;
—planninginrespectoftransportinfrastructureand
theinterconnection ofCommunitycentralandper­
ipheralregionscanonlybecarriedoutonthebasis
ofregionalplanningatEClevel;
—areductioninthevolumeoftransport,presuppos­
ingconsultationontherestructuringoftheEC
industrialfabric,wouldrequireanoverallapproach
whichwouldinmostcasesexceedthescopeofan
individualMemberState;
—newmanagementmeasuresdesignedtorationalize
trafficflowsandreducecongestionwillonlybe
successfulifthetechniquesadoptedarecompatible
inallMemberStatesandamongallmodesoftrans­
port,anddonotgiverisetonewartificialbarriers.
2.3.2.2.Theabove-mentioned non-exhaustive list
clearlydemonstratesthatitisonlybyobservingallthe
ECactionprinciplesembeddedintheTreatiesthatit
willbepossibletoachievetheobjectiveofsustainable
mobility,whilstatthesametime(a)respectingthe
user'sfreedomofchoicebetweenmodesoftransport,
(b)ensuringdistortion-free competition,(c)observing
thelawsofthemarketand,lastbutnotleast,(d)
providingeffectivesolutionstoecologicalconstraints
whilehavingdueregardtothesocio-economic import­
anceoftransport.2.3.2.NeedforaCommunityapproach
3.Originsoftheproblem2.3.2.1.Apiecemealapproachwhichisnotbasedon
allaspectsofECcompetencefortransportandthe
environmentisfraughtwiththefollowingrisks:
—reductioninoperationalpollutionthroughthe
introductionofmorestringentstandardsandmore
expensiveadvancedtechnologymustapplytothe
wholeoftheCommunitytoavoiddistortionsin
competition ,atleastwithintheEC;
—forthesamereasonsthe'polluter-pays'principle
canneverbesuccessfulifitappliestoonlyone
MemberState;
—establishment oftrans-European networks(road,
rail,waterways,combinedtransportandhigh-speed
trainsforpassengerandgoodstransport)requires
aCommunityapproachconsistentwiththesubsidi­
arityprinciple;
—harmonization ofsocialconditions,safetymeasures
fortransportingeneralandthetransportofdanger­
ousproductsinparticular,mustbedefinedand
developedatEClevel;
—distortionsincompetitionwillariseifMember
Stateshavedivergentnationallawswhicharenot
compatiblewiththeobjectivesofthesinglemarket;
—failuretocoordinateresearchwillimpedetechno­
logicaldevelopment ,giverisetoavoidablecostsand
holdbacktheintroductionoftechnologieswhich
providesolutionstoenvironmentalpollution;
—anyeconomicand/ortaxmeasuresmustserveas
incentives,i.e.tackletherootsratherthantheconse­
quencesofpollutioncausedbytransportandtake3.1.Apointwhichhasbeenfrequentlyreiterated
Atthepresenttimealltheinterestgroupsconcerned
—industry,politicians,transport-users andenviron­
mentalists—joininrecognizingapotentialtransport
versusenvironment crisis.Whilesomeconsiderthatthe
environmentisunderagravethreat,othersbelievethat
transportisnolongerfulfillingitssocio-economic role.
AsregardsthescientificfindingssetoutintheGreen
Paperithastobeacknowledgedthatthedocument
providesnothingnew.TheCommitteehasbeenasked
togiveOpinionsinthepastonmanyotherdocuments
whichreachedthesameconclusions .Abriefselection
ofthesedocumentsislistedbelow:
Opinionson:
—Transport2000Plus(OJNoC49,24.2.1992)
—GreenPaperontheUrbanEnvironment (OJNoC
269,14.10.1991)
—Europe2000:OutlookfortheDevelopmentofthe
Community'sTerritory(OJNoC339,31.12.1991)
—DevelopmentofaEuropeanNetworkofHigh­
SpeedTrains(OJNoC191,22.7.1991)

30.11.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC313/47
—TowardsTrans-European Networks—APro­
grammeofCommunityAction(OJNoC14,
20.1.1992)
—EnergyandtheEnvironment (OJNoC269,
14.10.1991)
—CommunityActionPlantoassistTourism(OJNo
C49,24.2.1992).
3.2.Failuretoacknowledgethetruenatureofthe
crisis
3.2.1.TheESCnotesthattheCommission has
alreadycarriedoutalargenumberofstudiesintothe
interdependence oftransportandtheenvironment .It
alsonotesthatresearchcentres,statisticalofficesand
internationalorganizations suchastheUN,theOECD
andtheEuropeanConferenceofMinistersofTransport
(ECMT),havepublisheddocumentsonthissubject.In
viewofthis,theESCfindsthedeficienciesintheGreen
Paper'sacknowledgement ofastateofcrisisregrettable.
ItdeploresforinstancethefactthattheGreenPaper:
—failstodistinguishbetweenpassengerandgoods
transport;
—paysscantattentiontoobjectivessuchasEuropean
economicandsocialintegration;
—shedsinadequatelightontherelationbetween
transportandtraffic;
—doesnotgiveasufficientlydetailed,quantified
breakdown,ofthesocialcostoftransport;
—confinesitselftothemacro-economic aspectsof
relationsbetweentransportandtheenvironment ;
—doesnotanalyzeindepththerelationbetween
economicgrowth,growthinthetransportsector
andaworseningofdamagecausedtotheenviron­
ment;
—failstoprovidesufficientdatawithregardtothe
distributionofindustryatEClevelandtheflowof
transportbroughtaboutbythisdistribution;
—makesnomentionofsocialimbalancewithinthe
EC;
—doesnotmakeacomprehensive reviewofresearch
programmes ,measuresalreadytakenandmeasures
tobetakeninthenearfuture.
3.2.2.WhilstitisrecognizedthattheGreenPaperis
notintendedasanin-depthscientificstudyofthe
currentcrisis,thefailuretoprovidesomekeydatain
thisfieldisboundtomakeitmoredifficulttoreacha
broadconsensusonthefutureglobalapproachofa
transportpolicybasedonsustainablemobility.
4.Theeconomicandsocialroleoftransport
TheGreenPaperreiteratesthevitalimportanceof
transporttoeconomicandsocialwell-being.Transport
isvitaltotheproductionofgoods,theprovisionof
services,totradeandtonationalandregionaldevelop­ment,besidescontributingtomobilityoftheindividual,
increasinglyimportantforinternational relations,
accesstowork,recreationandtourism.
Thetransportsectorasawhole,comprisingthetrans­
portofgoodsandpassengers,productionofthemeans
oftransportandconstructionofinfrastructure ,
accountsforsome10%ofGDPandprovides9%of
thejobsintheEC.
Inadditiontothepositivecontributionwhichitmakes
towardsprotectionoftheenvironmentandtherelief
ofcongestioninurbanareas,publictransportplaysa
vitalsocialroleinprovidingaminimumlevelof
mobilityforsociallydisadvantaged sectionsofthe
population.Inmostcasesstudents,theelderlyand
theunemployedhavelittlechoicebuttousepublic
transport.Whilsttransportoperatorsarevocalintheir
callforthepreservationoffreedomofchoicebetween
modesoftransport,itshouldnotbeforgottenthatthis
freedomofchoiceshouldalsobeguaranteedinthe
fieldofpassengertransportunderthebestpossible
conditions.Thisaspectofthesocialroleoftransport
isregrettablyalmostalwaysoverlooked .
Thecentrifugaleffectofthedevelopmentofurban
areas,whichdrawblue-andwhite-collarworkersfur­
therandfurtherawayfromtheircentresofactivity,
combinedwiththestructuralchangestakingplacein
therelationshipbetweenhousing,workandsupply
locations,meanthatallformsoftransporthaveavital
andindispensableroletoplayinsociety.
Thesocialroleoftransportdoes,ofcourse,also
embracethesocialaspectsofworkingconditionsin
thetransportsector.Thenumberofjobs,working
conditions,qualifications ,trainingandadecentlevel
ofsocialsecurityinthesectormustbepartandparcel
ofafutureoverallstrategy.
TheESCregretsthattheGreenPaperdoesnotmakea
sufficientlycleardistinctionbetweenthesevarious
socio-economic rolesoftransport.Itproposestosetout
anumberofadditionalconsiderations inthischapter.
4.1.Goodstransport
4.1.1.ForyearsECfreighttransporthaswitnessed
continuousspectaculargrowth—closelycorrelated
toeconomicgrowth.OECDstudiesshowthatinthe
majorityoftheindustrialized countries,transportis
growingataratewhich,expressedinpercentageterms,
isdoubletherateofeconomicgrowth.
4.1.2.Theattainmentoftheouterlimitstogrowth
coincideswithmajorchangesinproductionanddistri­
butionstrategies.Examplesofthesechangesare:more
effectiveuseofbothspaceandtime,fasterandfaster
production/delivery/distributionprocesses,fragmen­
tationofindustrialproductionprocesses,supplychains,
computer-controlled managementoftheflowofgoods,
mobilewarehouses ,thetransferofundertakingsto
countrieshavinglowerwagesorlessdemandingmanu­
facturingstandardsand'just-in-time'deliveries.These
constraintscannotbelaidatthedooroftransport
operators .

NoC313/48 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 30.11.92
4.1.3.TheESCstronglyregretsthefactthatinthe
GreenPapertheCommissionseeksonlytoexaminethe
harmfuleffectsofgrowthandfailstopayadequate
attentiontotheunderlyingcausesofthisgrowth.This
shortcomingisparticularlyserioussincetheseproblems
cannotbesolvedbythetransportsectoralone.Satisfac­
tory,environment-friendly solutionscanalsobefound
byintroducinganECindustrialpolicyandaconsistent
land-useplanningpolicy.totheenvironment .Giventhisobservationandthe
severeproblemswhichtheECisfacinginthisfield,
twolinesofapproachcanberuledoutasabasisfora
futureglobalstrategy,namely:
—anyattempttoadoptaninterventionist policy
imposingprohibitionsandrestrictionsonfreedom
ofchoicefortransport-users ;
—norcanproblemsbesolvedbyextollingthemiracu­
louseffectsofmarketforces,laisserfaireandthe
principleoffreedomofcompetition .
4.3.2.Instead,weshouldworktowardsaconsensus
foranoverallstrategyrootedinthefollowingprin­
ciples:
—Marketforcesandfreedomofchoicefortransport­
userscanindeedprovideasolutiontotheproblems
linkedtoenvironmental constraintsprovidedthat
(a)pricestakeaccountofthe'realimpactonthe
environment'and(b)socialcosts—graduallyand
longsightedly—eventuallybecomeaneffective
componentofalleconomicbalancesheets.
—Followingtheoilcrisis,developments inallindus­
trializedcountrieshaveborneoutthateconomic
growthdoesnotinevitablyresultinincreasedenergy
consumption .Thesetwokeyparametershave
becomeclearlydecoupled.Theadoptionofacon­
sistentpolicy,useofthebestavailabletechnology,
changesinthebehaviouroftransport-usersandfair
competitionwithinandbetweenthedifferentmodes
oftransportcanleadtoadecouplingofeconomic
growthandtrafficvolume,whilstatthesametime
guaranteeingthenecessarymobilityandrespecting
theenvironment .
—Itisnolongerpossibleforthedifferentmodesof
transporttobeengagedincut-throatcompetition ;
theaimmustratherbetoachieveanintelligent
poolingofresources,drawingonthespecificadvan­
tagesofeachmodeoftransport.Wemustendeavour
tofindasolutiontotheenvironmental problems
whichareofdecisiveimportancetothelong-term
survivalofsocietybyseekingtoachievecomp­
lementaritybetweenthedifferentmodesoftrans­
port.
—Carriers,industrialists ,politicaldecision-makers ,
transport-users andtheindividualcitizenmustbe
awareofandheedtheimpactoftheirbehaviouron
theenvironment sinceitistheenvironment which
sustainsallhumanlife.Adoptinganenvironment­
friendlypatternofbehaviourisultimatelyaway
ofestablishingthebasisforsustainedeconomic
prosperitysothatthereceasestobeanyconflict
betweentheeconomyandtheenvironment .4.2.Passengertransport
4.2.1.Thealmostequallyspectacularexpansionof
passengertransportpromptssimilarobservationsto
thosesetoutinrespectofgoodstransport.Thecon­
siderableincreaseinmobilitycannotbeascribedmerely
toachangeinthebehaviouroftransport-users .
Althoughpartofthisexpansionisclearlyduetochang­
ingpatternsofsocialbehaviour(leisureactivities,tour­
ism,etc.)themainstimuluscomesfromfactorswhich
leaveindividualslittleoptionbuttousetransport,e.g.:
—deteriorationofthequalityoflifeinlargeurban
centres;
—theneedtoescapefromurbanizedareasinsearch
ofrestandrecreation;
—areasaresplitintohousing,administrative ,shop­
pingandsportscentres,whicharefrequentlyfar
apartandinmanycasesnotlinkedbyattractiveor
effectiveformsofpublictransport;
—increasedcommuting ;
—theexorbitantcostoflivingincitycentres,pushing
peopleoutintosuburbswhichmoreoftenthannot
lackthenecessarysocialinfrastructure .
4.2.2.ActingontheconclusionssetoutintheGreen
PaperontheurbanenvironmentandtheFifthAction
Programme,theCommissionshouldtakeaccountof
theseconstraintsinframingitsglobalstrategyforpro­
tectionoftheenvironment .
4.2.3.Incontrasttotheobjectionsraisedabove
(point2.3.2.)withregardtoapplicationofthesubsidi­
arityprinciple,itshouldbenotedthatapplicationof
thisprinciplewouldbeappropriateaspartofastrategy
forreducingthedamagingeffectsoftransportonthe
urbanenvironment .
4.3.Thebasisforanoverallstrategywhichheeds
freedomofchoiceandtheenvironment
4.3.1.Itisclearfromtheabovecommentsthatthe
transportsectoraloneisunabletoprovidesatisfactory
solutionstotheproblemoftheseveredamageitcauses5.Strategiesforachievingsustainablemobility
Point104oftheGreenPapersetsouttheessentialbasis
forastrategytoachievesustainablemobility.The
Commissionpointsoutthat:'suchastrategywill
requireaglobalapproachinordertoensurethattrans­

30.11.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC313/49
ationalpollution(1).AstudycarriedoutbytheNEA(2)
showsthatittakesonaverage15to20yearstoreplace
thetotalnumberofcommercialvehiclesontheroadat
agiventime.Toensurethatfullbenefitisobtained
fromthereductioninoperationalpollutionandtoset
outalong-termtimetable,theCommissionshould:
5.1.1.1.Drawup,withoutdelay,thetechnicalstan­
dardsinrespectofemissions,engines,noise,etc.tobe
appliedaftertheyear2000inthelightofthedirectives
relatingtoemissionsfromautomobiles (26June1991)
andindustrialvehiclesasregardsthereductionof
gaseousemissionsstandardsandparticlelimits
(1October1991)(3).
5.1.1.2.Stipulate,intheagreementswiththeEFTA
States,thattechnicalstandardsaretobealignedonthe
higheststandardsinforceintheEFTAStatesorinthe
EC.
5.1.1.3.Determinethetimelimits,aidsortaxesto
beappliedinrespectofthereplacementofthevehicle
fleetsofEasternEuropeancountriesjoiningtheEuro­
peanEconomicArea(EEA).portcontinuestofulfilitseconomicandsocialfunctions
underthemostfavourableenvironmental conditions,
whilesafeguardingthefreedomofchoicefortheuser'.
Inadditiontothesebasicprinciples,referenceisalso
madetothecontributionmadebytransporttothe
prosperityofperipheralregionsand,mostimportant
ofall,theneedtointegratetransportintosustainable
developmentaimedatmeeting'theneedsofthepresent
withoutcompromising theabilityoffuturegenerations
tomeettheirownneeds'.
Inpoint106theCommissionobservesthat'adequate
protectionoftheenvironmentisnotpossiblebyreliance
onlyontechnologicalprogressandtechnicalmeasures'.
Thishighlysignificantobservationdemonstratesthat
sustainablemobilitycanonlybeachievedifallthe
partiesinvolvedrecognizethechallengetobemet.New
structuresandsynergiesmustthereforebyestablished
forthwithinordertobringabouttheprofoundrestruc­
turingrequiredinordertoachieveatwofolddevelop­
mentingeneralandsustainablemobilityinparticular.
TheCommittee'sproposalsforachievingsustainable
mobilitycomeunderthefollowinggeneralheadings
(basedonthoseusedbytheCommission ):
5.1.Standardization measures,operationalpollution
andsustainablemobility
5.2.Marketorganizationmeasuresandsustainable
mobility
5.3.Economicinstrumentsforachievingsustainable
mobility
5.4.Researchandsustainablemobility
5.5.Economic,socialandindustrialpolicyandsus­
tainablemobility
5.6.Land-useplanningandsustainablemobility
5.7.Theneedtochangethebehaviourofalltrans­
portusersifsustainablemobilityistobeachieved.
Thoughtheproposalssetoutbelowarenottobe
regardedascriticismofthestrategyputforwardinthe
GreenPaper,theCommitteedoesurgethattheybe
incorporatedsubsequentlyintheWhitePaperontrans­
portbeingdrawnupbytheCommission .
Thefollowingproposalsarequiteseparatefromthe
ESCOpinionontheProposalforaCouncilResolution
onaCommunityprogrammeofpolicyandactionin
relationtotheenvironmentandsustainabledevelop­
ment(COM(92)23final).5.1.1.4.Inparallelwiththestandardization measures
coveringpublicandprivategoodsandpassengertrans­
portbyroad,framestandardization measuresinrespect
ofsafetyandoperationalpollutionintheair,inland­
waterway,maritimeandrailtransportsectors.
5.1.2.Afurthermeansofreducingoperationalpol­
lutionintheimmediatefuture,whichhasalreadybeen
thesubjectoffrequentdiscussion,istheintroduction
ofstandardizedspeedlimitsthroughouttheEEAfor
differenttypesofvehicles.
5.1.3.Inthelightofcongestioninurbancentres
andthefactthatahighpercentageofgoods-transport
operationsinvolvetheuseofsmallvehiclescovering
distanceslessthan50km(4)—whichalsodoubtless
holdsgoodforpassenger-transport operations—oper­
ationalpollutionmustbetackledbyintroducing
vehicleswhichconformtotheZEV(Zero-Emission
Vehicle)concept.
(')GreenPaper,points110and111and(4)p.25.
(2)NEA:Thetransportofgoodsbyroadanditsenvironment
intheEuropeoftomorrow.5.1.Standardization measures,operationalpollution
andsustainablemobility
5.1.1.Theareainwhichthegreatestprogresshas
beenmadeinstandardization measuresisthatofoper­(3)CouncilDirectives91/441/EEC(OJNoL242,30.08.1991)
and91/542/EEC(OJNoL295,25.10.1991).
(4)Seedocumentreferredtoin(4)above.

NoC313/50 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 30.11.92
study,encompassingboththeECandtheentireEEA,
tofocuson:goods-andpassenger-transport flowsof
Europeanimportance,includingabreakdownoftraffic
bytransportmode;potentialpoolingofresources
throughEuropeancooperation ;trafficbottle-necks ;
andthemissinglinksinthevarioustransportnetworks.
Thisbasicinformationisaprerequisiteforframinga
globalapproachtore-organization ofthemarkets.
5.2.5.Combinedrail/roadtransportwillbeableto
makeasignificantcontributiontoalleviatingthe
environmental damagecausedbytransportonlyifitis
coveredbymarket-organization measuresinrespectof
transportoperationsoverdistancesinexcessof200­
300km(3)andinsofarasthenecessarytechnicalfacili­
tiesareintroduced.Inlandwaterwayandcoastaltrans­
portmustalsoformpartandparcelofanyEuropean
solutionadoptedinthefieldofcombinedtransport.5.1.4.Thestandardsapplicabletorailwaynetworks,
rollingstock,signallingequipment,thecontainersto
beusedinaEuropeancombinedtransportnetwork,
transshipment methods,etc.mustbeharmonizedatEC
levelassoonaspossibletofacilitateintelligentpooling
ofresourcesbetweenthedifferentmodesoftransport.
5.1.5.Thereisalsoaneedtoharmonizestandards
inrespectofsafetyandsocialconditionsforallmodes
oftransportatECleveltopreventsuchfactorsbecom­
ingthekeyelementindistortingcompetitionwithina
no-frontiersinglemarket.
5.1.6.Thissetofmeasuresmustbediscussedwith
allpartiesinvolvedandaprecisetimetabledrawnup
tofacilitatelong-termforecasting.Inaddition,alltrans­
portsectorsmustmakeafaircontributiontowards
implementation ofthesemeasures.
5.2.Marketorganizationmeasuresandsustainable
mobility
5.2.1.Inspiteofthemarketorganizationmeasures
alreadyadoptedbytheEC(1),unladenandpartially
ladenjourneysmaywellconstituteaverylargepercent­
ageofthetotalnumberofjourneyscarriedoutin
Europe(2)bytheyear2010.Itisessentialtoreduce
suchjourneysforbothpurelyeconomicreasonsand
ecologicalreasons,throughtheuseofadvancedsupply­
managementtechniques,moreeffectivemarketinte­
gration,newformsofcooperationandsynergybetween
modesoftransport.
5.2.2.Inordertorelievecongestioninurbanareas
itwillundoubtedlybenecessarytointroducerestric­
tionsonprivatecars,handinhandwithincreased
choiceandanimprovedserviceinpublictransport.
ThoughitisnottheCommission'sresponsibilityto
tackletheseissuesbymeansofECdirectives,theCom­
missiondoeshaveadutytomakeavailabletocities
adatabasecomprisinginformationonthemeasures
alreadytakenthroughoutEurope,researchcarriedout
inthisfield,possiblesolutionstotheproblemsand
financialincentivestorelievecongestionandimprove
theurbanenvironment .5.3.Economicinstrumentsforachievingsustainable
mobility
5.3.1.Theconvictionhasbeenexpressedinmany
quartersthatchargingenvironmental andsocialcosts
tothepartiesresponsiblefordamageinflictedonthe
environmentistheonlywayofreconcilingtheunderly­
ingprinciplesofthemarketeconomywithenvironmen­
talrequirements (seepoint4.3).TheCommitteeis
convincedthatthisapproach,whichalsoholdsgood
forthetransportsector,istherightone.
5.3.2.Ithastoberecognized,however,thatthe
introduction ofenvironmental andsocialcostsasa
factorinprofitabilitycalculationsisstillataveryearly
stage.Thoughthejusticeofthe'polluter-pays'principle
isunanimouslyaccepted,difficultiesanddivergencies
ariseinconnectionwithitspracticalimplementation
andtheapportionment oftheexactsharetobeborne
byeachoftheparties.Forthisreason,theESCcalls
ontheCommissiontoheedtheproceduressetout
belowwhenintroducingmeasuresforincorporating
environmental andsocialcostsintothemarketecon­
omy,withparticularreferencetothetransportsector.
5.3.3.Intheimmediatefuture,theCommission
shouldframeastrategyconsistingofeconomicinstru­
mentsdesignedtoensurebothgreaterrespectforthe
environment andundistortedharmonization ofthe
markets,tofocusonthefollowingpotentialmeasures:
—harmonization oftaxesoncommercialvehicles;
—introductionofanenergy/C02tax;
—graduatedtaxationforprivatecars,basedonthe
levelofdamagecausedtotheenvironment ;
—harmonization ofexcisedutyonfuels;5.2.3.Ifmarketorganizationmeasuresaretobe
introduceditwillalsobenecessarytoframeECpolicies
onrail,inland-waterway andcoastaltransport.The
neglectofthesesectorsinthepast,atbothECand
nationallevel,hasbeenakeyfactorinencouraging
competitionleadingtounder-useoftheirpotential.
5.2.4.Inordertore-organizethemarketssoasto
achievesustainable,environment-friendly mobility,the
Commissionshouldlosenotimeincarryingouta
(!)Seepoints112and113oftheGreenPaper.
(2)Seedocumentrefereredtoin(4)above,p.23. (3)Ibid,Topic4.

30.11.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC313/51
5.4.Researchandsustainablemobility
5.4.1.Itwilltakemorethantheresearchprojects
listedinpoint115oftheGreenPapertoresolvethe
problemscurrentlyfacingthetransportsector.The
ESCcallsontheCommissiontoestablisha'concerted
action'inthefieldoftransportresearch,embracing
thesystematiccollectionofdata,theinterdependence
betweentrafficandtheenvironment ,andEC-levelcoor­
dinationofnationalresearchprojects.
5.4.2.Aclearandprecisedefinitionisneededofthe
long-termobjectivesofECpolicytodeterminethemain
areasinwhichresearchshouldbepursued.Examples
ofpotentialareasofresearchare:developmentofZero
EmissionVehicles(ZEV),transshipment techniques,
supply-management techniquestoreducetheincidence
ofunladenjourneys,measurestopromotetheflowof
traffic,telematics,etc.
5.5.Economic,socialandindustrialpolicyandsus­
tainablemobility—setting-upofafundtofacilitatetrans-European
networksandinfrastructure projectsofEuropean
importance ;
—otherpossibleshorttermeconomicandtax
measures .
5.3.4.Whereverpossible,theintroductionofthese
neweconomicandfiscalmeasuresshouldrespectthe
principleoftaxneutralityand/orboostfundssetup
forthepurposeofpromotingthequalityoftheenviron­
ment,researchandtheintroductionofnewtechnol­
ogies.
5.3.5.ToframeaviablestrategytheCommission
shouldinthelongtermundertakeanin-depthstudyto
facilitateanaccurateassessmentoftheexternalcosts
oftransport,theshareofthesecoststobeborneby
eachtransportmode,andtheshareofeachmodeof
transportperunittransported .Thisstudyshouldtake
accountofallenvironmental factors,suchaslandoccu­
pation,noise,soundemissions,vibrations,airpol­
lution,etc.Ifexternalcostsareassessedonthebasisof
onlyoneparameter,(e.g.energyconsumption),thedata
obtainedwillcertainlybeincomplete,ifnotinaccurate,
whichcouldleadtodistortionsincompetition .
5.3.5.1.Onthebasisofthisquantifieddata,practical
proposalscouldbedrawnupwithregardtocost­
chargingmeasuresinrespectofexternalcosts(levies,
taxes,etc.).
5.3.5.2.Theframingofcost-chargingpolicypresup­
poseson-goingconsultationswithallinterestgroups
concernedandmustnotbedeterminedbehindclosed
doors.
5.3.5.3.Thispreparatoryworkistobeconcludedas
soonaspossible;averyprecisetimetablemustthen
bedrawnupsettingoutthestagesinthelong-term
implementation ofthisstrategytoprovidetheinterest
groupsconcernedwithaclearpictureofthesituation
sothattheycanplanthenecessaryrestructuring
measuresinadvance.
5.3.5.4.Aninitialtimetablesettingoutthecost­
chargingmeasurestobeintroduceduptotheyear
2000couldbereadyby1994.Toensurethatcostsare
assessedonanon-goingbasis,thetimetablewillhave
tobereviewedregularlyandextendedbeyondtheyear
2000.
5.3.6.Thesecommentsregardingchargingforexter­
nalcostsarecloselylinkedwiththoseonstandardiz­
ationmeasures(point5.1above).Introductionofthe
bestavailabletechnologyobviouslyentailsadditional
costs.Consideration shouldthereforebegiventothe
introduction ,whereappropriate,ofaid,grants,tax
reliefandothermeasurestoenablethepartiescon­
cernedtocarryoutthenecessaryrestructuring .5.5.1.Whilepoints5.1and5.4arebasedonthe
initiativesdiscussedintheGreenPaper,theforthcoming
WhitePapershouldoutlinethefuturethrustofan
ECeconomicandindustrialpolicydesignedtoreduce
demandfortransport.Thisisakeyelementinachieving
sustainablemobility.Itisinfactthebasicproblem,to
whichthetransportsectorcannotfindsolutionsbut
merelyadjust.
5.5.2.Forpurposesoflimitingthedemandfortrans­
port—especiallyprivatetransport—atsource,a
thoroughexaminationwillbeneededof:
—therestructuringoftheEC'sindustrialfabric;
—theroletobeplayedbytheperipheralregionsso
thattheyattainaprosperitycomparablewiththe
otherregionsoftheECwithouttherebeingan
excessivedemandfortransport;
—chargingtheenterprisesconcernedfortheexternal
costsof'just-in-time'deliveries;
—improvedaccesstotouristregionsbymeansof
transportotherthantheprivatecar;
—thesocialroleofpublictransportinperipheraland
remoteregionswithalowpopulationdensityinthe
lightofthedutytoprovideapublicservice.
5.6.Land-useplanningandsustainablemobility
5.6.1.Europeanland-useplannersshouldloseno
timeindrawingupdefinitiveandbindingblueprints
forfuturetrans-European transportnetworks.

NoC313/52 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 30.11.92
Theseinfrastructureprojects,tobepartlyplannedand
fundedbytheCommunity (StructuralFunds,Cohesion
Fund),mustfirstbethesubjectofanenvironmental
impactassessment,asprovidedforinDirective85/337/
EEC,whichisapplicableintheMemberStates.This
Directivecoverstheassessmentofthepotentialimpact
ofcertainpublicandprivateprojectsontheenviron­
ment.
5.6.2.Particularattentionshouldbegiventolinking
upregionswiththesetrans-European networkssothat
theyarenotcutofffromthedevelopmentgenerated
alongthesenetworksandinordertoavoidaccentuating
thegeographicalsplitintheEC.
5.7.Theneedforachangeinthebehaviourofall
transportusersifsustainablemobilityistobe
achieved
5.7.1.Theobjectiveofsustainablemobilitywillbe
attainedonlyifallusersbecomeawareofthedamage
theirbehaviourinflictsontheenvironment .Unfortu­
nately,theresultsofthemanyinformationcampaigns
conductedinthepasthavefrequentlybeenratherdis­
couraging.Thatiscertainlynotareasontoabandon
thismethodofencouragingachangeinuserbehaviour,
butdoespointtotheneedtolookforotherwaysof
influencingthebehaviourofmillionsofindividualsto
makethemmoreawareoftheenvironment andthe
interdependence ofpersonalactionsandglobalprob­
lems.
5.7.2.TheCommitteeadvocatesthatacloserlook
betakenatthefollowingpossibleapproaches :
—promotingawarenessoftheinterdependence
betweeneconomicgrowthandtheenvironment ,
highlighting (a)environment-goods transportand
(b)environment-private transportinteractions ;—increasedmediainvolvementinexplainingthe
aboveinterdependence ;
—integrationoftheenvironmental dimensioninto
training,highwaycodes,school,etc.;
—thepossibleintroductionofenvironmental advisors
infirmsoveracertainsize,alongthelinesofthe
riskpreventionofficerssupervisingtransportof
dangerousgoods;
—systematicintroductionofenvironmental reporting
andtheobligationtosupply'environmental audits'
regularly;
—'environmental incentive'schemestogiveusers
somefinancialincentivetochangetheirbehaviour;
—manufacturers 'brochurestoberequiredtoprovide
customerswithcomparableinformationonthe
'environmental conformity'oftheirvehiclessothat
environmental criteriacanbetakenintoaccount
whentheydecidewhethertobuy;
—thespeedysetting-upofanenvironmental account­
ingschemewherebyindividualuserscanbecharged
fortheexternalcostsoccasionedbytheirbehaviour;
—framingadvertisingstandardssoastohighlight
environmental performanceaswellastopspeed,
enginepower,numberofvalves,etc.;
—taxconcessions ,softloansorotherfinancialincen­
tivestoencouragethepurchaseofenvironment­
friendlyorelectricvehicles.
Finally,theCommitteenotesthatthemanyCom­
missionproposalsontheenvironmentinvarioussectors
(energy,transport,agriculture,etc.),makeitdifficult
togiveanobjectiveandconsistentopiniononthebasic
philosophytounderpintheCommunityapproachasa
whole.
DoneatBrussels,24September1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH

30.11.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC313/53
APPENDIX 1
totheOpinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
Thefollowingmembers,presentorrepresentedatthePlenarySession,votedfortheOpinion:
Mr/Mrs/Miss:AMATO,ATAIDEFERREIRA,ATTLEY,BARROW,BLESER,BONVICINI ,BOTTAZZI ,
BRIESCH,CAL,CARROLL,CASSINA,CHEVALIER ,COLOMBO ,DECAILLON ,D'ELIA,DIAPOULIS ,
VANDIJK,DONCK,DOUVIS,DRAIJER,DUNKEL,ETTY,EULEN,FRERICHS,GAFFRON,
GEUENICH ,GROBEN,JANSSEN,JENKINS,KANELLOPOULOS ,DEKNEGT,KORFIATIS ,LACA
MARTIN,LAPPAS,LARSEN,LIVERANI,LUSTENHOUWER ,LYONS,MADDOCKS ,MAYAYO
BELLO,MERCIER,MOURGUES ,MULLERE.,MUÑIZGUARDADO ,NIELSENB.,NIELSENP.,PELLA­
RINI,POMPEN,QUEVEDOROJO,RODRIGUEZ GARCÍA-CARO ,SANDERSON ,SANTILLANCA­
BEZA,SANTOS,SCHMIDT,SCHMITZ,VONSCHWERIN ,SEQUEIRA,SILVA,SMITH,SOLARI,
STECHERNAVARRA ,THEONAS,THYS,TIXIER,VERBOVEN ,WAGENMAS ,WALDACK ,ZUFIAUR
NARVAIZA .
Thefollowingmembers,presentorrepresentedatthePlenarySession,votedagainsttheOpinion:
Mr/Mrs/Miss:ARENA,BAGLIANO ,BARBAGLI,BELTRAMI ,BENTOGONÇALVES ,BERNABEI,
BREDIMA-SAVOPOULOU ,CONNELLAN ,GARDNER,GHIGONIS,GIACOMELLI ,GIESECKE,
GREEN,GUILLAUME ,KAARIS,LITTLE,LOW,MOBBS,MORELAND ,NOORDWAL ,PARDON,
PEARSON,PELLETIERR.,PETERSEN,PETROPOULOS ,PRICOLO,ROBINSON ,RODRIGUEZ DE
AZEROYDELHOYO,ROMOLI,SCHADE-POULSEN ,TUKKER,WHITWORTH .
Thefollowingmembers,presentorrepresentedatthePlenarySession,abstained :
Mr/Mrs/Miss:BEALE,BELL,CEYRAC,DAWSON,DELOROZOY ,KAFKA,McGARRY,MEYER­
HORN,MORIZE,PASQUALI,PELLETIERCh.,PERRIN-PELLETIER ,PROUMENS ,SAITIS,SAUWENS,
SCHNIEDERS ,SPYROUDIS ,WICK.
APPENDIX II
totheOpinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
ThefollowingamendmenttotheSectionOpinion,tabledinaccordancewiththeRulesofProcedure,was
rejectedduringthediscussion :
Page17—Point5.5.1
Delete.
Reasons
Measuresspecificallydesignedtoreducedemandfortransportshouldnotbeuseduntilsuchtimeasallthe
othermeans(improvements inmarketoperation,improvedutilizationofcapacity,theintroductionofstricter
internationalstandards,thepromotionofresearch)havebeenfullyutilized.
Voting:
For:36,against:56,abstentions :14.