28. Stresses that efficient and sustainable management of goods collection and distribution at the poles
of intermodal transport operations is an essential aspect of the whole intermodal transport system whichneeds special consideration, especially when it affects large or congested urban areas;
29. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to set up a single, transparent scheme for inter-
modal transport, which is easy to enforce, in order to facilitate and encourage this transport system;
30. Hopes that the candidate countries will be involved in establishing the Union’s policies, priorities
and initiatives on the development of intermodality;
31. Calls on the Commission to devote particular attention to drafting regulations on intermodal door-
to-door liability and developing a corresponding transport document;
32. Calls on the Commission to draw up a programme on the lines of the earlier KAROLUS pro-
gramme for international exchanges of officials from different transport modes, with the aim of increasingemployees’ mutual understanding of intermodality and cross-border operations;
33. Calls on the bodies responsible in the Member States and the candidate countries to include inter-
modal transport in the syllabuses of those undergoing professional or further training in the transport orfreight forwarding sectors;
34. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the European
Investment Bank and the governments of the Member States.
6. Chargingforthe use of transportinfrastructure
A5-0345/2000
European Parliament resolution on transport infrastructure charging (2000/2030(INI))
The European Parliament,
Edash having regard to the Commission’s Green Paper entitled ‘Towards fair and efficient pricing in transport
policy Edash options for internalising the external costs of transport in the EuropeanUnion’(COM(1995) 691) and its resolution of 30January 1997(
1) thereon,
Edash having regard to the High Level Group on transport infrastructure charging (HLG) final reports of
2 June 1988 on pricing principles and 26 May 1999 on estimating transport costs,
Edash having regard to the Commission’s White Paper entitled ‘Fair Payment for Infrastructure Use: A phased
approach to a common transport infrastructure charging framework in the EU’ (COM(1998) 466) andits resolution of 15 April 1999(
2) thereon,
Edash having regard to the HLG final report on options for charging directly for transport infrastructure
operating costs of 9 September 1999,
Edash having regard to Petition 656/1999, on fair prices for goods transport Edash heavy traffic levy for Europe,
Edash having regard to Rule 163 of its Rules of Procedure,
Edash having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (A5-0345/
2000),
(1) OJ C 55, 24.2.1997, p. 41.
(2) OJ C 219, 30.7.1999, p. 460.18.9.2001 EN C 262/245 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday18January2001
A. whereas the present system of taxation and charging for access to and the use of transport infrastruc-
ture varies substantially according to Member State and the mode of transport concerned,
B. whereas in the Member States duties and taxes for the use of transport infrastructure are often levied
without reference to the infrastructure cost, and whereas the revenues from taxing transport servicesand the use of transport infrastructure are predominantly used as an instrument of general fiscal pol-icy,
C. whereas the differing tariff and fiscal structures in the Member States favour some transport modes
and operators at the expense of others,
D. whereas a new transport infrastructure charging methodology should be based primarily upon a more
efficient structuring of prices and not upon an overall increase in transport prices; whereas the imple-mentation of a fair system of transport pricing should be done gradually in order to avoid economicshocks and make a contribution to improving economic efficiency,
E. whereas the establishment of a methodology for charging the costs of transport infrastructure to its
users is required, inter alia, in order to eliminate distortion of competition between businesses andcertain modes of transport,
F. whereas both internal and external costs arising from the use of transport infrastructure need explicit
recognition,
G. whereas the use of transport infrastructure can generate both external costs and benefits,
H. whereas there are varying levels of external costs (e.g. safety, environmental) generated by the trans-
port sector which still need to be more clearly quantified in a future methodology for infrastructurecharging,
I. whereas at present there are uncertainties concerning the estimation of transport costs and revenues,
as well as in cost allocation; whereas before adopting a methodology for transport infrastructure char-ging, the Commission should provide reliable data, drawing in particular on the work of the HighLevel Group, using the new information and communication technologies, as well as on the basis ofstudies and pilot projects in the field of telematics for transport, while also taking account of theimpact of such charging,
J. whereas the modal distribution of mobility depends on local, national and Community policies for the
supply of services and infrastructure,
K. whereas the application of the ‘user pays’ and the ‘polluter pays’ principles to charging for the use of
transport infrastructure make it possible to modulate tariffs according to their environmental impact,while respecting access on equal terms to mobility and having regard to the need to avoid ‘doublecharging’,
L. whereas methods for reducing external costs should be promoted by disseminating best practices,
M. whereas it must be recognised that access to transport infrastructure and services varies considerably
across the territory of the Community, and is often particularly limited for those resident in remoterural and island areas,
N. whereas transport modes generating fewer external costs will be capable of competing with the other
transport modes only if they provide high levels of service quality and supply capacity ensuring mar-ket access and, where necessary, by means of a series of measures of a regulatory and investmentsupport nature, designed to encourage modernisation and greater interoperability,
O. whereas the development of combined transport can make a sustainable contribution to reducing
external transport costs, and whereas it should therefore benefit from a charging system that will safe-guard the investment required for its rapid development,C 262/246 EN 18.9.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday18January2001
P. whereas the current enlargement process will appreciably increase the need to improve European
infrastructure networks as a matter of urgency, giving priority to modes that best respect the environ-ment,
1. Considers that transport users should pay for the quantifiable components of transport costs arising
from the use, the quality and the safety of infrastructure and that all users should as a priority be chargedfor the resulting transport infrastructure costs (for construction, maintenance, expansion and improve-ment);
2. Considers that a comprehensive system of transport infrastructure charging should be based on cost
estimations as accurately as possible and is an issue which needs further analysis to generalise best prac-tices with regards, inter alia, to criteria for full recovery charging, common cost/benefit analysis proce-dures, attribution of responsibilities and allocation of revenues;
3. Takes the view that the new transport infrastructure charging system must be designed to avoid a net
increase in taxation in the economy as a whole and must also pursue the aim of phasing out distortions ofcompetition between Member States and thus creating fair conditions for transport operators; considers,
furthermore, that it should take into account the possible distortions of competition created by implemen-
tation of charging measures only at EU level;
4. Calls on the Commission to submit as soon as possible a general methodology to make this new
approach to transport infrastructure charging easily understandable and attractive to users and the public;stresses that such methodology needs a gradual and step-wise implementation based on transparency andsufficient information;
5. Takes the view that the overall cost of transport infrastructure should be charged to users by means
of a combination of taxation and fares, bearing in mind also the need to avoid dual taxation; recognises,nevertheless, that some of these costs are already charged to users;
6. Points out that taxes raised from transport operators (motor vehicle and oil taxes, as well as a pro-
portion of general taxation) are not being levied fairly and are not always used sufficiently in some coun-tries for maintaining and improving transport infrastructures;
7. Underlines that the methodology for transport infrastructure charging to be proposed has to show
signs of pricing proportionate to the use being made of the infrastructure concerned, the cost it imposes
on society as a whole, the ability-to-pay principle and the need to sustain remote, rural and island com-munities, as well as the particular needs of disabled people;
8. Recognises that such methodology for transport infrastructure charging should move in the direction
of environmental sustainability, while preserving and enforcing the right to mobility of all citizens andaccessibility of transport services with a public-service interest;
9. Considers that the new methodology for transport infrastructure charging should be dynamic and
flexible enough to provide incentives for new technological improvements; calls also on the Commissionto look into the impact of such methodology on the choice of transport mode and demand for transport;
10. Takes the view that external costs of transport, as well as costs from the use of infrastructure,
should be covered in accordance with the methodology to be defined by the Commission in a common,practicable and comprehensive way, provided that this is done for all sectors of the industry in order toavoid distortions of competition among the different modes of transport;
11. Considers that Member States or the appropriate regional and local authorities should decide how
to implement a system of transport infrastructure charging, taking into account that the costs of environ-mental damage by transport can only be charged to transport operators if they are objectively identified;
12. Recalls that the component of external costs relating to accidents is in some Member States already
covered by private industry, respectively through the insurance industry;18.9.2001 EN C 262/247 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday18January2001
13. Considers that the allocation of infrastructure construction and maintenance costs as a component
of fares can meet the need to involve private capital in the construction of infrastructure, using, inter alia,
the Design, Build, Finance and Operate principle (DBFO); considers that, where public financial support isneeded for the provision of infrastructure, it should be provided in a transparent way;
14. Takes the view that exemptions could be made from charging users, with consequent recourse to
general taxation, in cases where there are social benefits, for example to tackle problems in peripheralareas or to prevent social exclusion; considers that this is a decision for national, regional and local autho-rities to determine;
15. Points out that, in the development of the methodology for transport infrastructure charging, it
should be considered that any surplus revenue over infrastructure construction and maintenance costscould be used for reducing external costs within the mode of transport from which they arise or in other
modes in a way which helps to attain the objective of a sustainable transport sector;
16. Points out that the viability of mechanisms for transferring resources in a socially and economically
efficient way towards more environmentally sustainable transport sectors depends crucially on the exis-tence of a level playing field between transport modes with viable alternatives for users;
17. Draws attention to the gradual liberalisation of transport modes currently taking place, for example
in rail transport, and to the need to take measures of a regulatory and investment support nature designedto encourage modernisation and greater interoperability of the networks concerned and to increase thequality of services;
18. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission and the Govern-
ments of the Member States.
7. Balancedparticipation of women andmen in the decision-making process
A5-0373/2000
European Parliament resolution on the Commission report on the implementation of Council
Recommendation 96/694 of 2 December 1996 on the balanced participation of women and men
in the decision-making process(COM(2000)120bdashC5-0210/2000bdash2000/2117(COS))
The European Parliament,
Edash having regard to the Commission report (COM(2000) 120 Edash C5-0210/2000),Edash having regard to Council Recommendation 96/694/EC,Edash having regard to Articles 2, 3(2), 13, 137(1) and 141(4) of the EC Treaty,Edash having regard to its resolutions based on reports from the Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal
Opportunities since 1984 and especially its resolution of 2 March 2000(
1) on women in decision-
making,
Edash having regard to the final declaration of the UN Conference in Mexico in 1975,Edash having regard to the Vienna Conference on human rights and the Platform for Action following the
Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing on 15 September 1995,
(1) OJ C 346, 4.12.2000, p. 82.C 262/248 EN 18.9.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday18January2001