25.1.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC19/29
measuresshouldbetogiveanewimpetustoECcon­
sumerpolicyin1993.InthiscontexttheCouncilResol­
utionof13July1992onthefutureprioritiesforthedevelopmentofconsumerprotectionpolicyis
aninterestingstepontheroadtowardsanECsystem
providingahighlevelofconsumerprotectioninthe
singlemarket.TheCommitteeregretsthefactthat
theCouncilfailedtomakeanyreferencetoitsOwn­
initiativeOpinion. (i)OJNoC186,23.7.1992.
DoneatBrussels,24November1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
Opinionon:
—theproposalforaCouncilDecisionconcerningtheestablishmentofacombinedtransport
networkintheCommunity,
—theproposalforaCouncilDirectiveamendingDirective75/130/EEContheestablishment
ofcommonrulesforcertaintypesofcombinedcarriageofgoodsbetweenMemberStates,
and
—theproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)amendingRegulation (EEC)No1107/70
onthegrantingofaidsfortransportbyrail,roadandinlandwaterway(!)
(93/C19/10)
On5October1992theCouncil,inaccordancewithArticles75and84(2)oftheTreaty
establishingtheEuropeanCommunities ,decidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCom­
mitteeontheabovementioned proposals.
TheSectionforTransportandCommunications ,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingthe
Committee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon18November1992.TheRapporteur
wasMrTukker.
Atits301stPlenarySession(meetingof24November1992),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeunanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
—adraftCouncilDirectiveamendingDirective75/
130/EEC;
—adraftCouncilRegulationamendingRegulation
(EEC)No1100/89onfinancialaid.1.Introduction
1.1.TheEconomicandSocialCommitteewelcomes
theCommission'sinitiativeaimedatimprovingand
extendingcombinedtransport.
1.2.TheCommissiondocument [COM(92)230]
comprisesinteralia:
—aCommunication fromtheCommission tothe
Council;
—aproposalforaCouncildecisionconcerningthe
establishmentofacombinedtransportnetworkin
theEC;1.3.ThisOpinionwillconcentrateonthefirstdocu­
mentwhichisbyfarthemostinterestingandimportant.
2.General
2.1.TheCommissionpointsoutthatthefollowing
factorsmakeitnecessarytoimprovecombinedtrans­ (!)OJNoC282,30.10.1992,p.8,10,12.

NoC19/30 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 25.1.93
port(thecombinationofroad,rail,inlandwaterway
andseatransport):
—roadsintheCommunityarecongestedorbecoming
so;
—theincreaseintrafficexpectedafter1993cannotbe
absorbedbyroadtransportalone;
—railwayscancarryalargerproportionifinter­
nationalcooperationbetweenthemisimproved;
—theinlandwaterwaysstillhaveenoughcapacityto
expand;
—seatransport(especiallycoastalshipping)couldalso
playamajorroleincombinedtransport(theCom­
missionispreparingaproposalonseatransport);
—transportbyrailorwaterislessharmfultothe
environmentthanroadtransport.
2.2.TheCommission'sobjectiveistocreateastruc­
tureenablingcombinedtransporttotransfertraffic
fromtheovercrowded roadstoothermodesoftrans­
port.Thisappliesnotonlytoroad/railandtoroad/
inlandwaterway,butshouldbeextendedtoincludesea
transport .
2.3.Eachstageshouldbemanagedsoastoensure
thatthetransferoftrafficfromonetransportmodeto
anotheroccursnaturally,i.e.withoutcoercive
measures .
2.3.1.Shippersmusthaveafreechoiceofmodesof
transport .
2.4.Tothisenditwillbenecessarytocomparethe
costsofroadtransport,including'externalcosts',with
thoseofeachoftheothermodesoftransport,inorder
topreventdistortionofcompetition .
2.5.ThequestionofwhethertheCommunitymust
takeactiontoimproveandextendcombinedtransport
isansweredaffirmativelybytheCommunityitself.Giv­
entheimportanceoftransportintheEC,theimpact
ontheenvironment (C02),thegreenhouseeffect,con­
gestionandthedifferencebetweentransportinthe
centralpartoftheECandtransportfromandtothe
peripheralregions,theCommitteetakestheviewthat,
inthiscase,theCommunityinteresttakesprecedence
overthatoftheindividualMemberStates.after1993,andthatitwilldolittletorelievecongestion
ontheroads.Othermeasures,suchasfreecabotage
andextensionorimprovementoftheroadnetwork,
willthereforeremainimportant.
3.2.1.ECrailwaysarefocusingon'high-productive
lines'.Inthiscontextastudyandcost/benefitanalysisof
double-stackContainertransportandallothertechnical
systemswhichboostproductivityisdesirable.
3.3.TheCommission'saimofprotectingthe
environmentbyreducingC02emissionscanandmust
alsobepursuedinotherways[seetheNEAReport
ofMarch1992(NEAFoundation—DutchCentrefor
TransportStudiesandTraining)].
3.4.TheCommitteetakestheviewthattheCom­
mission,whilerespectingtheprincipleofsubsidiarity
mustensurethatnonewbottlenecks arecreated
throughalackofreflectionandcooperationinthe
executionofthejointplansforinfrastructure .
3.4.1.TheCommissionshouldalsoensurethatinfra­
structureisputinplacebytheMemberStatesinsuch
awaythatlinksbetweenMemberStatesareavailable
ontime.
3.4.2.MeasuresmustbetakentoensurethatMem­
berStatesdonotrefrainfrombuilding,orpostponethe
constructionofplannedcombinedtransportprojectson
competitiongrounds.
3.4.3.Followingexaminationofthemapsannexed
totheCommissiondocument,theCommitteeiscon­
cernedthataseriesofMemberStateprioritiescould
takeprecedenceovertheEuropeanframework .The
Committeeemphasizesthattrans-European networks
mustbebasedonacost-effectiveEuropeanframework .
3.5.TheCommitteeisafraidthatinternaldifficulties
arisingfromthereorganization and/orprivatizationof
anumberofEuropeanrailwayconcernsmaydelaythe
introductionofcombinedtransport.
3.5.1.Thereisalsothefearthatfunds'availablefor
infrastructure willbeusedprimarilyforlayinghigh­
speed-trainlinesandthatothertrafficwillcomeapoor
second.
3.5.2.TheCommitteewonderswhetheracost/ben­
efitanalysisiscarriedoutbeforeinvestmentdecisions
aretaken.3.Commentary
3.1.TheCommitteesharestheCommission'sview
thatplanstopromotecombinedtransportcanbeeffec­
tiveonlyiftheyareadoptedcentrallyintheECand
approvedbyallMemberStates.
3.2.However,theCommitteebelievesthatcombined
transportcanabsorbonlypartoftheincreaseintraffic3.6.Financing
3.6.1.InAnnex4theCommission dealswithfinan­
cialaidtocombinedtransport [amendmentofRegu­
lation(EEC)No1107/701.

25.1.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC19/31
3.6.2.TheCommissionproposalisrathervague
aboutfinancingprocedures .
3.6.2.1.Somefundingwillbeavailablefromthe
CohesionFund(peripheralregions)and/ortheEuro­
peanRegionalDevelopmentFund(ERDF),butthebulk
willhavetobeprovidedbytheMemberStates.
3.6.2.2.Soundplanningandsupervisionoffinancing
willthereforebeessential,otherwisethepossibilityof
gapsintheinfrastructurecannotbeexcluded,should
oneormoreMemberStatesnotbeinapositionto
meetthefinancialcommitments .
3.6.3.TheCommitteeendorsestheproposalthat
governments (orinsomecaseslower-tierauthorities )
ofMemberStatescansupplyfinancialaidforinfra­
structureconstruction ,providedfixedinstallationsand
rolling-stockareinvolved,thereisatime-limitandthe
percentageofinvestmentisspecifiedandthesamein
allMemberStates.Subsidizingthefreightchargesfor
combinedtransport,inwhateverway,shouldbefor­
bidden.
3.6.3.1.Financialaidtoinfrastructure worksfor
transittrafficthroughnon-membercountriesshouldbe
allowed,providedthatitisintheCommunity'sinterest.
4.Furthercomments
4.1.Ifplansforcombinedtransportinfrastructure
worksaretobesubmittedtotheCommission for
approval,thiswillproveahindrance.Ifnot,appropri­
atecriteriamustbelaiddown.
4.2.Thetechnicalcompatibilityofsystemsisthreat­
enedby:
—largercontainersizesintheUSA;
—otherformsofcombinedtransport.4.2.1.Thesetechnicalinnovationscausemoreseri­
ousproblemsforthecompatibilityofloadunitson
wagonsandatterminals.Therearemoreandmore
systems,whicharedifficultorimpossibletointer­
change.
4.2.2.TheCommission willhavetochoosebetween:
—compatibilityofnewandexistingsystems;
—imposingasinglesystem;or
—allowingthebestsystemstoemergeattheexpense
ofcompatibility ,i.e.refrainfromintervention .
4.3.Whatistheriskofinfrastructureprojectsbeing
refusedECaidsimplybecauseaneighbouringcountry
isconcernedaboutitscompetitiveposition?
4.4.AccordingtotheEC,road/waterwaytransport
mustalsobepromotedbut:
—road/waterwaytransportisrelevanttoonlyafew
countries;
—theotherECMemberStateshavevirtuallynoinland
shippingtradeandhavelittleknowledgeofit.
4.5.TheCommissionproposallistsrouteswhich
mustbereadyby1997,andotherswhichmustbeready
by2005.NotallMemberStatesareincludedinthese
lists.
4.6.ThenewArticle2retainstheolddefinition
ofroad/railtransport,includingthereferencetothe
'nearestsuitablerailloading/unloadingstation'.This
shouldbereplacedby'themostsuitableloading/
unloadingstationwithin150km'.
DoneatBrussels,24November1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN