Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on "Alternative traffic in towns"

(1999/C 293/11)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the decision taken by its bureau on 10 march 1999, under the 4th paragraph of article 198c of the treaty establishing the european community, to direct commission 4 for spatial planning, urban issues, energy and environment to draw up the opinion "alternative traffic in towns";

having regard to the contribution of commission 3 - trans-european networks, transport, information society (co-rapporteur: Mr Gustâv);

having regard to the draft opinion (cdr 105/99 rev 1) adopted by commission 4 on 16 april 1999 (rapporteur: Ms Sally Powell, co-rapporteur: Mr Gustâv),

adopted the following opinion at its plenary session of 2 and 3 June 1999 (meeting of 3 June).

1. Introduction

The Alternative Traffic In Towns (ALTER) project was launched at the first joint Environment and Transport Minister's European Council in April 1998 by UK Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott with the support of European Commissioners Bjerregaard, Kinnock and Papoutsis.

The project aims to create a clear and rising demand for zero and low emission vehicles among European local and regional authorities. In this way, it is hoped to permit volume production and lower costs for both public and private users of such vehicles.

The ALTER project has three main provisions, which local and regional authorities are asked to agree. These provisions are:

- to renew municipal transport vehicles on a clean or near zero emission basis, as soon as it is feasible;

- to undertake, where practical, to convert those vehicles with extended lifetimes to lower emission or cleaner fuels;

- to introduce and progressively extend areas of cities to which only traffic with clean or near zero emissions would have access.

These provisions are set out in the "Declaration on Alternative traffic in Towns" that local and regional authorities are being asked to sign. The full declaration is annexed to this report.

The declaration was launched at the Florence Convention which took place in October 1998. Already about 130 European municipalities have signed up to the ALTER declaration. The convention received a great deal of interest from the motor industry, who attended in significant numbers.

2. General comments

The Committee of the Regions offers its wholehearted support to the aims and objectives of the ALTER project. The Committee of the Regions recognizes that Alter appreciates that there is a continued need for traffic to sustain the life of our cities and their peoples and that the promotion of low emission vehicles must be compatible with efficient transportation. It welcomes and emphasises the fact that local authorities themselves can adjust its measures to different current economic, social and traffic conditions in different parts of the European Union.

Alternative Traffic in Towns is a key subject of interest to European local and regional authorities. The Committee of the Regions is keen to help ensure the success of the project.

ALTER recognizes the need for policy integration across different policy areas, something for which the Committee of the Regions has long argued. The ALTER initiative takes a holistic approach by involving all levels of government and covering transport, energy, spatial planning and the environment. It facilitates the use of clean or near zero emission vehicles whilst simultaneously encouraging the extension of zones that are open only to these types of vehicles.

The integrated approach includes employment and social inclusion. There are exciting employment benefits that are linked to ALTER. For example, the significant job opportunities arising from the labour intensive work involved in converting existing vehicles. Training in the necessary skills can be given to the unemployed.

In coordinating joint action by a very large number of municipalities across Europe, ALTER can demonstrate that there is a major potential demand for clean vehicles which will justify transition from prototype to volume production, with lower unit costs for producers and lower prices for both municipalities and private users.

Through such a major demand shift, ALTER can enhance a range of Commission sponsored projects which have promoted the purchase of clean vehicle prototypes, or the use of cleaner fuels. In so doing, it can assist governments, the European Commission and local and regional authorities to fulfill their commitments to improve the quality of the urban environment.

The project seeks to involve all sectors - government, local government, business and others. The Committee fully endorses this approach. It is essential to recognize the need for all tiers of government and all sectors to work together to promote ALTER in an integrated way.

ALTER recognizes the need for a bottom-up approach. In line with Local Agenda 21 principles, ALTER understands the global impact achieved by local actions.

The COR is of the opinion that it is essential to reinforce the ALTER-project in a way which guarantees influence from local and regional authorities, stimulates cooperation and exchange of experiences between all parts involved and provides information about the progress of the project in different cities and regions in the Union.

The exchange of good practice between authorities is vital to strengthen the scope of the ALTER project. In addition, it is necessary to implement a coherent communications policy about projects which come under this programme so that the general public in the EU see how they are affected.

3. Recommendations

The Committee of the Regions welcomes the initiative of EU Ministers and European Commissioners in initiating the ALTER proposal. If successful, ALTER could lead to significant improvements to the lives of European citizens. The Committee will work to promote the initiative and ensure the project's success.

By endorsing the ALTER project, the Committee of the Regions calls on all European local and regional authorities to sign up to the ALTER declaration, thereby increasing and accelerating its impact.

However willing, local and regional authorities are not always able to carry out the work of promoting alternative forms of transport in isolation. Many municipalities do not have the financial resources or powers to undertake this work.

The Committee therefore welcomes the indications from the European Investment bank that it can co-finance both urban infrastructure projects related to the ALTER project and the purchase of clean vehicle fleets, and from the European Investment Fund that it can offer venture capital and loan guarantees for SME investment in developing and producing clean vehicle technology, and SME development of facilities for conversion of vehicles to cleaner fuel use.

Schedules for the introduction of supporting measures to stimulate the use of low emission vehicles, e.g. zones for clean cars only, has to consider local conditions, alternative routes available etc. and give the operators reasonable time to adapt themselves to the new rules. This is especially essential for goods distributors and for public transport.

The Committee asks that the other European institutions, Member State governments, business, especially the motor industry, and all other interested organizations to commit themselves to the ALTER project and facilitate the involvement of local and regional authorities. In particular, the Committee calls on these organizations to:

- publicly commit to ALTER, thereby raising awareness about the project;

- assure sufficient core finance for ALTER to sustain integrated liaison between municipalities and producers of vehicles and less polluting fuels in its implementation and to help municipalities (particularly the least prosperous) to implement the accompanying measures needed to promote the use of cleaner vehicles and to replace or adapt the vehicles they have;

- increase financial support for organizations keen to promote Alternative Traffic in Towns, as local and regional authorities do not always have sufficient resources;

- encourage the use of low emission vehicles as part of an integrated and sustainable transport policy. Accompanying measures could include parking zones, park and ride schemes, cycle and pedestrian facilities and so on depending on local conditions;

- increase support for research and technological development work on issues concerned with alternative traffic and particularly the use of less polluting fuels;

- cooperate fully in enabling local level initiatives to introduce and extend zones to which only traffic with clean or near zero emissions would have access.

Brussels, 3 June 1999.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Manfred DAMMEYER

APPENDIX

Of the Committee of the Regions

The Declaration of Florence on alternative Traffic in Towns

In view of the atmospheric and noise pollution of our cities from vehicle emissions, the damage caused by this to the health of our citizens, and the resulting degradation of our heritage and environment,

With regard for the need to advance the Rio de Janeiro and Kyoto inter-governmental agreements on the environment,

Appreciating, that there is continued need for traffic to sustain the life of our cities and their peoples, and that this need should, first and foremost, be met by the development of an efficient and environmentally sustainable public transport network;

Recognising the progress shown by many vehicle manufacturers in prototyping or producing cleaner emission vehicles;

Conscious that the efficient coordination of information from European Towns and cities can identify, organise and programme a cumulative increase in demand, to enable manufacturers to plan the production of cleaner emission vehicles and thus to accelerate transition from prototypes into volume production,

Realizing that a rising demand for clean emission vehicles should enable producers to lower costs, and achieve more competitive prices for the purchase of clean emission or near zero emission vehicles by public authorities and corporate and private users,

Allowing that towns and cities in most cases are not responsible for country, provincial, regional or national roads, but,

Anticipating that joint action by towns and cities, by changing the cost of clean traffic, will influence the readiness of highway authorities to cooperate in the extension of the areas to which regulations concerning clean traffic will in due course apply,

Understanding that the ALTER (Alternative Traffic in Towns) Project implies that subscribing cities:

- Agree, from as soon as feasible, to renew their own transport on a clean or near zero emission basis;

- Undertake, where practical, to convert those of their vehicles with extended lifetimes to lower emission or cleaner fuel;

- Introduce and progressively extend areas of their cities to which only traffic with clean or near zero emissions would have access;

- Decide themselves the categories of vehicles and the date from which measures taken to implement these three main commitments would apply;

- Commit themselves to inform ALTER-Europe of the categories and anticipated number of vehicles concerned in implementing these measures so that the new demand by such categories can be aggregated and transmitted to manufacturers and fuel suppliers;

With respect to the above, and on its/her behalf hereby solemnly subscribe the town/city of ............................ to the aims and objectives indicated above, which will, following its discussion and proposals for amendments, provide the basis for a joint declaration to be signed by all the cities present at the Convention of European Cities at Florence on 23-24 October.

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