WRITTEN QUESTION P-3744/00

by Theodorus Bouwman (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(29 November 2000)

Subject: Transport policy: transport prevention

In its Opinion on long-term goods transport policy, part 2 (August 1999) the Netherlands Council for Transport, Public Works and Water Management refers to transport prevention as a policy option with a view to restricting the growing transport needs in the Netherlands. The Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management writes in its 2000 National Transport Plan that a transport prevention policy is being developed. The aim of transport prevention is to do away with the link between economic growth and the growth in transport requirements. The policy operates in three ways: 1. reducing product volume; 2. reducing transport distances; and 3. reducing return traffic flows.

At present the Ministry is subsidising various projects and investigating the possibility of putting this policy into practice in other ways. These projects include: making products smaller and lighter by means of new designs, dehydration of products, regional production/consumption of products, and the transformation of part of the production chain into virtual form (virtual auction).

Since the Commission is making efforts to achieve a sustainable European transport sector, and since the Transport Council supports these efforts (The Council will achieve progress on environment-relevant Commission proposals mldr 2 204th Council meeting, Luxembourg, 6 October 1999), I should like to ask the following questions:

1. Is the Commission familiar with this policy trend in the Netherlands?

2. Is the concept of transport prevention policy being debated in other countries?

3. Does the Commission consider that transport prevention is a sensible policy option in the interest of reducing transport needs?

4. In its new transport White Paper, does the Commission give any consideration to transport prevention? If so, in what form? If not, does the Commission see any opportunities for transport prevention at EU level? Is it prepared to encourage transport prevention through studies and policy initiatives? Within what time-frame?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(21 December 2000)

1. The Commission is aware of the efforts of the Dutch government to reduce the negative impacts of transport using a whole series of measures.

2. The growing negative impact of transport on society has caused policy makers to consider ways of reducing it through decoupling transport growth from economic growth. The issue is discussed in a number of Member States, and the United Kingdom Government has undertaken extensive work in this area.

3. Transport prevention is understood to imply a broad objective to reduce the negative impact of transport. However there are various ways to achieve this objective. Rather than focussing on transport as a negative element in the economy, Commission policy acknowledges the major benefits that transport has provided in the development of Europe, but aims to reduce the negative consequences. The Commission's objectives focus on ways to reduce the negative impacts of transport (such as levying charges to reduce congestion or environmental emissions and investments in alternative forms of transport infrastructure to ensure a modal shift to more benign forms of transport). Such measures are considered to be more appropriate than a general strategy of transport reduction.

4. The forthcoming white paper, due early in 2001, will address the issue of the impact of transport in some detail, and outline the measures necessary to reduce this impact effectively. Redressing modal shift (from road freight to rail, from urban car use to public transport) and reflecting more accurately transport costs of journeys, are two clear means of reducing unnecessary transport journeys or journeys with social costs exceeding the private benefits, whilst allowing socially beneficial transport to grow.

The Commission is working to develop measures for application at the level of the Community. In those instances where the Community has competence, specific proposals will be made. For some measures, such as regional or urban transport, national or regional transport plans are more appropriate.

The Commission is open to specific suggestions regarding appropriate Community studies and research in this area to discover further policies the Commission could propose to reduce the cost and negative impact of transport on society.