Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the mid-term review of the European Commission's 2001 Transport White Paper
Date: 2007-02-14
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: carriage of goods, organisation of transport, trans-European network, transport infrastructure, transport network, transport policy

30.6.2007

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 146/85

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the mid-term review of the European Commission's
2001 Transport White Paper

(2007/C 146/13)

THE COMMITTE OF THE REGIONS

— considers as the primary objective of the European Transport Policy is to lay the foundations for effec-
tive and sustainable trans-European transport. This involves focusing on the weak points of the TEN-T
network at cross-border level, above all by improving the situation in border zones, vestiges of the
Iron Curtain that divided Europe, as well as the borders of the current EU27 with the candidate coun-
tries (Croatia, Turkey), and EU borders with neighbouring states and regions, such as the Mediterra-
nean countries of North Africa and the transport node of the Straits of Gibraltar

— would also like to emphasise that the objectives of the European Transport Policy should primarily be
achieved through the creation of a legal and an institutional framework that would enable various
stakeholders (market players, etc.) to operate with parity in the transport sector. Regulation and inter-
vention from public funds must be accepted only where necessary due to the failure of the market
and must be bearable for the budgets of the Member States, regions and cities

— considers it a matter of priority to rebalance the modal distribution of land transport, avoiding the
concentration of traffic flows almost exclusively on Europe's roads. At the same time, the Committee
considers it necessary to deploy strategies to promote intermodality and multimodality in such a way
as to ensure the overall efficiency of transport systems.

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THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

Having regard to the White Paper on European transport policy issued in 2001, which established the
broad outlines of this policy up to 2010 and also provided for a mid-term review of its implementation in
2006, and to the Communication on Freight Transport Logistics in Europe — The key to sustainable mobi-
lity (COM(2006) 336 final;

Having regard to the decision of the Bureau of 25 April 2006 to instruct the COTER Commission to draw
up an opinion on this subject;

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament
of 22 June 2006: Keep Europe moving — Sustainable mobility for our continent: Mid-term review of the European
Commission's 2001 Transport White Paper;

Having regard to its previous opinions, in particular — White Paper European Transport Policy for 2010: time
to decide (CdR 54/2001 fin) (1); TEN-T corridors: lever for growth and instrument for EU cohesion (CdR 291/2003
fin) (2); Low cost companies and regional development (CdR 63/2004 fin) (3); Community guidelines on financing of
airports and start-up aid to airlines departing from regional airports (CdR 76/2005 fin); Safety of all modes of trans-
port, including the issue of financing (CdR 209/2005 fin); Third package of legislative measures in favour of maritime
safety (CdR 43/2006 fin);

Having regard to its draft opinion (CdR 119/2006 rev. 2) adopted on 11 December 2006 by its Commis-
sion for Territorial Cohesion Policy (rapporteur: Mr Jan Zahradník (EPP/CZ) (President of the Regional
Council of South Bohemia (Hejtman Jihočeského kraje));

adopted the following opinion at its 68th plenary session, held on 13-14 February 2007 (meeting of
14 February):

Having regard to

cross-border regions, regions surrounding large conurbations
and in industrial heartlands.

1)
the outcome of the public consultations conducted by the
Commission in connection with the Mid-term review of the
White paper on European transport policy;

The renewed Lisbon Strategy,

the observations

2)
Europe's regions and cities in these public consultations;

submitted by the representatives of

3)
worldwide developments, progress in European integration
and the growth of the European transport sector over the last
five years, which has been characterised by a number of new
aspects, in particular:

European Union enlargement in 2004 and 2007, in which:

— twelve new Member States joined the European Union and
approximately

geographical
increased
1 100 000 km2 (36 % of the area of the EU15);

area

by

its

— which acknowledges that GDP growth has not reached the

levels anticipated;

— which attaches particular importance to the development of
the transport sector as a key vector for economic growth;

— which views the EU's transport policy as a determining

factor for supporting the competitiveness of the EU;

— which continues to treat mobility as a key objective of the

EU's transport policy.

— the transport infrastructure of the new Member States was,
and continues to be, of an incomparably lower standard
than in the EU15;

Insufficient funding,

— the establishment of the internal market in these Member
States has led to a soaring rise in the volume of traffic, parti-
cularly in the road haulage;

— the transport networks in the new Member States are not
ready to cope with these new conditions, particularly in

(1) OJ C 192 of 12.8.2002, p. 8.
(2) OJ C 109 of 30.4.2004, p. 10.
(3) OJ C 318 of 22.12.2004, p. 7.

— where the level of expenditure on transport infrastructure in
all EU Member States has fallen below 1 % of GDP and the
2007-2013 financial perspective allocates funds of EUR 8
billion to the sector (despite the Commission's estimated
requirement of at least EUR 20 billion);

— where the 30 priority TEN-T projects alone require an esti-
mated EUR 250 billion (0.16 % of Europe's GDP) and the
implementation of all European projects requires a further
EUR 600 billion.

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The globalisation of the world economy,

programmes, can lead to improvements
regional transport.

in urban and

— which is marked by a growth in trade between Europe and
Asian markets in particular and has led to new requirements
in terms of capacity, orientation, compatibility, and the
modal structure of the European transport network;

— where only the air and sea transport sectors are truly global.

1. General observations

The risk of terrorism,

— where the terrorist attacks in New York, Madrid and London
have demonstrated the vulnerability of transport systems,
whose security and reliability are under threat.

And having regard to the interests of Europe's regions and
cities in the light of familiar facts, especially that:

— their integration into the trans-European transport system
and the TEN-T network is a vital precondition for taking full
advantage of the free market and will have a direct impact
on their competitiveness and economic performance;

— the development of transport infrastructures facilitates trade,
which is a driver of economic growth, contributes to terri-
torial cohesion and enables the construction of a Europe
that is close to its citizens and their municipalities;

— the only effective way of interconnecting the enlarged EU
and improving territorial cohesion is to supply the missing
links and remove the obstacles hampering the main axes of
to extend the main
the trans-European TEN-T network,
corridors of this network to neighbouring countries and
regions and to tackle existing weaknesses in cross-border
regions;

— although this is trans-European transport,

its positive and
negative impact can also be felt at local and regional level
since it is closely connected to regional development and
urban planning;

— conversely, regional and urban transport is responsible for a
significant proportion of all adverse effects of
transport,
such as CO2 emissions, noise pollution and losses due to the
rate of accidents;

— regional and local authorities hold a direct remit for estab-
and urban transport
lishing and developing regional
systems, creating the conditions for their more effective
operation, and improving their safety and reliability;

— a joint approach at all levels, from the EU institutions to
local government, and one which is founded on the prin-
ciple of effective subsidiarity, cooperation, the pooling of
stimulus
appropriate
information

economic

and

1.1
The Committee of the Regions shares the Commission's
view that mobility must lie at the heart of the key objectives of
both EU transport policy and the renewed Lisbon Strategy,
through the development of efficient, safe, sustainable and reli-
able forms of
transport, with a particular emphasis on co-
modality.

1.2
The Committee of the Regions notes that transport is
part of the bedrock of the European integration process, namely
the freedom of movement of persons and goods.
It is also
closely related to the EU's intended development path, namely
economic growth. It therefore goes against the idea of European
integration to contemplate regulating this sector through unsys-
tematic restrictions and limitations, because there are no simple
solutions here.
Instead new legislative measures must be
adopted to liberalise differentially the various branches of the
transport sector in accord with local and regional conditions
harmonise the conditions applicable to the different modes of
transport and promote their interoperability and cooperation.

In the view of

the
1.3
primary objective of the European Transport Policy is to
lay the foundations for effective and sustainable trans-European
transport. This involves:

the Committee of

the Regions,

— developing an unregulated transport market,

— developing

a

homogeneous

trans-European

transport

network (TEN-T),

— completing missing links and removing obstacles hampering

the main trans-European transport networks TEN-T,

— connecting the main axes of this network to those of neigh-
bouring countries and regions, which will encourage terri-
torial cohesion, even in peripheral regions at
the EU's
borders,

— focusing on the weak points of the TEN-T network at cross-
border level, above all by improving the situation in border
zones, vestiges of the Iron Curtain that divided Europe, as
well as the borders of the current EU27 with the candidate
countries (Croatia, Turkey), and EU borders with neigh-
bouring states and regions, such as the Mediterranean coun-
tries of North Africa and the transport node of the Straits of
Gibraltar

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— ensuring that regions and cities enjoy widespread and easy
access to trans-European transport networks, thus increasing
territorial cohesion,

— boosting trans-European networks and develop major infra-
structures that will improve connections between (at least)
the most populated regions of each Member State and the
rest of the EU, with the aim of fully developing the internal
market and raising awareness of Europe.

1.5
The Committee of the Regions would also like to empha-
sise that the objectives of the European Transport Policy should
primarily be achieved through the creation of a legal and an
institutional framework that would enable various stakeholders
(market players, etc.) to operate with parity in the transport
sector. Regulation and intervention from public funds must be
accepted only where necessary due to the failure of the market
and must be bearable for the budgets of the Member States,
regions and cities.

— making effective use of all available transport modes in
trans-European networks in order to fully exploit the capa-
city, interoperability and synergies of existing infrastructure,

— building new infrastructures for trans-European transport in
those areas where existing facilities,
though meeting the
above condition, are inadequate, so as to resolve problems
in congested areas,

— removing physical,

technical and organisational barriers
which prevent the maximum flow of goods and people, or
their transport between Member States,

Taking into account the findings of

1.6
the 2001 White
Paper, the Committee of the Regions believes that in order to
achieve the objectives of the European transport policy,
it is
necessary that:

— the future instruments of

the European transport policy
have a clearly defined structure that reflects the above priori-
ties,

— meeting the demands of trans-continental transport as effec-
tively as possible by taking into account the current expanse
of the EU and geographical distribution of all its Member
States,

— the package of instruments and measures established in line
with these priorities be structured in accordance with the
principle of true subsidiarity to create coherent sets specific
i.e. based on their
to each level of public administration,
powers or responsibility,

— organising transport in an effective manner, allocation of
through

capacities
market based instruments, such as trade in transit rights,

in sensitive areas

(sensitive regions)

The Committee of

the Regions believes that

the EU
1.4
Transport Policy also has a secondary role: to adopt a joint
approach for resolving problems that would be addressed less
effectively at the level of the individual Member State, region or
city, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, in particu-
lar by:

— softening the impact that transport has on the natural envir-
onment, e.g. by honouring commitments made under the
Kyoto protocol on CO2 emissions,

— ensuring the energy sustainability of transport and using

alternative sources of energy, including biofuels,

— raising safety standards, and reducing the risk of road trans-

port accidents,

— promoting innovative approaches in the transport sector,

— allowing the EU as a whole, and thus each Member State, to

adapt to changes on the global transport market.

— sufficient financial resources be allocated for the implemen-
tation of these instruments and measures, and at all levels
where transport has an impact on the EU's economic perfor-
mance and its citizens' quality of life.

1.7
The Committee considers it essential that the necessary
means be made available to enable regional government to
participate in the drafting of European transport policy. The
mid-term review of the White Paper does not clearly define the
role to be played by the regions in this context.

1.8
The Committee of the Regions believes that in its present
form the Mid-term review of the White Paper does not identify
plainly enough any clear priorities for each proposed initiative
and is concerned that the document could prove to be less effec-
tive as a result. It therefore recommends reordering the list of
actions (Work Book — Selection of Main Actions) by presenting
them not in chronological order but in the order of priority of
the various objectives and the relevant areas of responsibility, in
accordance with the principle of subsidiarity. The Committee of
the Regions considers that coordinators must be appointed who
have responsibility for particular actions. It also believes that the
objective of these initiatives lies not in the publication of a
document but in the real changes that its rigorous implementa-
tion would lead to.

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Furthermore, the Committee of

1.9
the Regions calls for
examination of whether the same results could be obtained
through the application of market mechanisms in the transport
sector before adopting any more regulations or any more action
on the part of the public authorities.

many regions it constitutes the sole means of ensuring accessi-
bility and mobility. Intermodal links are especially important for
the optimisation of the overall transport system.

the 2006 White Paper

In the light of the above points, the Committee of the
1.10
Regions proposes that
include the
subheading Time to Act to echo that of the 2001 White Paper
Time to Change. The only method of ensuring that these results
will be achieved is to systematically transpose the decisions
adopted at European level into the transport policies of the indi-
vidual Member States and,
in turn, of the regional and city
administrations until they have been effectively implemented.

2. Land transport

2.1
The Committee of the Regions considers it a matter of
priority to rebalance the modal distribution of land transport,
avoiding the concentration of traffic flows almost exclusively on
Europe's roads. At the same time, the Committee considers it
necessary to deploy strategies to promote intermodality and
multimodality in such a way as to ensure the overall efficiency
of transport systems.

2.6
Against the current background of cut-backs in public
investment, the Committee considers that it is right to promote
the high-speed rail routes included in TEN-T as priority projects.
But high-speed rail links complementary to TEN-T also deserve
support. Efforts should therefore be made to identify and
develop high-speed rail projects which, although not included in
TEN-T, are parallel and complementary sustainable transport
projects and which should therefore be considered for EU finan-
cing.

2.7
The Committee of the Regions welcomes the European
Commission's proposal for intelligent payment systems for the
use of infrastructure and also its ideas on the allocation of capa-
city in conurbations and sensitive regions by means of market-
based instruments, such as trade in transit rights.

2.8
Although the initiatives set out in the White Paper to
promote more sustainable modes of transport, such as rail and
maritime transport, should be firmly supported, it also has to
be recognised that many regions do not have suitable rail or
maritime transport infrastructure. In this case, a shift of road
transport
towards environmentally more sustainable modes
would require significant investment in such infrastructure.

2.2
The Committee of the Regions particularly welcomes the
Commission's proposal to step up efforts to remove the tech-
nical and operational obstacles hampering international rail
transport as well as to support positive, effective unification and
standardisation of rolling stock;

3. Air transport

2.3
Furthermore, the Committee of the Regions believes that
to increase the competitiveness of rail transport vis-à-vis land
transport and to ensure it takes its fair share of the global
volume of traffic, it is particularly necessary to harmonise the
conditions governing the rail and land transport sectors, as
outlined in the 2001 White Paper.

3.1
The Committee of the Regions welcomes the new surge
in the development of regional airports and low-budget airlines
which has made air transport more affordable for passengers in
recent years, thereby providing them with a viable alternative to
long-distance land transport. At the same time, however, the
negative side effects of this trend must not be forgotten.

Experience shows that the process of liberalisation has a
2.4
significant impact on the legal relationship between the rail
operator and its clients, suppliers, service users and staff, as well
as on ownership. The Committee of
the Regions therefore
recommends working out of an assessment of the impact of
liberalisation measures already taken in certain member states
and drafting a common approach at European level for liberal-
ising individual rail operators, based on the experiences of
certain Member States.
introducing a
minimum legal
framework for ensuring an appropriate and
balanced protection of the rights of all stakeholders affected by
liberalisation of the network based transport sector (transport
providers, users and regulators, or public administrative or
monitoring bodies and employees).

It also recommends

2.5
The Committee of the Regions notes that land transport
continues to play a vital role for cities and regions and that for

In line with its previous opinions, the Committee of the
3.2
Regions wishes to stress the importance of regional airports for
regional development and territorial cohesion (establishing links
between regions,
increasing mobility, taking advantage of the
benefits of free circulation, economic development, the rehabili-
tation of peripheral and less developed regions).
It therefore
welcomes
initiative to create conditions
allowing the further development of air transport in the inter-
regional air transport market.

the Commission's

Equally,

the Committee of

3.3
the Regions reiterates its
earlier calls to strike a balance between the need for transpar-
ency and admissibility regarding state aid and the ability of local
and regional authorities to finance regional airports and develop
new routes allowing them to link their regions with the rest of
the European market.

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3.4
In the light of the special situation of the outermost
regions, in which maritime and air transport are their only link
with the rest of the European Union and the world, they should
be allowed necessary exemptions from any measures to combat
the impact of the air and maritime transport sectors on climate
change. These regions' emissions of greenhouse gases are less
than 0.5 % of the EU total for these sectors and they in no way
threaten to compromise the international agreements entered
into by the European Union in this field.

regard to the Commission's call
for improved coordination
between the various EU policies (transport policy, energy and
environmental policy), the Committee of the Regions points to
a fundamental conflict which often exists in the approach to
building internal waterways. Thus the requirement
to build
waterways and develop inland shipping as a viable alternative to
land transport is often compromised by the impossibility of
implementing these measures due to regulations based on the
excessive application of environmental restrictions.

4. Waterborne transport

The Committee of the Regions warmly welcomes the
4.1
Commission's recommendations to continue developing short
sea shipping and ‘motorways of the sea’ as an alternative to land
transport. It draws attention to the fact that it has previously
urged that:

The Committee believes that the measures to be pursued
4.9
regarding motorways of the sea should include a sound analysis
of the impact on existing port systems and should define the
ways in which any such negative impact would be remedied,
setting out how discriminate aid will be determined in order to
resolve the various remoteness and insularity issues that will
arise.

the operational programmes for 2007-2013 provide for
4.2
implementing
transport
(combating pollution, ensuring safe transport, managing the
infrastructure of waterways);

supporting maritime

projects

The Committee

4.10
regulations
believes
governing the development of aid for motorways of the sea
should formally involve the regions.

future

that

greater efforts be made to increase capacity and develop
4.3
infrastructure
the
construction of logistics distribution networks, with a particular
emphasis on port infrastructures in island areas;

allowing land access

facilities,

to port

5. Urban and regional transport systems

4.4
the EU's island areas be connected to the ‘motorways of
the sea’ system in order to improve their access to the single
market.

4.5
Furthermore, the Committee of the Regions welcomes
the Commission's proposal to develop a common European
maritime space, to assist the development of the single market
in this area.

5.1
The Committee of the Regions notes that the principle to
apply in urban transport more than anywhere else is that the
best transport is no transport at all. This is not about measures
for the transport sector alone but also legislation for town plan-
ning and regional development, as well as housing policy. This
is all the more true in the case of the new Member States,
where there is often a need to implement instruments that
enable people to move house for work-related reasons, to liber-
alise the housing market, etc.

4.6
The Committee of the Regions also welcomes the legisla-
tive measures planned for ports and expresses an interest in
taking part in the discussions ahead of their drafting. Moreover,
it wishes to stress the importance of the links between ports
and the towns or regions where they are located.

5.2
The Committee of the Regions welcomes the Commis-
sion's proposal to draft a Green Paper on Urban Transport and,
in its capacity as a representative of Europe's cities and regions,
it declares its willingness to take part in discussions with stake-
holders prior to its adoption.

4.7
The Committee of the Regions gives its backing to cities
and regions with important maritime ports that wish to connect
their land transport infrastructure to the TEN-T networks and
integrate the ‘landbridges’ or transcontinental long-distance land
transport routes.

the Committee of

the Regions notes that
4.8 Moreover,
inland shipping has long been underrated as an alternative to
land transport and welcomes the Commission's proposal to
create a programme supporting its development. Equally, with

5.3
At the same time, it notes that the greater the extent to
which urban and regional transport systems meet local needs,
the more effective they are. Accordingly, unlike trans-European
transport, it is very difficult to envisage every possible EU action
or standardisation in this particular field. In accordance with the
principle of subsidiarity, the EU's role should primarily involve
sharing know-how and creating a programme for the transfer
and implementation of tried and tested methods or for the
screening of
(transport organisation,
intelligent systems, environmentally friendly and energy efficient
fuels, mobility as a condition for regional development etc.).

innovative approaches

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this

transport

5.4
In view of the fact that transport problems are particu-
larly concentrated in large towns, conurbations and peri-urban
areas, and that the large-scale urbanisation of these zones makes
infrastructure very
building and modernisation of
expensive, close attention should be given at all levels to the
development of
infrastructure and equipping it with
modern technology, including support of infrastructure that is
not part of the TEN-T network as such.
It is important to
to help
encourage clean urban transport systems in order
reduce the pollution levels suffered by our cities, and thus
improve the quality of life of their inhabitants The Committee
of the Regions recommends that the Commission also includes
these factors in its analysis when drafting the Green Paper on
urban transport.

the Regions

The Committee of

5.5
requests
that
the
in urban
Commission put particular emphasis on transport
areas and that it duly check whether careful attention is paid to
urban transport and allocation of adequate financial resources in
each operational programme for 2007-2013. The Committee of
the Regions points out that urban transport is as important as
the trans-European transport network, as most transport routes
begin and end in towns and so it is towns themselves that are
the worst bottlenecks. High quality urban transport is therefore
a prerequisite for EU competitiveness and consequently for the
whole Lisbon Strategy, in terms of the mobility of both goods
and labour.

The Committee of the Regions believes that in order to
5.6
reduce the congestion of access routes into major cities, large
interchanges should be developed on the edges of cities, with
sufficient parking spaces (‘park and ride’)
to enable people
driving into the city to park their vehicles and then take public
transport, without any significant increase in journey time.

6. Optimising infrastructure and network accessibility

In the interest of ensuring sustainable trans-European
6.1
transport, the Committee of the Regions believes that the most
pressing task, along with completing the TEN-T European trans-
port network and building new infrastructure,
is to make it
easier to tap unused capacity in the existing infrastructure to the
full.

6.2
The Committee of the Regions warmly welcomes the
fact that the Commission considers the need to reduce conges-
tion and improve transport accessibility to be a priority task. In
its opinion, this is a necessary pre-condition for taking full
advantage of
the opportunities provided by the freedom of
movement, and for achieving greater territorial cohesion.

Nonetheless, the Committee of

6.3
the Regions does not
agree with the Commission's findings that Europe has a dense
transport network with a generally high quality infrastructure.
The Committee of the Regions wishes to draw attention to the
differences between the transport infrastructures of EU15 and
EU10 countries. At the same time, it notes that, owing to the

in 2004,

the state of

upsurge in transport in the new Member States following the
EU's enlargement
their network is
constantly deteriorating, causing the gap between the EU15 and
the EU10 to widen even more. For this reason, the Committee
of the Regions also recommends carrying out a detailed and
rigorous assessment of the transport infrastructure of the EU27
as part of the work on the mid-term review of the White Paper,
so as to provide the EU institutions with a better basis for
taking decisions in this field.

6.4
The Committee of the Regions also warns of the possibi-
lity of new bottlenecks forming on the main transport axes in
border zones and isolated peripheral regions located at the EU's
new external borders. For this reason, it is very important to
complete the process of revamping the TEN-T networks, which
proposes expanding these systems to encompass the EU's neigh-
bouring countries and regions.

The Committee of

the Regions also firmly supports
6.5
regional projects focusing on the development of
transport
infrastructure, in particular those with a cross-border dimension,
and calls on the Commission to continue to grant them favour-
able conditions
that are eligible for
funding under cohesion policy for 2007-2013 and inter-
regional cooperation programmes.

through programmes

support

instruments

6.6
The Committee of
the Regions also encourages the
(TEN-T
Commission to use financial
budget, EIB, EBRD, PPP etc.) and institutional instruments (Euro-
pean coordinator) to create a support programme for the rapid
elimination of cross-border bottlenecks and the completion of
missing links as part of the 30 priority EU TEN-T projects iden-
tified in 2004 as well as those which may subsequently have
been identified as necessary,
in order to ensure the uniform
nature of the TEN-T networks. Transport policies dealing with
this issue at national level have long proven to be ineffective,
which has had a particularly adverse effect on regional develop-
ment, territorial cohesion and the ability to take full advantage
of the opportunities provided by the freedom of movement and
cross-border
funding mechanisms
should be provided for other projects which complement TEN-T
projects, particularly those designed to improve accessibility:
road and rail links, port access, logistics centres linked to modal
interchanges, urban access, etc.

cooperation. Moreover,

6.7
At the same time, the Committee of the Regions also
draws attention to the need to rebalance the west-east and
north-south axes of the TEN-T corridors. In order to ensure the
more effective use of the capacity of the maritime ports in the
Adriatic and the Baltic, the Committee also proposes taking
account of the findings of the INTERREG IIIB A-B Landbridge
project, which covers this very issue, when extending the TEN-T
networks in the future. This project involves regions in Italy,
Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland and, further
afield, regions in non-EU Member States such as Norway and
Croatia.

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7. Interoperability and standardisation of modes of trans-

port

7.1
The Committee of the Regions cautiously welcomes the
principle of co-modality as defined in the mid-term review of
the White Paper on European Transport and shares the opinion
that each mode of transport has a specific role to play in the
European transport system. The only means of optimising trans-
port naturally is through true interoperability between the
various modes of transport under fair market conditions. In
reality, there is only one ‘transport service’
(the demand for
transport services), which relies on the best available transport
solutions (modes of transport). The only way to improve the
European transport situation is to establish equal conditions for
all modes of transport, and not favour one particular mode over
another. The unwelcome fact
is very
successful even in those segments of
the transport market
where rail, waterborne and combined transport would be less
environmentally damaging is due not only to insufficient
harmonisation between the various modes, external costs, unre-
solved interoperability in the rail sector and the sector's incom-
plete transformation, but also the inadequate technical level of
rail and combined transport. For this reason, research and devel-
opment must be supported not only in telematics and informa-
tion systems, but also in rail transport and combined transport
technologies, and effective standardisation, unification and
harmonisation.

road transport

that

However,

7.2
the Committee would like to reiterate its
commitment to a proactive EU modal-transfer policy towards
the least polluting modes of transport, in light of the EU's Kyoto
Protocol commitments.

7.3
Following the line of argument mentioned in para-
graph 7.1., the Committee of the Regions proposes continuing
in drafting and implementing the rules for internalisation of
external costs in transport. The goal is establishing a common
European framework to create an open-access, toll-based road
infrastructure and revitalised fare-based railroads, which are a
necessary condition for full intra-modal competition. The fees
should not only be used to cover the costs of construction and
maintaining infrastructure (although in economies in transition
this will be a considerable source of revenue), but should also
serve as an instrument that responds automatically to infrastruc-
ture needs, thereby increasing user rates and taking account of
the full
internal and external costs — including the environ-
mental costs — of each mode of transport. Last but not least,
fees will be factored into the price of products and so should
also serve as a natural market regulator of excessive demand for
transport, the best transport being no transport at all.

7.4
The Committee of the Regions believes that new intelli-
gent payment systems are the way forward for improving traffic
flow, making effective use of existing infrastructure and
preventing congestion. Support should only be given to those
fair, booked in the
payment systems that are transparent,

accounts, enable external costs in particular to be invoiced and
have a simple tariff that is also sufficiently variable to make the
best use of the infrastructure in terms of space and time. This
fee should be of an equivalent value across Europe and not
simply divert transport from toll roads to free-of-charge trans-
port routes.
the Regions
would like to reiterate its support for the Galileo project which,
if it is correctly introduced in all EU Member States, could
provide such a system.

the Committee of

In this respect,

To increase support for the Galileo satellite navigation
7.5
system and its uniform use in transport throughout Europe, or
at least to better promote the idea, especially among the new
Member States, the Committee of the Regions recommends that
the European Council locate the GNSS Supervisory Authority in
one of the new Member States and thus put them more at the
centre of such forward-looking projects (while also fulfilling its
informal promise in 2003 to locate European agencies in the
new Member States).

8. Logistics

8.1
The Committee of the Regions emphasises that in order
to improve the interoperability of individual modes of transport
it is also essential to adopt measures to promote the use of
logistics. Public transport logistics is a crucial link in ensuring
interoperability between modes in freight transport and is also
an important link in ensuring interoperability between modes
and the trade and industry sector. The right environment must
be created to ensure the development and efficiency of transport
logistics at European level.

8.2
The Committee of the Regions offers its assistance in
developing the proposed framework strategy for freight logistics
in Europe since the development of this segment has a signifi-
cant impact on regional development. Accordingly, it is involved
in numerous local authority projects, as well as regional devel-
opment strategies and urban projects, and also plays a role in
the conception of urban and regional transport systems and the
development of regional airports, ports on internal waterways
or public logistics centres, which should to all
intents and
purposes be considered as transport infrastructures forming part
of the networks to which they provide services.

8.3
The Committee of the Regions welcomes the intention
of the European Commission to adopt an action plan on freight
logistics in 2007. The Committee of the Regions is of the view
that the formulation of a framework strategy for freight logistics
in Europe should also be accompanied by an assessment of how
a transport policy can promote a shift of freight from road to
rail; using more effective, economical, natural and market
respected tools then before. These measures, which could be
fiscal or legislative, should be supported by targeted assistance,
capable of acting as a catalyst.

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9. Safety

9.1
The Committee of the Regions expresses concern that
the number of road-related deaths is still unacceptably high in
the EU25, despite a steady long-term improvement in these
figures. It wholeheartedly supports the Commission's proposal
to tackle the issue of road safety in a comprehensive manner, by
focusing on user conduct, vehicle construction and technology,
and the quality of infrastructure.

The Committee of

the Regions notes that, given the
9.2
continued increase in the mobility of persons and goods across
the whole EU area,
it is logical to assume that the Member
States will continue their discussions on standardising and
homogenising national road traffic rules and regulations to
make them easier to understand for drivers and other infrastruc-
ture users. This will also help increase safety, reduce the number
of accidents and balance the competitiveness of commercial
transport provision.

9.3
The Committee of the Regions is also in favour of stan-
dardising road signs, at the very least on the main trans-Euro-
pean routes, by ensuring their technical uniformity and intro-
safety,
for guaranteeing greater
ducing multilingual
including drawing on developments in telematic systems.

signs

10. Security

The Committee of the Regions notes the urgent need to
10.1
guarantee the security of
the
terrorist threat and supports a common approach to carrying
this out.

transport systems in view of

10.2
The Committee of the Regions urges the EU and the
Member States to adopt a joint approach in this field, given the
limited powers and opportunities that local and regional autho-
rities have in this field.

notes that logistics is not in itself the goal, but merely one of
the instruments by which this may be achieved. It is not the
sole instrument, since it can only work if lower elements of the
transport system are developed, among them infrastructure, tele-
matics (information systems in transport), interoperability and
appropriate transport modes. For this reason, we draw attention
to earlier points in this opinion regarding what we consider to
be fundamental steps towards improving the conditions for
European transport as a whole.

logistics. More than anything,

11.2
The Committee of the Regions welcomes the Commis-
sion's acknowledgement of the essentially commercial dimen-
sion of
it is the operation of
market forces that encourages better use of transport units and
efficient use of transport links. In other words, it is an instru-
ment for improving the management of transport and ensuring
its efficient use. The question of quality marks must also be left
to businesses in the transport sector or sectoral organisations at
European level.

11.3
However, the Committee of the Regions takes the view
that, should market forces prove inadequate, legislative measures
are also a warranted means of achieving the desired goal of
mobility and freight logistics geared towards sustainability. A
key prerequisite for rail freight transport is also a comprehensive
system for modal
interchanges of standardized equipment of
freight transport. In order to create this possibility and thus
ensure that the network is used to full capacity economically, in
the event of market forces proving inadequate, back-up frame-
work conditions should be introduced, such as incentives or
legislation as a deliberate, albeit
to give
priority to the modes that appear inevitably to be supported in
local and regional
accord with tenable specific environmental
conditions.

temporary, effort

At

the same time,

the Committee of

10.3
the Regions
requests that EU bodies provide stakeholders in good time with
any proposals for measures in the field of system security that
could have a direct impact on the organisation and joint finan-
cing of regional and urban transport systems in order to allow
them to sufficiently debate and comment on the issue.

logistics

to be a key instrument

Consistent with its earlier points, the Committee of the
11.4
Regions considers
that
encourages regions and cities to adopt measures to ensure fast
and efficient transport through their territories with the fewest
possible drawbacks. The Committee also considers it important
to develop city logistics to improve the environment in urban
agglomerations by using all good practices in congestion elimi-
nation.

11. Freight transport logistics in Europe — the key to

sustainable mobility

The Committee of the Regions welcomes the European
11.1
Commission's initiative to create a strategic framework within
which to explore the methods and means by which the EU can
it
help to improve the European transport system. However,

As pointed out earlier in this opinion, the role of towns
11.5
and regions in the development of
logistics lies primarily in
providing the right conditions for transport and logistical facil-
ities and in supporting the creation of logistics centres. On this
particular front, the Committee of the Regions thinks EU action
could take the form of Cohesion policy instruments and the
transfer of knowledge and good practices.

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11.6
The Committee of the Regions considers it crucially
important to identify the impediments to better use of logistics
and, hence, to improvement of the European transport system.
inadequate infrastructure (bottle-
These impediments include:
necks, non-existent connections,
inadequate connection of
transport nodes and other elements of the transport system,
absence of public logistics centres), insufficient compatibility of
transport units (especially between EU 15 and EU 10+ coun-
tries) and obstacles of a technical and organisational character
(transfer of information between transport operators, common
consignment note, etc.). The European Commission's DG TREN
should play a positive role in identifying these obstacles.

The Committee also considers it crucial to develop new
11.7
transport management and information systems
(including
ERTMS and Galileo). At the same time, however, it stresses the
need to address the security of data systems, especially where an
open architecture environment is used.

11.8
The Committee of the Regions welcomes the European
Commission's undertaking to examine vocational training and
the certification of common European standards covering the
knowledge and experience of workers in logistics. At the same
time, it points out that this needs to be approached in partner-
ship with businesses in the logistics sector and the transport
sector generally or with their umbrella organisations at Euro-
pean level.

The Committee of the Regions also welcomes the Euro-
11.9
pean Commission's intention to take steps in relation to statis-
tical data on the evolution of logistics. As part of its approach,
the Commission should establish a set of
indicators which
would track and represent the development, performance, use
and so on of logistics networks.

11.10
The Committee of the Regions also points out the
need to focus at EU level not only on priority TEN-T projects,
but also on modernising and developing important transport

Brussels, 14 February 2007.

nodes. In order to make better use of logistics and to improve
European transport systems all the more, the ‘last mile’ phenom-
enon must also be overcome. To do this, reloading facilities and
facilities at the end of the logistics chain must be developed, in
particular linking major logistical hubs to all types of transport
link.

The Committee of the Regions also regards as crucial
11.11
the Commission's initiative on common European standards for
intermodal loading units in the EU. It would be very useful, for
example, if the EU were able to cut the number of configura-
tions of various types of containers and semi-trailers in order to
make the most of permitted dimensions.

transport

The Committee of the Regions points out that using
11.12
in the same transport network
various forms of
requires more than just a change in thinking:
frequently,
physical barriers are also involved. The new Member States, in
particular, lack not only the right transport links and reloading
facilities to allow combinations, but also the right transport
units. One way of improving matters in this area would be for
the European Investment Bank to adopt a favourable credit
policy or for Community aid to be given for purchasing vehicles
and for building terminals.

11.13
Finally, the Committee of the Regions recommends
that checks be made on the feasibility of the idea of an action
plan to support the creation of dedicated freight transport rail
networks. Nevertheless, it would like to draw attention to the
situation of the new Member States. However promising the
idea may be, it is reasonable to doubt whether there will be
sufficient investment to implement it. Member States and repre-
sentatives of the transport industry must focus their endeavours,
with EU support, on coordinating international freight timeta-
bles — to ensure, for example, that transit takes place predomi-
nantly during the night, when there is little passenger transport.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Michel DELEBARRE