Communication from the Commission - Action Plan for the Deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems in Europe
Date: 2008-12-16
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: energy use, environmental protection, information technology, intelligent transport system, road safety, road transport, transport infrastructure

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 20.3.2009 
COM(2008) 886 final/2 

CORRIGENDUM 
Annule et remplace le document COM(2008) 886 final du 16.12.2008 
(Ajout de l'action 1.3 - tableau section 6.1) 
Concerne toutes les versions 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

Action Plan for the Deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems in Europe 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

Action Plan for the Deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems in Europe 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The renewed Lisbon agenda on growth and jobs1 aims at delivering stronger, lasting 
growth and creating more and better jobs. Furthermore, the mid-term review of the 
2001  White  Paper2  stresses  the  key  role  of  innovation  in  ensuring  sustainable, 
efficient and competitive mobility in Europe. 

Against this background several major challenges have to be overcome for Europe’s 
transport system to play its full role in satisfying the mobility needs of the European 
economy and society: 

–  Road traffic congestion is estimated to affect 10 % of the road network, and yearly 

costs amount to 0.9-1.5 % of the EU GDP.3 

–  Road  transport  accounts  for  72 %  of  all  transport-related  CO2  emissions,  which 

increased by 32 % (1990-2005).4 

–  Whilst road fatalities are in regression (-24 % since 2000 in EU27) their number 
(42 953  fatalities  in  2006)  is  still  6 000  above  the  intended  target  of  a  50 % 
reduction in fatalities in the period 2001-2010.5 

These  challenges  are  even  more  pressing  with  forecasted  growth  rates  of  50 %  for 
freight transport and 35 % for passenger transport in the period from 2000 to 2020.6  

The main policy objectives arising from these challenges are for transport and travel 
to become: 

•  cleaner, 

•  more efficient, including energy efficient7, 

•  safer and more secure. 

It  is  however  clear,  that  conventional  approaches  such  as  the  development  of  new 
infrastructure,  will  not  give  the  necessary  results  on  the  timescales  required  by  the 
magnitude  of  these  challenges.  Innovative  solutions  are  clearly  needed  if  we  are  to 

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COM (2005) 24 
COM(2006) 314 
CEMT/ITF(2007):  Congestion,  a  Global  Challenge:  The  Extent  of  and  Outlook  for  Congestion  in 
Inland, Maritime and Air Transport 
DG TREN(2008): Energy and Transport in Figures 2007/08 
Cf. footnote 4 
Cf. footnote 2 
COM(2006) 545 

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achieve  the  rapid  progress  demanded  by  the  urgency  of  the  problems  at  hand.  It  is 
high time for Intelligent Transport Systems to play their due role in enabling tangible 
results to emerge.  

2. 

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS  

“Intelligent  Transport  Systems”  mean  applying  Information  and  Communication 
Technologies (ICT) to transport. These applications are being developed for different 
transport modes and for interaction between them (including interchange hubs).  

In  air  transport,  SESAR8  will  be  the  framework  for  the  implementation  of  a  new 
generation  of  air  traffic  management.  Inland  waterways  are  introducing  River 
Information  Services  (RIS)  to  manage  waterway  utilisation  and  the  transport  of 
freight.  The  railway  network  is  gradually  introducing  the  European  Rail  Traffic 
Management System (ERTMS) and Telematics Applications for Freight (TAF-TSI). 
Shipping has introduced SafeSeaNet and Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information 
Systems  (VTMIS)  and  is  progressing  towards  an  Automatic  Identification  System 
(AIS) and Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT). Examples of Intelligent 
Transport Systems applications in road transport include urban and motorway traffic 
management and control systems, electronic toll collection and route navigation. But 
until  now 
there  has  been  no  similar  coherent  European  framework  for 
interconnection between road and the other transport modes. 

3. 

SCOPE 

This  Action  Plan  aims  to  accelerate  and  coordinate  the  deployment  of  Intelligent 
Transport Systems (ITS) in road transport, including interfaces with other transport 
modes.  

The Action Plan outlines six priority areas for action. For each area a set of specific 
actions and a clear timetable are identified. Fulfilling them by setting a framework to 
define procedures and specification will call  for  the mobilisation of Member States 
and other stakeholders.  

Finally, this Action Plan will help to combine the resources and instruments available 
to deliver a substantial added value for the European Union. 

4. 

WHY A EUROPEAN APPROACH FOR ITS?  

ITS  can  create  clear  benefits  in  terms  of  transport  efficiency,  sustainability,  safety 
and  security,  whilst  contributing  to  the  EU  Internal  Market  and  competitiveness 
objectives. 

In  Europe,  there  have  been  a  number  of  activities  in  this  domain  since  the  1980s. 
These  activities  have  traditionally  focused,  albeit  often  in  an  uncoordinated  and 
fragmented  manner,  on  specific  areas  such  as  clean  and  energy-efficient  transport, 

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SESAR: Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research 

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road  congestion,  traffic  management,  road  safety,  security  of  commercial  transport 
operations or urban mobility. 

Despite  these  developments,  some  issues  need  to  be  addressed  from  a  European 
perspective to avoid the emergence of a patchwork of ITS applications and services: 
geographical continuity, interoperability of services and systems and standardisation. 
They  should  facilitate  pan-European  applications,  secure  accurate  and  reliable  real-
time data and an adequate coverage of all travelling modes.  

4.1. 

Greening of transport  

ITS applications have an essential role to play in the greening of transport9. 

Differentiated  charging  of  vehicles  by  Electronic  Toll  Collection  systems  for 
circulating on certain routes is a way to influence traffic demand.  

ITS  applications  for  journey  planning,  dynamic  in-vehicle  navigation  and  eco-
driving  support  also  contribute  to  congestion  relief,  to  greener  mobility  and  to  less 
energy consumption. 

The  “Green  transport  corridors”10  are  an  EU  initiative  to  promote  the  concept  of 
integrated  freight  transport,  with  transport  modes  complementing  each  other  to 
enable  more  environmentally  friendly  alternatives  for  long-distance  transport 
between  logistics  hubs.  Reliance  on  advanced  ITS  technology  is  essential  for 
achieving this goal. 

4.2. 

Improving transport efficiency 

Production and distribution of goods rely on efficient and cost-effective multi-modal 
logistic chains to organise their transport across the EU and beyond, especially when 
just-in-time  requirements  are  at  stake.  ITS  tools  constitute  a  core  enabler  for  the 
management of such logistic chains, notably in maintaining a paperless information 
trail in the management of the physical flow of goods (eFreight).  

Real-time Traffic and Travel Information (RTTI) services, more and more combined 
with satellite navigation, are now being offered from both public and private sources 
to facilitate mobility.  

In  many  parts  of  Europe  ITS  are  already  underpinning  effective  inter-urban  and 
urban  traffic  management,  fostering  modal  interchange  at  major  hubs  and  transfer 
points. 

In the longer term, cooperative systems based on vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-
to-infrastructure  (V2I)  and  infrastructure-to-infrastructure  (I2I)  communication  and 
exchange of information and, when appropriate, a GNSS11 positioning and time, will 
demonstrate their full potential. 

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COM(2008) 433 — Communication on Greening Transport 
COM(2007) 607 
Global Navigation Satellite System 

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4.3. 

Improving road safety and security 

Research and initial deployment have shown the great potential for improving road 
safety  of  Driver  Assistance  Systems  such  as  Electronic  Stability  Control  (ESC), 
Adaptive  Cruise  Control  (ACC),  Lateral  Support  (lane  departure  warning  and  lane 
change  assistant),  Collision  Warning  and  Emergency  Braking  Systems  and  other 
applications  such  as  eCall  (emergency  call),  driver  hypo-vigilance  systems,  “speed 
alert”  and  “alcohol-lock”.  ESC  and  eCall  alone12  could  save  up  to  6 500  lives  per 
year in the EU if fully deployed. 

Better use should be made of the newest active safety systems and advanced driver 
assistance systems with proven benefits in terms of in-vehicle safety for the vehicle 
occupants  and  other  road  users  (including  vulnerable  road  users).  The  European 
Statement  of  Principles  on  the  Human  Machine  Interface  (HMI)13  should  be 
extended to allow for the proliferation of nomadic devices.  

Navigation  and  tracking  and  tracing  systems  can  help  in  providing  remote  in-route 
monitoring of vehicles and cargo, e.g. for the transport of dangerous goods or living 
animals. They can guide truck drivers to secure parking areas, help to comply with 
existing  regulations  on  driving  times  and  rest  periods,  and  should  support  a  new 
generation of the digital tachograph. 

4.4. 

The EU added value in ITS deployment 

The potential of ITS can only be realised if its deployment in Europe is transformed 
from the limited and fragmented implementation that is observed today into an EU-
wide one. In this respect, the removal of existing barriers to ITS deployment will be 
pivotal. The EU has a clear role to play in creating the right framework conditions 
for accelerated and coordinated deployment of ITS: the policy priorities, the choice 
of  generic  ITS  components  to  be  shared  or  re-used,  and  agreement  on  a  clear 
timetable. 

Common European action can directly contribute to:  

•  addressing  the  complexity  of  ITS  deployment,  with  the  large  number  of 
stakeholders involved and the need to ensure synchronisation both geographically 
and between the various partners 

•  supporting the market penetration of advanced mobility services for the citizens, 

whilst promoting public transport alternatives to private car use 

•  enabling the generation of scale-effects for a more  cost-effective, faster  and  less 

risky deployment of ITS 

•  accelerating  the  current  pace  of  ITS  deployment  in  road  transport,  and  assuring 

the continuity of services throughout the Community  

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COM(2007) 541 
C(2008)1742 

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•  enhancing the leading role of the European ITS industry in worldwide markets by 
fostering the supply of innovative products and services to vehicle manufacturers, 
transport operators, logistics providers and users  

To  achieve  these  goals,  the  EU  can  make  use  of  several  instruments:  financial 
support, standardisation initiatives, legislative and non-legislative measures. 

5. 

CONSULTATIONS 

This Action Plan was prepared on the basis of input provided by wide consultation of 
stakeholders.  The  input  was  collected  via  a  fourfold  approach:  (i)  interviews  with 
high-level  stakeholders  from  the  private  and  public  sector;  (ii)  workshops;  (iii)  an 
internet questionnaire; (iv) targeted discussions in existing stakeholder forums. 

The interviews identified some principal needs. ITS deployment should be policy-led 
and responsibilities need to be clearly identified including the role for public-private 
cooperation.  For  stakeholder  coordination,  a  high-level  cross-sector  group  is 
necessary.  Most  consulted  stakeholders  think  that  the  European  Union  should  take 
more responsibility for further deployment of ITS. 

Traffic management, congestion relief on freight corridors and in cities, promotion of 
co-modality, in-vehicle safety systems, real time traffic and travel information and an 
open  in-vehicle  platform  to  integrate  applications  were  among  the  priority  issues 
identified. 

6. 

PRIORITY AREAS FOR ACTION AND RELATED MEASURES 

The six priority areas suggested build on input from public and private stakeholders 
and assume that ITS applications to be deployed in the short-to-medium term should 
be  mature,  sufficiently  interoperable,  and  able  to  create  a  catalytic  effect  across 
Europe. 

The Action Plan draws on a series of ongoing European Commission initiatives such 
as  the  Action  Plan  on  Freight  Transport  Logistics14,  the  Action  Plan  on  Urban 
Mobility15,  Galileo  deployment16,  the  Greening  Transport  Package17,  the  i2010 
initiative on Intelligent Cars18, eSafety19, the 7th Framework Programme for Research 
and  Technological  Development20,  eCall21,  European  Technology  Platforms22  and 
their strategic research agendas, CARS 2123. 

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COM(2007) 607 
To be adopted in December 2008 
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/energy_transport/galileo 
COM(2008) 433 
COM(2007) 541 
www.esafetysupport.org 
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7 
www.esafetysupport.org/en/ecall_toolbox 
http://cordis.europa.eu/technology-platforms 
COM(2007)22 

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The  activities  described  here  do  not  repeat  or  duplicate  existing  work  but  rather 
complement it, maximising synergies and focussing on outstanding priority issues in 
a concerted manner.  

6.1. 

Action Area 1: Optimal use of road, traffic and travel data  

Many  state-of-the-art  ITS  applications  rely  on  an  accurate  knowledge  of  both  the 
characteristics  of  the  road  network  and  the  traffic  regulations  applicable  (e.g.  one-
way  streets  and  speed  limits).  Whilst  in  the  past  the  bulk  of  this  knowledge  was 
provided  by  authorities,  there  is  a  trend  towards  the  utilisation  of  commercial 
sources. Where road safety is at stake it is essential that this information is validated 
and made available to all players on a fair and equitable basis, in view of ensuring a 
safe  and  orderly  management  of  traffic.  This  applies,  in  particular,  to  digital 
mapping,  including  its  inherent  processes  for  data  collection,  validation  and  timely 
updating.  

Similar  considerations  apply  to  the  provision  of  (real-time)  traffic  and  travel 
information  services.  Specific  issues  include  the  notion  of  “universal  traffic 
messages”, i.e. the type of messages to be provided free of charge to all road users as 
a public information service, the consistency of the information between the various 
sources, and the need to comply with prescriptions imposed by network management 
operations. 

The following actions are proposed:  

Action  

1.1 

Definition of procedures for the provision of EU-wide real-
time  traffic  and  travel  information  services,  addressing 
notably the following aspects: 

–  provision  of  traffic  information  services  by  the  private 

sector 

–  provision  of  traffic  regulation  data  by  the  transport 

authorities 

–  guaranteed  access  by  public  authorities  to  safety-related 

information collected by private companies 

–  guaranteed access by private companies to relevant public 

data 

1.2 

Optimisation  of  the  collection  and  provision  of  road  data 
regulations  and 
and 
recommended routes (in particular for heavy goods vehicles) 

traffic  circulation  plans, 

traffic 

Target 
date 

2010 

2012 

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1.3 

1.4 

1.5 

Definition  of  procedures  for  ensuring  the  availability  of 
accurate  public  data  for  digital  maps  and  their  timely 
updating  through  cooperation  between  the  relevant  public 
bodies  and  digital  map  providers,  taking  into  account  the 
results  and  recommendations  of  the  eSafety  Digital  Maps 
Working Group. 

2011 

Definition  of  specifications  for  data  and  procedures  for  the 
free  provision  of  minimum  universal  traffic  information 
services  (including  definition  of  the  repository  of  messages 
to be provided) 

2012 

Promotion of the development of national multimodal door-
to-door  journey  planners,  taking  due  account  of  public 
interconnection  across 
transport  alternatives,  and 
Europe  

their 

2009 to 
2012 

6.2. 

Action  Area  2:  Continuity  of  traffic  and  freight  management  ITS  services  on 
European transport corridors and in conurbations 

The  need  to  accommodate  rising  traffic  volumes,  notably  on  the  major  European 
transport  corridors  and 
in  conurbations,  while  promoting  environmental 
sustainability  and  energy  efficiency,  calls  for  innovative  transport  and  traffic 
management  solutions.  In  this  respect,  seamless  and  dynamic  traffic  and  transport 
management  are  beneficial  for  long-distance  and  urban  freight  transport  and  at  the 
same time improve co-modality.  

ITS technologies are essential for the introduction of eFreight24, whereby “en route” 
information on the location and condition of transported goods (especially dangerous 
goods and live animals) is made available on-line in a secure way. This concept can 
be  extended  to  encompass  other  supply-chain  activities  such  as  the  exchange  of 
content-related  data  for  regulatory  or  commercial  purposes,  using  innovative 
technologies  such  as  radio  frequency  identification  (RFID)25  and  building  on 
applications  of  the  EGNOS/Galileo  satellite  positioning  system.  In  the  future  this 
may  lead  to  a  concept  of  “Intelligent  Cargo”,  meaning  that  goods  become  self-, 
context-  and  location-aware  as  well  as  connected  to  a  wide  range  of  information 
services. 

Charging vehicles to use certain routes or areas is increasingly based on a variety of 
parameters such as vehicle dimensions, emission levels, distance travelled or time of 
day.  ITS  solutions  making  use  of  satellite  positioning  and  mobile  communications 
offer  new  opportunities  for  implementing  such  types  of  infrastructure  access  and 
charging. 

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COM(2007) 607: Communication from the Commission — Freight Transport Logistics Action Plan 
COM(2007) 96 

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The following actions are proposed:  

Action 

2.1 

2.2 

2.3 

in 

transport  corridors  and 

Definition of a set of common procedures and specifications 
to ensure  the continuity of  ITS services for  passenger and 
freight 
in  urban/interurban 
regions.  This  work  should  include  benchmarking  and 
standardisation 
flows, 
door-to-door 
interfaces,  traffic  management  and  travel  planning,  and,  in 
particular, event and emergency planning 

information 

on 

Identification  of  ITS  services  to  be  deployed  in  support  of 
freight transport (eFreight) and development of appropriate 
measures to progress from concept to realisation. Particular 
attention will be given to applications for goods tracking and 
tracing using state-of-the-art technologies such as RFID and 
EGNOS/Galileo-based location devices  

Support  for  the  wider  deployment  of  an  updated  multi-
modal  European  ITS  Framework  architecture 
for 
intelligent  transport  systems  and  definition  of  an  ITS 
framework  architecture  for  urban  transport  mobility, 
integrated  approach  for  travel  planning, 
including  an 
emergency 
transport 
management, road pricing, and the use of parking and public 
transport facilities 

traffic  management, 

demand, 

Target 
Date 

2011 

2010 

2010 

2.4 

Implementation  of  the  interoperability  of  electronic  road 
toll systems26  

2012/2014

6.3. 

Action Area 3: Road safety and security 

ITS-based road safety and security applications have proved their effectiveness, but 
the overall benefit for society depends on the scale of their deployment. Issues that 
require  additional  attention  include  designing  a  safe  Human  Machine  Interface 
(HMI) (using the work done on the “European Statement of Principles”), integrating 
nomadic  devices27  and  ensuring  the  safety  of  vulnerable  road  users  (such  as  the 
elderly).  Efforts  to  promote  best  practices  in  these  areas  are  therefore  crucial  to 
address these issues.  

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Directive 2004/52/EC 
Nomadic  devices  are  pieces of  communication  and  information  equipment  that can be  brought  inside 
the vehicle by the driver to be used while driving: mobile phone, navigation system, pocket PC, etc. 

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Transport systems may also be under security threats. Transport security, especially 
the need to protect travellers and transport workers and to secure transport facilities 
and  assets,  must  be  taken  into  account  without  jeopardising  efficient  and  effective 
transport operations.  

The following actions are proposed:  

Action 

3.1 

3.2 

3.3 

3.4 

3.5 

Promotion  of  deployment  of  advanced  driver  assistance 
systems  and  safety  and  security-related  ITS  systems, 
including  their  installation  in  new  vehicles  (via  type 
approval) and, if relevant, their retrofitting in used ones  

Support  the  Implementation  Platform  for  the  harmonised 
introduction  of pan-European  eCall28, including awareness 
campaigns,  upgrading  Public  Service  Access  Points' 
infrastructures and an assessment of the need for regulation.  

Development of a regulatory framework on a safe on-board 
Human-Machine-Interface and the integration of nomadic 
devices, building on the European Statement of Principle29 
on 
information  and 
communication systems 

safe  and  efficient 

in-vehicle 

including  best 
Development  of  appropriate  measures 
practice  guidelines  concerning 
ITS 
applications  and  services  on  the  safety  and  comfort  of 
vulnerable road users  

impact  of 

the 

Development  of  appropriate  measures 
including  best 
practice guidelines on secure parking places for trucks and 
commercial  vehicles  and  on  telematics-controlled  parking 
and reservation systems 

Target 
Date 

2009 to 
2014 

2009 

2010 

2014 

2010 

6.4. 

Action Area 4: Integration of the vehicle into the transport infrastructure 

The  use  of  ITS  components  or  systems  is  stipulated  in  several  existing  or  planned 
legal  acts  and  voluntary  agreements  applicable  to  commercial  or  private  vehicles. 
Examples  include  the  provisions  on  the  transport  of  dangerous  goods  and  live 
animals,  digital  tachograph30,  electronic  toll  collection  and  eCall.  So  far  most  of 

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COM(2005) 431, COM(2003) 542 
C(2006) 7125 
Regulation (EC) 2135/98 

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these  acts  and  agreements  have  evolved  independently  of  each  other,  so  there  has 
been little synergy even when needs are the same. 

A streamlining and integration of these applications within a coherent, open-system 
architecture  could  yield  better  efficiency  and  usability,  reduced  costs  and  enhanced 
extensibility,  enabling  a  “plug  and  play”  integration  of  future  new  or  upgraded 
applications such as those in nomadic devices and those utilising GNSS services for 
advanced positioning and timing. This open system architecture would be embodied 
in  an  open  in-vehicle  platform,  guaranteeing  interoperability/interconnection  with 
infrastructure  systems  and  facilities.  With  this  modular  approach,  additional 
functionalities could be integrated later for in-vehicle safety and safe HMI, personal 
mobility,  logistics  support  and  access  to  multimodal  information  and  possibly 
electronic vehicle identification.  

This  platform  should  be  introduced  in  commercial  vehicles  first.  Positive  feedback 
from  these  applications  would  help  speed  up  the  uptake  of  integrated  ITS 
applications  in  private  vehicles,  therefore  stimulating  a  Europe-wide  market  for 
original and after-market in-vehicle products and services.  

The development of cooperative systems, based on an exchange of information and 
communication between vehicles and with the road infrastructure, is also progressing 
rapidly, and needs to be further promoted.  

The following actions are proposed: 

Action 

Target 
Date 

2011 

4.1 

4.2 

4.3 

4.4 

Adoption of an open in-vehicle platform architecture for 
the  provision  of  ITS  services  and  applications,  including 
standard interfaces. The outcome of this activity would then 
be submitted to the relevant standardisation bodies.  

Development  and  evaluation  of  cooperative  systems  in 
the  definition  of  a  harmonised  approach; 
view  of 
assessment of deployment strategies, including investments 
in intelligent infrastructure 

2010-2013 

of 

specifications 

infrastructure-to-
Definition 
infrastructure  (I2I),  vehicle-to-infrastructure  (V2I)  and 
vehicle-to-vehicle  (V2V)  communication  in  co-operative 
systems 

for 

of 

a  mandate 

Definition 
the  European 
Standardisation  Organisations  to  develop  harmonised 
standards  for  ITS  implementation,  in  particular  regarding 
cooperative systems.  

for 

2010 (I2I)
2011 (V2I)
2013 
(V2V) 

2009-2014 

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6.5. 

Action Area 5: Data security and protection, and liability issues 

The handling of data (notably personal and financial data) in ITS applications raises 
a number of issues, as citizens’ data protection rights are at stake. At the same time, 
data  integrity,  confidentiality  and  availability  must  be  ensured  for  all  parties 
involved,  especially  citizens.  Finally,  the  use  of  ITS  applications  creates  additional 
requirements in terms of liability. These issues can be a major barrier to wide market 
penetration  of  some  ITS  services  if  citizens’  rights  are  not  shown  to  be  fully 
protected.  

The following actions are proposed:  

Action 

Target Date 

5.1 

Assess the security and personal data protection aspects 
related  to  the  handling  of  data  in  ITS  applications  and 
services  and  propose  measures  in  full  compliance  with 
Community legislation.  

2011 

5.2  Address  the  liability  issues  pertaining  to  the  use  of  ITS 
applications and notably in-vehicle safety systems  

2011 

6.6. 

Action Area 6: European ITS cooperation and coordination  

Coordinated  deployment  of  ITS  in  the  EU  calls  for  intensive  and  effective 
cooperation  between  all  parties  involved  at  European  level,  ideally  leading  to 
rapprochement  on  deployment  requirements,  better  synchronisation  of  deployment 
activities  and  avoidance  of  national  and  proprietary  silo  solutions  that  constitute 
barriers to European integration.  

Dissemination  of  the  best  available  knowledge  as  to  the  costs  and  benefits  of  ITS 
projects  from  a  full  life-cycle  perspective  and  feedback  on  relevant  experience  are 
needed to support informed investment decisions by public authorities across Europe. 
To make EU-wide deployment a reality, agreements on common assessment methods 
and uniform tools for decision support are therefore crucial.  

Such  coordinated  deployment  of  ITS  throughout  Europe  also  requires  greater 
involvement  of  cities  and  regional  authorities,  notably  at  urban  and  at  inter-urban 
level. Guidance and technical support should be provided to facilitate and underpin 
consensus building and decision-making processes. 

Finally,  the  implementation  of  the  measures  in  this  Action  Plan  will  call  for  an 
adequate governance structure. Member States should aim at reaching agreement on 
a  common  ITS  agenda  and  on  methods  to  proceed  from  plans  to  coordinated 
implementation,  for  example  by  way  of  concerted  investments  or  harmonisation 
initiatives.  

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The following actions are proposed:  

Action 

6.1 

6.2 

Proposal 
coordination on the Europe-wide deployment of ITS  

framework 

for  European 

legal 

for 

a 

toolkit 

a  decision-support 

Development  of 
for 
investment  decisions  in  ITS  applications  and  services. 
This  should  include  a  quantified  evaluation  of  the 
economic,  social,  financial  and  operational  impact  and 
cover  aspects  such  as  user  acceptance, 
life-cycle 
cost/benefit as well as the identification and evaluation of 
best practice for facilities procurement and deployment 

6.3  

Development  of  guidelines  for  the  public  funding  from 
both  EU  (e.g.  TEN-T  and  Structural  Funds)  and  national 
sources  of  ITS  facilities  and  services  based  on  an 
assessment of their economic, social and operational value 

6.4 

Set-up of a specific ITS collaboration platform between 
Member States and regional/local governments to promote 
ITS initiatives in the area of urban mobility 

Target 
Date 

2008 

2011 

2010 

2010 

7. 

LOOKING AHEAD 

This Action Plan proposes an approach for a coherent and faster deployment of ITS 
across  Europe,  building  on  policy  objectives.  The  priority  areas  of  action  and  the 
enabling measures outlined above are designed to fulfil this goal. By integrating and 
complementing the various activities supported in the past at EU and national level, 
the  approach  will  fully  benefit  from  ongoing  work  and  successful  deployment  of 
applications  and  services  that  have  emerged.  Such  a  blend  will  provide  the  best 
framework  for  a  significant  contribution  of  ITS  to  the  achievement  of  more 
sustainable mobility in Europe. 

While  serving  the  short-to-medium  term  perspective  in  its  effort  to  foster  ITS 
deployment in the EU, this Action Plan aims at building a long-term  vision clearly 
defining the role of ITS in tomorrow’s transport system in Europe. 

The European Commission will report on the progress in the implementation of this 
Action  Plan  in  2012.  This  report  will  also  review  and,  if  necessary,  extend  the 
priority areas as well as the scope of the actions. 

EN 

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This Communication is accompanied by a proposal for a Directive on a framework 
for the coordination of the deployment of ITS. 

EN 

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