Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

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| 19.12.2008 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 325/6 |

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Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘A freight transport package’

(2008/C 325/02)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

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| — | sees a need to improve energy efficiency through technological innovation and development of environment-friendly transport alternatives. Transport should be steered towards the most environment-friendly and energy-efficient mode by internalising external costs; |

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| — | believes that a common language should be established within the EU for managing rail transport; |

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| — | considers that freight transport by rail shares much of the track used by passenger traffic. This can sometimes limits the capacity and reliability of both systems, not just in densely populated areas but also on interregional routes. The EU should, in cooperation with the Member States, draw up an inventory of such bottlenecks and work to eliminate them, seeking to make maximum use of existing and future infrastructure. In the long term, the EU and the Member States should encourage the construction of separate railway networks for freight and passenger transport, whenever a shortage of land is not an obstacle, starting with the most overloaded parts of the network; |

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| — | considers that urban transport planning, particularly for freight delivery systems, calls for the special attention of local authorities, by making the organisation of urban distribution more efficient in both environmental and economic terms; |

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| — | considers that by developing and improving inland ports, including multimodal facilities, local and regional authorities can play a key role in realising a sustainable freight transport policy; |

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| — | considers that better connections are needed between rail and maritime solutions, which in some places still lack efficiency; supports the development of logistic solutions by local and regional authorities in inland areas, by setting up logistics platforms and dry ports, which are a key tool for improving the global freight distribution system and fostering development and cohesion in inland areas; |

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| Rapporteur | : | José CORREIA (EPP/PT), Mayor of Tavira |

Reference document

Communication from the Commission: The EU's freight transport agenda: Boosting the efficiency, integration and sustainability of freight transport in Europe

COM(2007) 606 final

Communication from the Commission: Freight Transport Logistics Action Plan

COM(2007) 607 final

Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: Towards a rail network giving priority to freight

COM(2007) 608 final

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Introduction

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| 1. | The Commission communications on freight transport have been issued in the wake of political concerns set out in the 2001 White Paper on transport and the mid-term review published in 2006. As part of this work, 13 seminars and conferences and more than 30 external events were organised; 160 written contributions were submitted. The Commission received a further 500 reports on bottlenecks in logistics. |

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| 2. | The White Paper review reflects the developments in the situation since 2001: ever-faster globalisation of production, uncertainty as regards energy supplies, faster global warming and the expansion of the European Union following the accession of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In the light of these developments, it is recommended that transport policy scope and instruments be extended in order to cope with these new challenges. There is in particular a need to boost the efficiency of various modes of transport, whether they are used on their own or in combination (co-modality). |

Policy recommendations

Considers that,

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| 3. | in view of the guidelines flowing from the studies mentioned above, a series of political measures clearly stand out for further development. These include:   |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Bringing down CO2 emissions, contributing to compliance with the Kyoto Protocol; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Reducing dependence on fossil fuels, with the gradual introduction of fuel from renewable sources; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | The CoR sees a need to Improve energy efficiency through technological innovation and development of environment-friendly transport alternatives. There are many ways of achieving this. Transport should be steered towards the most environment-friendly and energy-efficient mode by internalising external costs; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | The EU should devote special attention to the transport of hazardous goods. With regard to road transport, administrative procedures must he harmonised in order to avoid errors caused by transporters not understanding the language or complex legislative systems in other countries. Regarding the maritime transport of hazardous goods, the EU must review the rules governing the circumstances under which passenger transport may be combined with freight transport; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Improving railway system technologies so that railways do not lose competitiveness in the face of other modes of transport; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | International rail transport operators face many problems and difficulties in managing transport in a rational and efficient way. One of these is that rail transport is handled in the language of the relevant Member State, which makes it difficult for train operators to manage traffic outside their national boundaries. The CoR believes that a common language should be established within the EU for managing rail transport, just as there is now an international language for air traffic control; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Training requirements for train drivers vary across the EU, as do safety and load standards. These differences are a problem for cross-border rail operators. These rules should therefore be harmonised at EU level; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Developing the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) by pushing ahead with the so-called internet for cargo and by making better use of satellite and radio frequency systems; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Many players are involved in intermodal transport networks, which means that it may be unclear where responsibility towards the customer lies. This often undermines the reliability, safety and quality of transport. The EU has an important role to play in developing a clear structure and division of responsibilities in the transport system; | |

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| 4. | as well as:   |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Lessening difficulties encountered in international rail traffic in relation to border crossings, be they caused by technical problems (different gauges, different voltage systems, different criteria for approval of rolling stock, etc.) or administrative hitches; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Creating a network purely for freight, in the long term, taking into account the high costs entailed in its implementation, and with a sound cost-benefit analysis; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Developing green corridors the main aim of which would be to cut down transportation times and improve service quality; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Freight transport by rail shares much of the track used by passenger traffic. This can sometimes limit the capacity and reliability of both systems, not just in densely populated areas but also on interregional routes. Freight and passenger transport are often in conflict with each other in a way that does not promote development towards more energy-efficient and environment-friendly transport systems. The EU should, in cooperation with the Member States, draw up an inventory of such bottlenecks and work to eliminate them, seeking to make maximum use of existing and future infrastructure. In the long term, the EU and the Member States should encourage the construction of separate railway networks for freight and passenger transport, whenever a shortage of land is not an obstacle, starting with the most overloaded parts of the network; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Improving intermodality, ensuring that there are real advances in system efficiency; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Examining the dimensions and length of trains and road vehicles with a view to increasing transport capacity while respecting the environment; | |

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| 5. | and:   |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Doing away with the complexity of the customs side of maritime transport, Especially between EU ports; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Introducing the European train driver's card, so that qualified workers can work in any EU country more easily, with the variety of systems and equipment in use; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Equality before the law is important if competition is to exist under equal conditions. The regulation on driving and rest periods has harmonised the rules within the EU irrespective of the country in which a haulier is based. However, the possibilities of taking action against those who violate the terms of the regulation is different depending on whether the offence has been committed in the same country as that where the vehicle and driver are based or in another country. The Commission's proposal for a directive to facilitate the cross-border prosecution of traffic offences covers offences involving speeding, drink-driving, not wearing a seat belt and failing to stop at a red light. Breaches of the rules on driving and rest periods should also be included in cross-border cooperation on prosecuting traffic-related crimes; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Complying with rules on punctuality, especially in line with UIRR rules (International Union of combined Road-Rail Transport Companies); |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | The rules on train drivers night stopping in another country are disadvantageous for operators in peripheral countries carrying out long-distance international transpor; The labour laws should therefore be reviewed so that operators in peripheral countries are given the same opportunities to carry out international rail transport as operators in central European countries; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | The EU should pay particular attention to the increase in crime and terrorist acts against freight transport by road and rail; Organised cooperation between the Member States should be developed and the EU has an important role here; Building more safe rest areas, especially along the TEN-T network, is an important factor in boosting safety; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Combating traffic congestion, setting up more favourable train paths; and |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | Generally improving service quality and introducing a code of good conduct in the sector, aimed at generating more trust amongst users; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | It is also important that the EU pays attention to crime which is linked above all to freight transport by road; It is common knowledge that the smuggling and illegal sale of tobacco and alcohol in particular are not exceptional occurrences at rest areas alongside transport links; To overcome this problem international cooperation is required, which should be initiated and coordinated by the EU; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | strengthening the competitive position of inland waterways transport; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | developing with the help of local authorities a durable network of waterways and ports based on linking networks and chains; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | promoting innovation in inland waterways transport; |  |  |  | | --- | --- | | — | aiming for safe and sustainable inland waterways. | |

Relations with local and regional authorities

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| 6. | considers that with a view to the long term, reliable rail transport infrastructure with sufficient capacity needs to be created, in which freight traffic does not clash with other transport objectives or with other social interests, and that provides the conditions for supplying energy-efficient and environment-compatible transport; |

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| 7. | considers that from a short-term point of view, the first thing to do is to identify and remove bottlenecks and lack of capacity in the system; |

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| 8. | considers that freight transport, although viewed in terms of major national and international corridors, could not work without the contribution of local and regional authorities through whose areas the transport lines pass; |

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| 9. | considers that urban and regional planning for freight distribution is therefore of major importance in creating freight transport flows that save energy and are eco-friendly. Thus, any new transport policy has to rely on the active support of all players able to make useful contributions to its effectiveness, especially those who, because they operate at grass roots level, are in a position to resolve problems locally; |

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| 10. | efficient, environment-friendly freight transport is achieved in particular by using inland waterways wherever possible. This can also relieve pressure on connections between ports and hinterland; |

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| 11. | in the intermodal transport system, terminals, transloading facilities and ports are an important part of the infrastructure; The planning and localisation of these is a responsibility for local and regional authorities; It is important that towns are involved at an early stage in the planning of such plants, which means that the EU and national authorities should create long-term and stable conditions for urban planning; |

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| 12. | Since around 40 % of vehicles in the EU are used for the distribution and delivery of goods and services, and as most consumers are in cities, the large traffic flows that are created within cities need to be managed. The dissemination of best practices on urban freight transport policies should be envisaged; |

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| 13. | notes that the creation of regional or city transport authorities in various Member States provides valuable support for tying in different wishes, requirements and outcomes. The CoR stresses that it is important to respect the subsidiarity principle here; |

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| 14. | points out that local and regional authorities have an extra capacity for dialogue with producers and freight customers; |

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| 15. | special attention is needed on the distribution of services and goods in cities, as smart planning of urban logistics is a key factor in urban mobility; |

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| 16. | considers that in future, the location of terminals, centres of logistics distribution and shops themselves will require the growing involvement of local authorities; |

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| 17. | emphasises that logistics at regional level will be a new policy which will develop rapidly in the future. It will become essential to decentralise the management of interconnections to regional authorities, the definitions of the major international corridors remaining within the remit of Member States; |

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| 18. | considers that local authorities, with good urban policies, can help considerably in steps to speed up rail transport; such a contribution is invaluable; |

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| 19. | considers that ancillary rail services, particularly terminals and sorting centres, warrant special attention from the structural funds; |

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| 20. | considers that urban transport planning, particularly for freight delivery systems, calls for the special attention of local authorities, by making the organisation of urban distribution more efficient in both environmental and economic terms. To this end, efforts should be pursued to improve the ecological quality of vehicles and increase load factors so as to improve the ratio between number of journeys and tonnage of freight transported; |

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| 21. | By developing and improving inland ports, including multimodal facilities, local and regional authorities can play a key role in realising a sustainable freight transport policy; |

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| 22. | by using spatial planning policies, e.g. selection of business sites, local and regional authorities can promote inland waterways transport. Sites of water-related businesses, inland waterways and inland ports must then also receive strong support from the Structural Funds. |

Conclusions and recommendations

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| 23. | highlights the fact that local and regional authorities play an increasingly important role in preparing logistics strategies for efficient and appropriate planning, infrastructure and coordination; |

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| 24. | a large proportion of freight transport clogs up transport networks in central Europe even when the destination of the journey is not there. So, in view of the capacity problems on central European transport networks it is very important that the EU provide support for the expansion of links and corridors which do not overload or which relieve pressure on these networks. The east-west transport corridors in northern Europe are examples of such links, which at the same time contribute to the development of these regions. The future strategy for the Baltic Sea that is currently being prepared will, among other things, highlight the importance of efficient transport networks and multimodal solutions in creating a sustainable and competitive region; It is of the greatest importance that the EU also continues to set aside resources for this type of initiative, for example through Structural Fund and sector programmes; |

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| 25. | draws attention to the fact that transport of freight by sea is of major importance for commodity-producing regions. Manufacturing industry needs a reliable supply of raw materials throughout the year. To ensure that sea transport remains viable even in winter, the use of ice-breakers should be made a priority and incorporated into the TEN-T; |

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| 26. | believes that the Community should pursue an integrated approach when planning infrastructure within the European Union and between the EU and neighbouring countries and regions. The EU's freight transport package should therefore be designed in such a way that it is consistent with other transport and infrastructure plans already drawn up and adopted by the European Union, such as the TEN-T and the map of cross-border transport corridors; |

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| 27. | recalls that in recent years, many regions have developed strategies of this kind in order to predict short-term future transport volumes and have drawn the appropriate conclusions. This entails increasingly intense cross-border and transnational cooperation on European logistical projects. One illustration of this trend is the Central and Eastern European chemical logistics initiative launched by the European Chemical Regions Network to enhance the long-term overall conditions for chemical industry production centres in Central and Eastern Europe through a coordinated strategy. Another example is the plan to build a rail corridor (EU4SeaRail) linking the Baltic, North, Mediterranean and Black Seas. Further important examples of transport corridors in Northern Europe are the Bothnian Corridor and the Northern Axis. The regions have also played a significant role in developing logistic areas enabling modal complementarity and interchange (particularly for freight) and allowing each transport mode to be used optimally, such as the PLAZA logistics platform in Aragon and its links with other platforms such as Eurocentre in Toulouse, or the various ports on the Iberian peninsula; |

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| 28. | considers that efficient transport between the countries of Europe could contribute significantly to economic growth. It therefore urges the Commission to take account of these considerations in preparing the future review of the TEN directives in 2009-2010, encouraging, first and foremost, the implementation of projects that have already been approved and included in the network as priorities, particularly for route sections that make efficient freight transport difficult, such as those which cross borders or upland areas. |

It should also be emphasised that the Committee of the Regions:

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| 29. | welcomes the efforts made to date, especially by the Finnish and German presidencies, to secure progress in this domain; |

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| 30. | broadly endorses the analysis and measures advocated in the communications making up this rail transport package; |

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| 31. | nevertheless, recommends that account be taken of the need for good links with local and regional authorities, as set out in the point above; |

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| 32. | is aware that any new effective freight transport policy cannot work without the solid cooperation of all the local authorities and regional governments concerned; it urgently calls for such sound links to be set up and will do its best to contribute thereto; |

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| 33. | recommends that additional efforts be made to make all the political authorities aware of this issue, taking into account the major importance of this sector for GDP and its direct and indirect impact on the economy and society in general; |

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| 34. | a review of Directive 96/53 would not seem appropriate. The proper approach to more environmental solutions — meaning more trains, not necessarily more lorries — should be maintained; |

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| 35. | points out that conurbations are the destination of a significant share of overall freight transport. Urban and regional planning of freight distribution is therefore of major importance in creating freight transport flows that save energy and are eco-friendly. The location of transfer facilities in relation to the general freight transport network is very important here. For this reason, there must be smooth interaction between the local and regional level and the general EU policy for freight transport logistics. The Committee considers that freight transport policy should be brought into line with the urban transport action plan; |

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| 36. | in the light of energy costs, views innovation regarding biofuels to be of the greatest importance but feels that this should be carried out with due regard for the requirement to maintain a broad global balance in farming production; it and therefore urges the European Commission to step up studies in this area; |

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| 37. | advocates liberalisation of all rail transport, subject to public interest coordination rules; |

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| 38. | favours maximum progress being made on dedicated freight rail lines; |

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| 39. | considers that transport networks should increasingly be integrated into logistics policies, bringing in local and regional authorities, developing the dry ports concept, and taking account of the obvious environmental concerns; |

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| 40. | considers that better connections are needed between rail and maritime solutions, which in some places still lack efficiency; supports the development of logistic solutions by local and regional authorities in inland areas, by setting up logistics platforms and dry ports, which are a key tool for improving the global freight distribution system and fostering development and cohesion in inland areas; |

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| 41. | highlights the need for future harmonisation of technological means and standards,so that rail transport can rapidly overcome the obstacles currently posed by differing electrical supply systems and variations in gauge; |

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| 42. | is convinced that the Kyoto Protocol and its implications for transport policy are bound to have a highly visible impact on goods logistics; |

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| 43. | considers that ideally, in the future high speed trains should cross the whole of Europe, providing connections from Lisbon to the entire Mediterranean, the Baltic and the new borders with third countries; |

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| 44. | suggests that more detailed studies be carried out to identify and take the necessary measures to remove bottlenecks in existing infrastructure and regulations; considers that in order to make faster progress in identifying these problems and seeking solutions, networks should be set up for the exchange of knowledge and good practices between centres specialised in logistics and intermodality, at local and regional level; |

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| 45. | considers that long-term strategies and action plans should be drawn up to expand the European corridors; |

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| 46. | supports measures to ensure neutral competition conditions between the Member States; |

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| 47. | is in favour of harmonising and simplifying rules and regulations, particularly the standards governing weights and measures, safety regulations regarding the securing of loads and parties' liability, equality before the law regardless of the place of establishment of the transporter, a common language for traffic control and imports from non-EU countries; |

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| 48. | considers that administrative obstacles should be surmounted by increasing the electronic transmission of documents wherever possible; |

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| 49. | recommends greater transport efficiency regarding the development and use of capacity in each mode of transport, and the development and promotion of intermodality; |

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| 50. | recommends greater efficiency of transport systems, enhancing logistics policy for ports and terminals for this purpose; |

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| 51. | considers that information on the local conditions and features of ports should be made available via Internet. |

Brussels, 8 October 2008

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Luc VAN DEN BRANDE

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