Marc VERMYLE, European Commission. Directorate-General for Energy and Transport A.4 International Relations and Enlargement

Transcription

1 The EU s Common Transport Policy (CTP) Marc VERMYLE, European Commission Directorate-General for Energy and Transport A.4 International Relations and Enlargement The CTP s historical background One of the Common Policies included in the Treaty of Rome in 1957 Slow to take form: - ruling of Court of Justice against the Council in early 80s; - impetus of Single Market; - Treaty of Maastricht introducing TENs and road safety as new areas of action; A basic social need but involving challenges Today EU Transport Policy is facing 3 challenges: Congestion & bottlenecks The Environment Enlargement These issues impact on sustainable development, since transport mode choices affect economic growth, social unity & the environment Transport: A basic social need Rocketing demand for mobility over the last 20 years: freight growing by 3% per annum and passenger travel by 2% per annum; Causes: - general trend in all countries; - success of the Single Market; - globalisation; - rising living standards and tourism Growth is nowhere more pronounced than in road transport The challenge of congestion Meeting the challenge of congestion & bottlenecks has become a matter of urgency, given the alternative scenario of inaction: - delays; - frustration of traffic jams; - economic cost to society - estimated that peak-period congestion affects 75% of a country s GDP; Bottlenecks are not limited to road transport, also air and rail Tackling bottlenecks Through: infrastructure charging e.g. tolls; and use of intelligent transport (telematics)

2 The environmental challenge The direct and indirect impact of transport on the environment can be seen through: Greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, N2O) Marine pollution Noise pollution Visual intrusion Air quality: 40% atmospheric pollutants from road transport Climate change EU s KYOTO target reduction by 8% of greenhouse gas emissions by compared to 1990 Currently heading toawards CO2 emissions 7% higher than in 1990 (according to IEA may be up to 26%) Impossible to achieve this goal without drastic changes Transport and climate change EU figures show that CO2 emissions by all transport modes should increase by 40% by 2010 Will be the main reason for failure to meet Kyoto commitments if trends continue Industry is likely to emit less Level due to road transport accounts alone for 85% of the CO2 emissions that can be ascribed to transport The challenge of enlargement Opening the EU to take in candidate countries will roll back the Union s external frontiers and expand its geographical area considerably, thus directly increasing the need for travel Transport was identified as a priority in the pre-accession phase and this will continue beyond accession Enlargement: priorities Priority of alignment with the EU acquis, i.e. harmonisation of land, sea and maritime transport rules, in particular on technical, social, environmental and safety aspects Another key priority is physical transport infrastructure links and extension of TENs negotiating and concluding transport agreements between the EU and candidate countries to prepare for accession: - European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) - progressive market integration (a land transport agreement, in parallel to accession negotiations on transport?) - Enlargement & the infrastructure needs In most cases existing infrastructures in candidate countries are not able to cater for future needs For the CEECs & Cyprus the EU undertook a TINA exercise (identifying a backbone network for extension of the TENs into the accession countries and additional network components) - length of network: more than km roads, km rail; A similar exercise is now being launched with Malta, financed by the EU

3 Enlargement & the infrastructure needs Fundamental issue of infrastructure financing Preliminary cost estimations under TINA exercise for completion of total network needs bill. up to 2015: road, ports, terminals Most countries need to invest around 1,5% of GDP into transport infra. EU s budget cannot meet all those needs. Will need to resort to PPPs, national budgets and IFI loans to meet the costs incurred Long-term approaches Investment in transport infrastructure is heavy; requires long timespan to plan and implement; mobilisation of money takes time; decisions which have wide-ranging social implications need thought; Not likely to solve a number of transport issues in the short or medium term Preparing for the long haul DG TREN is preparing a series of documents on strategic activities in 2000 to make transport more sustainable: White Paper on the Common Transport Policy (last WP in 1992; radical rethinking to incorporate new societal challenges and environmental concerns while meeting legitimate demand for mobility) Revised Guidelines on TENs Green Paper on clean urban transport Priorities will be: White Paper on the CTP revitalising rail and maritime transport (including re-organising rail freight at the expense of road transport and promoting SSS); eliminating bottlenecks; internalising external costs; integrated approach to transport rather than single-mode view White Paper on the CTP Liberalisation of transport markets must be speeded up, whilst ensuring reliability, quality and public service obligations, as called for at Lisbon Summit addressing road transport, including environmental concerns and road safety posing the question does the price of transport reflect its real cost? rethink infrastructure policy which has focussed on car use, and focus planning on TENs away from a patchwork of MS requirements to genuinely Trans-European Corridors The WP and a review on the approach to TENs... The challenges resulting from enlargement, the environment and new requirements of the TENs users require a shift to a logic of upgrading of its general quality rather than extending it physically A focus on three medium term priorities removing bottlenecks; upgrading intermodal transport (esp. rail freight); deployment of intelligent transport systems (flagship project - GALILEO)

4 The Green Paper on Urban Transport. Action on urban transport necessary at EU level to meet the commitments of Kyoto (usually subsidiarity); Measures to be proposed include: car bans; urban road pricing; modernising public services Current DG TREN initiatives to shape the transport of the future. The single airspace; safety at sea; revitalising rail transport & inter-operability; social aspects of the road transport acquis; transport safety; Galileo. The growth in air transport 7% growth per annum over the last 30 years; achievements of transport policy have led to opening up of air transport markets in terms of supply and fare levels; since 1993 no. of scheduled airlines rose by 25%, no. of intra-community air routes rose by 35% and the cost of air tickets has dropped by 10-24%. The single airspace: more and more delays in 1999 more than 30% of flights departed with a delay of more than 30 minutes; increase in traffic is only part of the explanation; the Commission has shown that more than half of all delays were due to management of airspace and division of ATM into 15 national fragments. while we have a single market on the ground, airspace is divided between MS and between civilian and military users The single airspace: lack of AT controllers & establishment of High LevelGroup Despite a 6% increase in flying time and 36% more delays per year, the number of air traffic controllers in EU Member states has not increased significantly; establishment of HLG responsible for examining the reform of the ATM system in EU, to report back in autumn; bringing together highest level civil and military authorities; recommending a separation of functions between regulation and service provision, as well as looking at technical harmonisation and reforming fares policies. Air travel: passenger rights Apparent lack of familiarity with existing EU legislation, including that on compensation for denied boarding and requirement for neutral, accurate info on the identity of the air carrier; Commission will propose a tightening up of rules and more transparency; public awareness campaign and charter on passenger rights

5 Air transport: more work to do Negotiations on ECAA to be completed end 2000; Negotiating mandate from Council to establish a trans-atlantic Common Aviation Area with the US (TCAA); Establishment of a European Air safety Agency (EASA) Safety at sea Concerns over maritime safety are nothing new, and EU legislation is well-developed, but the break-up and sinking of the ERIKA in December 99 made clear that more stringent measures were needed; EU policy of applying existing international (IMO) rules, but ultimately flag states are responsible for ship safety and IMO rules are inadequately applied. Safety at sea Most flags delegate part of safety role to classification societies. Seriousness of checks depends on flag concerned; In the light of shortcomings over safety, the Commission has proposed a first package of measures (ERIKA 1 package), including: - tightening of checks under PSC - closer supervision of classification societies (system of issuing and possible suspension or withdrawal of approval) - phasing out of single-hull oil tankers Safety at sea to be followed by a second package of measures by the end of 2000 (ERIKA 2), including: - possibility of a European maritime safety body - supplementary liability compensation scheme - suggestion for a voluntary agreement by oil companies regarding age of chartered vessels - system for detecting/monitoring vessels with dangerous cargo Reinforcement of social legislation in road transport Given the role road transport continues to play and the number of jobs directly or indirectly linked to the sector, the Commission has plans covering: adjustment of lorry drivers working hours; use of non-community drivers in the EU; monitoring road transport; initial and ongoing professional training; where appropriate, amendment of legislation on driving time and rest periods in Reg. (EEC) 3820/85 Road safety High number of deaths & fatalities compared to other modes (43,000 in the EU in 1998); 20 times more fatalities than by rail and 25 times more than by air; Need for concerted action; March 2000 Communication on Road Safety including new Action Plan, prioritising actions;

6 Road safety Proposed new actions include: Safety standards, driving licences, social rules; better identification of black spots ; recommended new limits for blood/alcohol ratio; speed limit for light commercial vehicles & buses; public awareness campaign ( ten seconds.. ); tighter safety standards for motorists Reviving the railways Fall in rail freight s market share (21% % 1997); Rail package (nearing adoption in Council): - opens up the rail freight market on a specific network; - provides for common rules on charging infrastructure fees; - common rules on train path allocation. Need for interoperability Inland waterways Under-utilisation of Europe s inland waterways; Liberalisation of the market was achieved by ; Restructuring of the sector (scrapping of 4000 vessels); Measures to promote their use and technical harmonisation measures.

7 The Baltic States and the EU accession process... All candidates benefit from re-inforced financial assistance Of the total sum of financial assistance, assistance for the transport sector depends on the priority it is given in the Accession Partnership, drawn up for each candidate country, which sets out targets and priority areas for work between now and accession. Requires candidates to draw up: National Programmes for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA): road map for accession, revised annually; Pre-Accession Strategy Within its financial envelope each country can allocate certain funds for the use of TAIEX (Technical Assistance Information Exchange) - seminars, workshops, expert visits - e.g. maritime safety; Opening of Negotiations on Transport Given sufficient progress on transposition of the acquis, Transport chapter will open for Helsinki group under current FR Presidency, 1 year after opening with the LUX group.