Parliamentary question - E-3636/2009Parliamentary question
E-3636/2009

Freight transport — transfer from road to rail for distances longer than 100 km

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3636/09
by Margrete Auken (Verts/ALE)
to the Commission

In its 2001 Transport White Paper and 2006 Mid-Term Review, the Commission expressed its intention to take initiatives to create a favourable framework for transfer of freight from road to rail. This would contribute to a more environmentally friendly, safer, less congested, less oil consuming and more efficient freight transport system.

Although the Commission has published, among other items, communications on the ‘Greening of Transport’, ‘Freight Logistics’ and proposed a Directive on ‘Freight Corridors’, a real modal shift does not seem to happen.

The co-decision process on the ‘Review of the Eurovignette Directive[1]’ is even expected to keep prices for use of road infrastructure at a lower maximum level compared with rail infrastructure charging, as based on the corresponding Directive within the ‘first railway package’.

I therefore ask the Commission:

OJ C 189, 13/07/2010