REPORT on the follow-up to the Helsinki Conference on a pan-European transport policy
17 February 1999
Committee on Transport and Tourism
Rapporteur: Mr Günter Lüttge
- Following a request by the Conference of Committee Chairmen, the President of Parliament announced at the sitting of 17 July 1998 that the Committee on Transport and Tourism had been authorized to draw up a report on the follow-up to the Helsinki Conference on a pan-European transport policy and that the Committee on External Economic Relations had been asked for its opinion.
- A MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
- B EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
- ANNEX
- OPINION
Following a request by the Conference of Committee Chairmen, the President of Parliament announced at the sitting of 17 July 1998 that the Committee on Transport and Tourism had been authorized to draw up a report on the follow-up to the Helsinki Conference on a pan-European transport policy and that the Committee on External Economic Relations had been asked for its opinion.
The Committee on Transport and Tourism had appointed Mr Günter Lüttge rapporteur at its meeting of 21 April 1998.
It considered the draft report at its meetings of 25 November 1998, 21 January 1999 and 17 February 1999 and it decided to apply the procedure without debate pursuant to Rule 99(1) of the Rules of Procedure.
At the last meeting it adopted the motion for a resolution unanimously.
The following were present for the vote: Bazin, chairman; Wijsenbeek and Sisó Cruellas , vicechairmen; Piecyk, acting rapporteur; Aparício Sánchez, Baldarelli, Camisón Asensio, Castricum, Cunningham (for Seal), van Dam, Danesin, González Triviño, Grosch, Jarzembowski, Klironomos, Koch, Konrad (for Ferri), Lagendijk, Langenhagen, Lataillade (for Donnay), McIntosh, Moreau, Paasio (for Megahy), Rauti (for Linser), Sarlis, Schlechter, Schmidbauer, Simpson, Sindal, Stenmarck, Stockmann (for Lüttge), Swoboda, Vaz da Silva (for Cornelissen) and Watts.
The opinion of the Committee on External Economic Relations is attached.
The report was tabled on 17 February 1999.
The deadline for tabling amendments will be indicated in the draft agenda for the relevant partsession.
A MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
Resolution on the follow-up to the Helsinki Conference on a pan-European transport policy
The European Parliament,
- having regard to the 'Prague Declaration' on a pan-European transport policy adopted by the First Pan-European Transport Conference on 31 October 1991,
- having regard to the 'Crete Declaration' on the need for the further development of the panEuropean transport policy adopted by the Second Pan-European Transport Conference on 16 March 1994,
- having regard to the 'Helsinki Declaration' - Towards a European wide transport policy - a set of common principles adopted by the Third Pan-European Transport Conference on 25 June 1997[1],
- having regard to its resolutions of
- 7 October 1998 on the Commission communication to the Council and the European Parliament on 'Connecting the Union's transport infrastructure network to its neighbours - towards a cooperative pan-European transport network policy'[2],
- 28 November 1996 on the pan-European transport policy[3],
- 11 March 1994 on further steps towards an all-European transport policy - measures following the first European Transport Conference[4],
- 9 February 1993 on further steps towards an all-European Transport Policy - measures following the first European Transport Conference[5],
- 12 June 1992 on action to be taken in respect of an All-European Transport Policy[6],
- having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 20 November 1997 on 'The pan-European dimension of transport policy'[7],
- having regard to the Economic and Social Committee's own-initiative opinion of 10 September 1998 on the implementation of the Helsinki Declaration - establishing concrete machinery for consulting the economic and social interest groups on the definition of a pan-European transport policy[8],
- having regard to the first TINA Progress Report dated August 1998 on a Common Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment in the applicant countries,
- having regard to the outcome of the Conference "Pan-European Transport Policy: prospects and priorities for East-West cooperation" in Brussels on 10 December 1998,
- having regard to the Association Agreements with ten Central and Eastern European Countries, Turkey, Malta and Cyprus, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with Albania and the Partnership and Cooperation Agreements with the Newly Independent States,
- having regard to the Transport Agreements with Slovenia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
- having regard to the PHARE and TACIS technical assistance programmes of the European Community,
- having regard to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and its accompanying MEDA instrument,
- having regard to the negotiations on enlargement which have been opened with ten Central and Eastern European countries and Cyprus,
- having regard to Rule 148 of its Rules of Procedure,
- having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism and the opinion of the Committee on External Economic Relations. (A4-0057/99),
. whereas, since the nineties, the European Parliament has played a leading role, in cooperation with the Commission of the European Communities, in the organisation of pan-European transport conferences as a means of promoting a cooperative pan-European transport policy,
. whereas the three pan-European Transport Conferences (1991 in Prague, 1994 in Crete and 1997 in Helsinki) have contributed to the development of the basic elements of a pan-European transport policy framework,
. whereas the Helsinki Declaration adopted a set of common principles and a number of objectives to be achieved, the overall objective being 'to promote sustainable, efficient transport systems which meet the economic, social, environmental and safety needs of European citizens, help reduce regional disparities and enable European business to compete effectively in world markets',
. whereas the Helsinki Declaration also adopted several 'means', set out in section IV, to achieve its objectives; whereas the Declaration invited all participants to monitor implementation of these means and to evaluate periodically the degree of achievement of the agreed objectives; whereas such monitoring and evaluation procedures represent a major challenge for all the participants in the Conference,
. whereas the present accession negotiations represent the most extensive enlargement ever, with huge implications for the European continent,
. aware that the success of enlargement depends largely on the establishment of safe, coherent, efficient and environmentally-friendly transport links between all the Member States of the enlarged Union and on the subsequent development of an integrated multimodal transport network to allow sustainable, speedy and cost-effective transport services across the enlarged Union,
. whereas the potential investment costs in the ten applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe for upgrading roads and railways to European Union standards and to meet the expected growth in traffic have been estimated at between EURO 50 billion and EURO 90 billion over 15 years, with no account being taken of any new links,
. whereas the Helsinki Declaration endorsed the development of infrastructure at pan-European level on the basis of the trans-European transport network in the territory of the European Union Member States, its future extension to the acceding countries, of ten pan-European transport corridors and of four pan-European transport areas,
. whereas the Helsinki Declaration and the Commission's communication on connecting the Union's transport infrastructure network to its neighbours (COM(97) 172 final) have proposed a cooperative pan-European transport network strategy and the concept of pan-European partnerships bringing together all parties concerned for the development and coordination of the networks,
. aware that the financial requirements for pan-European infrastructure imply a concerted effort and rational coordination of the various actors (governments, Commission, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, European Conference of Ministers of Transport, Corridor Steering Committee, Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment Group, the G-24 Transport Working Party, the financial institutions and the private sector),
. whereas the Commission has presented a proposal for a Regulation on an instrument for structural policies for pre-accession (ISPA) for applicant countries, which amounts to EUR 1 billion per year directed to the transport and environment spheres,
. aware that the 'acquis communautaire' in the transport field represents nearly 10% of all the European Union legislation that the applicant countries have to incorporate into their legislation,
. whereas the Helsinki Conference provided an opportunity for representatives from the European transport industry and the social partners to present their views,
1. Stresses the role of a pan-European transport policy as a unique opportunity to seek Europe wide solutions to the transport problems of the continent; takes the view that the major challenges facing the European Union, such as enlargement, the 'Agenda 2000' reforms and the environment strategy, provide the opportunity for the Member States and the EU institutions to demonstrate their commitment to implementing a pan-European sustainable transport policy;
2. Welcomes their efforts and encourages the governments and parliaments of all European countries, the European Union institutions, the intergovernmental organisations, the two sides of the transport industry and the financial institutions to work in close cooperation towards a sustainable panEuropean transport policy;
3. Draws attention to the fact that the accession negotiations which have begun with ten Central and Eastern European countries and Cyprus must not neglect the fact that the Newly Independent States and the countries around the Mediterranean Basin must also be integrated into the objectives of a pan-European strategy for sustainable mobility;
4. Stands firmly by the objectives, principles and means adopted by the Helsinki Declaration as the basis for further progress towards an integrated pan-European transport policy;
5. Considers that the ten pan-European transport corridors and the four pan-European Transport Areas (PETRAS) endorsed by the Helsinki Declaration should be regarded as the basis for the development of a pan-European transport infrastructure; considers, nevertheless, that the time has come to bring forward proposals for an integrated multimodal pan-European transport network and, in this connection, calls on the Commission to bring the Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment (TINA) process to a swift conclusion and to present such proposals;
6. Calls on both the Commission and the Council to act as a catalyst to create the political will required to establish pan-European partnerships for the development and coordination of transport networks at pan-European level;
7. Calls on the Commission to undertake an assessment of the implementation in the European Union and in the Member States of the findings of the Third Pan-European Transport Conference, held from 23 to 25 June 1997 in Helsinki, and to draw conclusions from that assessment and to inform Parliament and the Council thereof;
8. Calls on the Commission, within the framework of Article 21 of Decision No 1692/96/EC, which provides for the ongoing revision and adaptation of the TEN guidelines at five-yearly intervals, to take account of the forthcoming accession of new Member States and to provide for the extension of the network;
9. Acknowledges that the Helsinki Declaration asks the European Union, the European Conference of Ministers of Transport and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, as well as partners in multimodal and regional initiatives to ensure effective implementation of the results of the Helsinki Conference; calls on the Commission, in cooperation with above mentioned organisations, therefore, to present proposals seeking to ensure coordination and transparency of the monitoring of the 'means' set out in the Declaration as well as mechanisms to evaluate periodically the degree of achievement of the objectives agreed in Helsinki;
10. Takes the view that the integration of the applicant countries into the single transport market must bear in mind that, unless implementation and enforcement structures are established, the transposition of the European Union transport legislation into national legislation, as well as the opening up of the applicant countries' markets might not produce the desired effects;
11. Calls on the countries in the pan-European area to review the procedures and arrangements for the customs clearance of passengers and goods at frontiers and, where necessary, to take the measures required to ensure that customs clearance at frontiers is carried out rapidly, smoothly and efficiently;
12. Considers that the process of progressive integration of the applicant countries into the single market should begin as soon as possible in order to allow market adjustments in the applicant countries to be progressively introduced;
13. Calls on future Transport Council presidencies to plan at least one joint Council meeting with Transport Ministers of the applicant countries every six months so as to take stock of progress and focus on the practical difficulties affecting transport integration;
14. Calls on the Commission to review the extent to which, and at what remove, regional and expert conferences on individual modes of transport might serve the further development of a pan-European transport policy and to inform Parliament and the Council of its findings;
15. Believes that in dealing with the Helsinki follow-up issue, appropriate involvement of nongovernmental interests (industry, employers, associations and trade unions, environmental NGOs) should be ensured; considers that an active partnership among the main actors in transport policy and the creation of proper structures is the best way to further develop pan-European transport policy;
16. Endorses the proposal from the Economic and Social Committee that participation and structured dialogue among the socio-economic interest groups be integrated into pan-European cooperation on transport policy;
17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions, the European Conference of Ministers of Transport, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the governments and parliaments of the countries present at the Helsinki Conference.
B EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Introduction
1. During the 1990s, the European Parliament has played a leading role in the organisation of PanEuropean Transport Conferences as a means of promoting a cooperative pan-European transport policy. These Conferences sought to provide a forum for discussion of transport policy issues and provided an impetus for enhanced transport cooperation. The first Conference was held in 1991 in Prague, the second in 1994 on Crete, while a third took place in Helsinki from 23 to 25 June 1997. The Helsinki Conference reviewed developments in international transport since the Crete Conference and focused on the future developments and intelligent use of trans-European transport systems and networks.
There is no doubt that the three Conferences have contributed to the establishment of the basic elements of a pan-European transport policy framework.
The Helsinki Conference brought together representatives of governments and parliaments of European countries, EU institutions, intergovernmental organisations, the social partners and financial institutions, with over 1200 participants from 51 countries. The novel aspect of the Helsinki Conference was that it provided representatives of the European transport industry with an opportunity to present their views during the discussion of 'The intelligent use of transport systems' as well as the possibility of exhibiting their products.
Participants at the Helsinki Conference noted the growing reliance on non-state actors as partners with governments and the transport industry in the development of pan-European policy concepts. They recognised that sustainable transport could not be achieved solely through government action and stressed the need for active partnership among the main actors in transport policy so that contributions could be made by all sides.
2. The Helsinki Declaration adopted on 25 June 1997 (see Annex I) probably constituted the most that could be achieved at the time in such a forum, and Part V includes a political commitment to monitor implementation of the Declaration and periodically evaluate the degree of attainment of the agreed transport policy objectives. This task is assigned to the European Union (EU), the European Conference of the Ministers of Transport (ECMT), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and to other 'partners in multilateral and regional initiatives' working in cooperation.
Monitoring the implementation of the Helsinki Declaration involves important challenges related to the development of the procedures, mechanisms and administrative practices required for the proper implementation of the principles and objectives agreed at Helsinki.
Of course, the pre-accession strategy outlined in Agenda 2000 means that, with respect to the 10 applicant countries from Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs), the EU will at all events have to prepare for accession on the basis of the 'acquis communautaire' and extend the common transport policy to those countries. In this connection, the EU will be involved in a fairly intensive monitoring process over the next few years. However, this is not the case for the other European countries present at Helsinki (Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the former Yugoslavia and the countries of the Mediterranean Basin), and there is a risk that such countries may be neglected. Accordingly, a genuine pan-European transport policy is required to cover the entire continent.
. Review of the Pan-European Transport Conferences
The original Treaties of Rome included a separate title on Transport. Nevertheless, it was not until the late 1980s that the Council of Ministers took action in the transport sector, and then only because the European Parliament brought an action before the Court of Justice against the Council of Ministers for failure to act. Only when the Court of Justice had ruled against the Council did we see the slow beginning of a process which we may call a move towards a European transport policy.
The Prague Conference
In the early 1990s, on the basis of a report drawn up by Mr Günter Lüttge, MEP, on transport relations between the European Community and the members of EFTA in the transport sector, the European Parliament decided that an inaugural Pan-European Transport Conference should be held. That Conference formed the basis for the development of a common transport policy between the Community's Member States and the adjacent countries.
The Crete Conference
The Second Pan-European Transport Conference was held on Crete from 14 to 16 March 1994. Some 700 representatives of the Institutions of the European Union, of governments and parliaments and of interest groups from a total of 42 European countries took part, as well as observer delegations from non-European countries. The Conference set up three working groups to consider the following topics: Transport and Market Economy; Transport Infrastructure and Financing; Horizon 2000 (intermodal transport, new technologies, safety and environmental protection). Regional emphasis was placed for the first time on the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs), with the following topics discussed in greater detail:
- Transport and market structures
- Socio-economic aspects and competition
- Network guidelines
- Financing of infrastructure
- Tendencies in modal choice
- Combined transport
- New technologies.
The Conference unanimously adopted the Crete Declaration which paid tribute to the progress made in transport policy within the European Union. The emphasis of the Crete Declaration was placed on the development of a strategy which sought the ongoing implementation of a transport policy which was environmentally friendly. In addition, nine rail and road projects of significant importance for infrastructure measures outside the Union's boundaries were presented to the participants. The EU undertook to provide financial support for the implementation of these corridors under the PHARE and TACIS Programmes.
Following the Second Pan-European Transport Conference, a Steering Committee, consisting of representatives of the European Parliament, the European Commission, the European Conference of Ministers of Transport, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and other European transport organizations and associations started to coordinate the work of the intermediate conferences and drew up guidelines for the Third Pan-European Transport Conference to be held in Helsinki.
The Helsinki Conference
The need for enhanced cooperation and consultation that became clear from the findings of the previous Conference and its demands for the further development of a pan-European transport policy led to the need to organise a Third Pan-European Transport Conference with specific emphases and objectives. So as not to interfere with the calendar of meetings of the European Parliament, the proponent of this initiative, it therefore seemed appropriate to convene the Third Pan-European Transport Conference from 23 to 25 June 1997 in Helsinki.
4. Objectives of the Third Pan-European Transport Conference
Overall, the promotion was sought of sustainable environmentally-friendly and efficient transport systems which would meet the economic, social and environmental requirements, as well as the safety requirements, of the European public. In addition, regional disparities should be gradually abolished and the European economy put in a position where it was able to compete effectively on world markets. In accordance with the model of the sustainable development of transport systems, the principles were established of interoperability, subsidiarity, transparency in decision-making and non-discriminatory cooperation at all levels and between all the parties and groups involved in the transport sector.
5. Proceedings at the Third Pan-European Transport Conference held in Helsinki
Unlike many other conferences, such as the Environmental Summit in Rio, which cannot be deemed to have been a complete success from the European point of view, sterling work was carried out in three working groups during the Pan-European Transport Conference held in Helsinki.
Working Group 1 began by investigating comprehensively and critically the measures taken as a follow-up to the Second Pan-European Transport Conference. In this connection, consideration was given to the further development of the TENs, with account being taken in the discussions of infrastructure, financial, institutional and regulatory aspects. In particular, no solution had yet been found to the problem of the financing of infrastructure in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, so an intensive investigation was required. Detailed consideration was given to possible solutions, such as the establishment of a European Transport Infrastructure Fund or private-sector financing.
The Conference also debated issues concerning market integration and European transport. Accordingly, procedures for the approximation of legislation and market integration were to be stepped up simultaneously. In that way, the emergence of conditions which distort competition could be prevented and strong social and economic structures created.
Working Group 2 discussed the qualitative aspects of the future development of the TENs and panEuropean transport as a whole. Initially, issues of traffic management and organisation were discussed as part of the objective of the intelligent use of TENs. Against the background of the objectives of the development of multimodal transport networks and sustainable mobility, the working group focused on the investigation of telematics applications in the various modes of transport. Most of the contributions were also concerned with what might be expected of the transport means of the future; research and development was held to be the foundation of integrated transport systems of the future.
The third area on which the conference focused covered the problems on a qualitative embedding of transport systems. A comprehensive transport concept involves not only the development of infrastructure, technical safety, the use of the most up-to-date technologies and modal coordination but also improved training and protection of transport sector workers. Finally, the calls for transport to be developed in an environmentally-friendly fashion and the problem of the internalisation of external costs were classified as 'Important'.
The diversity of roles played by the Conference, which constituted a venue for the exchange of opinions and for discussion, the provider of an impetus for and a mobilising political factor of pan-European transport policy and, not least, a forum for non-governmental organisations and a broad and interested public, was further backed up in Helsinki by an accompanying exhibition. The exhibition was devoted to the growing significance of modern technologies for transport and the role of computers.
6. Summary and list of decisions taken at Helsinki
The Helsinki Declaration forms the basis for the further development of transport policy in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and in those bordering the Mediterranean.
If we are to attain the objective of promoting sustainable environmentally-friendly and efficient transport systems in the regions referred to above, we shall have to make progress in the following areas:
- approximation of safety and environmental legislation
- progressive liberalisation of transport markets
- development of intermodality
- development of infrastructure at pan-European level
- creation of a Europe-wide network partnership
- promotion of public passenger transport
- application of intelligent transport systems
- more research and development activities in the transport sector
- internalisation of external costs
- facilitation of transit
- cooperation in the field of data collection.
The conference closed with the participants being asked to verify whether they themselves had implemented the Helsinki Declaration. That was the only way in which genuine success might be identified.
7. What they said about the Pan-European Transport Conference
Eike Eulen (Chairman of the ESC's Section for Transport and Communications):
As a follow-up to the Helsinki Conference, the Economic and Social Committee had supported the development of the future transport policy, with the involvement of the relevant social and economic groups, by drawing up an own-initiative opinion and organising a hearing of representatives of employers, employees and special interest groups.
Neil Kinnock (EU Commissioner with special responsibility for transport):
The transport conferences held on Crete and in Prague and Helsinki had made a fundamental contribution to the understanding between politicians, government and representatives of the transport industry. It was now up to us to verify the extent to which the Helsinki Declaration has been implemented and/or might be developed further. The platform for that would be provided by the Follow-up Pan-European Transport Conference on Prospects for and Priorities in East-West Cooperation, to be held on 10 December 1998 in Brussels.
Thomas Kropp (Head of Lufthansa's Brussels Office):
The Helsinki Conference had given Lufthansa the incentive to expand its European infrastructure, and it marked the beginning of a long road heading in the right direction. Trade relations with the CEECs depended on air transport for their existence. For that very reason, airport construction in the CEECs was very important for us. And that was why we welcomed the holding of the Pan-European Transport Conference on Prospects for and Priorities in East-West Cooperation on 10 December 1998 in Brussels since, in this way, the path towards an institutionalised transport policy involving the CEECs would be secured.
Günter Lüttge (MEP):
At the Helsinki Conference, Günter Lüttge criticised the Council and said that it might justifiably be accused of having done too little to finance the TENs. The money required to fund the planned investment within the set timescale could not be provided without public sector-private sector partnership. Instead of spending hundreds of millions on the unemployed, he proposed that work should be financed, thereby releasing funds for transport infrastructure projects. He therefore proposed that a European Transport Infrastructure Fund be established, to be funded by a levy of ECU 10 on every 1000 litres of oil consumed (yielding a total of EUR 20 billion).
Martin Marmy (Secretary-General of the International Road Transport Union):
The Helsinki Conference had laid the foundation stone for a pan-European transport policy. It had provided a forum for an exchange of views between experts and decision-makers in the field of transport, for example on the intelligent use of transport systems. Before any further steps were taken, he recommend that the previous agreements be consistently implemented.
Dieter Wahl (representing the Europa Transport News Agency):
The value of the Helsinki Conference resided in its pan-European dimension. It was an urgent incentive for the devising of a pan-European transport policy and a timely one at that, given the imminence of the accession negotiations under Agenda 2000.
The aim of the Helsinki Conference had been the development of the TENs in the CEECs and their connection to the EU's existing TENs. Unfortunately, many questions remained to be answered, such as the financing of the TENs and the appropriate acceptance of EU legislation and standards by the applicant countries. Specifically in that respect, he hoped for further progress during the Conference to be held on 10 December 1998.
ANNEX
DECLARATION
adopted by the Helsinki Conference
TOWARDS A EUROPEAN WIDE TRANSPORT POLICY
A Set of Common Principles
I. PREAMBLE
The representatives of the governments and parliaments of the European countries, of institutions of the European Union, of other countries invited and of the intergovernmental organisations and bodies meeting in Helsinki from 23 to 25 June 1997 for the Third Pan-European Transport Conference,
A acknowledging action taken and progress made in the framework of the EU's policies, such as
- the Association Agreements with 10 Central and Eastern European Countries, Turkey, Malta and Cyprus, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with Albania and the Partnership and Cooperation Agreements with the Newly Independent States;
- Transport Agreements with Slovenia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Transit Agreement of 1992 with Switzerland;
- PHARE and TACIS technical assistance programmes of the European Community;
- the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, and its accompanying MEDA instrument,
B recognising the important contribution that the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, through legally binding international conventions and agreements, and the European Conference of Ministers of Transport, through its resolutions, have made in developing pan-European transport policy,
C recognising the achievements of the previous Pan-European Conferences, in Prague in 1991 and in Crete in 1994, in developing fruitful Europe-wide cooperation in the field of transport and their importance in laying the foundations of a pan-European transport policy,
D recognising the important contribution of the ECMT Ministerial Conference in Berlin in April 1997 to the assessment of a pan-European transport infrastructure and of future trends in transport and noting the joint statement adopted by the Council of Ministers of the ECMT at that Conference,
E recognising the fruitful and efficient cooperation between UN/ECE, ECMT and the European Union institutions(European Parliament, Council of the European Union, Commission of the European Communities) in further developing concepts of pan-European transport policy and corridors,
F acknowledging the role and the contribution of regional and sectoral conferences, such as
- the XXVth International Road Union (IRU) World Congress in Budapest in May 1996
- the Meeting of the Ministers of Transport of the Members of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council in Archangelsk in September 1996
- the Conference of the Ministers of Transport of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and Central European Initiative countries in Sofia in November 1996
- the Mediterranean Transport Conference in Lisbon in January 1997
- the Western Mediterranean Transport Ministers Meeting in Madrid in January 1997
- the CER-UIC-UNIFE Rail Transport Conference in Warsaw in March 1997
- the Regional Transport Research & Development Workshop in Moscow in April 1997
- the Central European Ministerial Congress in Prague in April 1997
- the Third Conference of Ministers of Transport of the Baltic Sea States in Berlin in April 1997
- the Black Sea Conference in Kiev in May 1997
- the International Union of Public Transport (UITP) Congress in Stuttgart in June 1997,
in preparing the input of these regions and sectors to this Conference and in implementing the resulting conclusions, and thus contributing to the development of a pan-European transport policy,
G reiterating the commitment given to the main principles of the Crete Declaration of 14-16 March 1994, notably those of social market economy and free and fair competition, development of sustainable mobility while respecting environmental protection, compatibility of institutional, regulatory and administrative frameworks to ensure a coherent transport system across Europe, facilitation of transit at border points, reduction of obstacles and delays, coordination in the planning and financing of trans-European networks and transport infrastructure to ensure interoperability and interconnection and geographically balanced development between central and peripheral regions,
H referring to Part D of the Crete Declaration on the commitment to draw up a system for the monitoring of a set of common principles for transport policy as a basis for a Europe-wide transport policy,
I noting the White Paper prepared by the Commission of the European Communities on the future development of the common transport policy (CTP), the conclusions of the Council of the European Union on the subject and the European Parliament's resolution of 18 January 1994 on the objectives of the CTP and the Commission's CTP Action Programme for the period 1995-2000 and the European Parliament's resolution of 6 June 1996 on this subject,
J recognising the importance of the dialogue between the Committee on Transport and Tourism of the European Parliament and the parliamentary committees responsible for transport of the Central and Eastern European countries and the Newly Independent States and noting the declaration adopted by a joint meeting on 4 June 1996 in Brussels,
K having regard to the European Parliament's resolution of 28 November 1996 on the Pan-European transport policy,
L recognising that the regulatory environment in Europe, based on largely bilateral agreements, and the lack of strict compliance with and enforcement of multilateral legal instruments as well as multilateral principles such as non-discrimination, contribute to the creation of inequities, which adversely affect competitive conditions in international transport and hence the development of trade, and disrupt the pace of economic integration at pan-European level,
M affirming that the future development of the transport sector would be assisted by the establishment of a set of multilateral principles, and that joint monitoring of their implementation can contribute to attaining the objective of harmonisation of laws as provided for in the Europe Agreements, thus contributing to the development of international transport on a fair and equitable basis,
N being further convinced that the adoption of such a set of multilateral principles would facilitate the strengthening of national transport policy and legislation leading to the progressive harmonisation of competitive conditions in transport throughout Europe,
O recognising the need to ensure that policy measures, the regulatory framework and business practices in transport do not negate the realisation of benefits that should arise from the gradual liberalisation of transport markets,
P being convinced both of the need to reinforce coordinated actions by countries at both national and international levels in order to deal effectively with the practices of transport enterprises, and of the need for closer cooperation between public authorities and the private sector,
Q recognising the need to deal with the problems of fraud and crime in international transport and noting the final report and recommendations of the European Parliament's Committee of Inquiry into the Community transit system adopted on 19 February 1997 and the resolution on crime in international transport adopted by the European Conference of Ministers of Transport on 22 April 1997,
hereby endorse the set of principles below for the development and monitoring of pan-European transport policy:
II. OBJECTIVES
The Set of Common Principles is drawn up in order to achieve the following objectives:
The overall objective is to promote sustainable, efficient transport systems which meet the economic, social, environmental and safety needs of European citizens, help reduce regional disparities and enable European business to compete effectively in world markets, and in particular
1 To support the process of progressive liberalisation and integration of transport markets and to ensure the avoidance of unfair and discriminatory practices which impede or negate the realisation of the benefits derived from competition;
2 To attain greater efficiency in transport development throughout Europe, taking into account technical and interoperability aspects in order to facilitate movements at border crossings and contribute to mobility of both people and goods and to provide operators and customers with an efficient logistical and working environment, and hence to contribute to economic and social welfare across the continent;
3 To ensure that all development is undertaken in a manner consistent with the objectives of sustainable mobility, implying more integrated use of all transport modes with special emphasis on intermodality and promotion of more environmentally friendly modes such as rail, inland waterways, short sea shipping and combined transport, as well as public passenger transport, whilst road and air transport will obviously continue to play a substantial role;
4 To ensure socially and environmentally acceptable and safe conditions for transport users (and, in particular, vulnerable users), for workers and for the public at large and to emphasise the importance of improving and promoting transport safety and of setting targets to that end;
5 To facilitate the adoption and implementation at all levels of transport laws and policies based on common principles and standards, multilateral legal instruments and conventions, and thereby to reduce existing discrepancies in the regulatory environment in Europe;
6 To promote improvements in the construction and operation of the transport system (infrastructure, vehicles and equipment, services and procedures), giving priority to measures which are able to deal with capacity problems, and better to exploit the present system and to develop it on the basis of improved use of appropriate methods of analysis;
7 To reflect further on the possible updating and revision of the existing institutional and regulatory framework in order to cope better with changing political and commercial circumstances in the field of international transport;
8 To guarantee a coherent information on transport flows and appropriate access to this information;
III. PRINCIPLES
In line with the objectives set out in Section II the following principles should be applied:
1 NON-DISCRIMINATION in bilateral and other relations; regulatory and other measures should treat operators from all countries in a similar manner;
2 SUSTAINABILITY in all action, both from a purely environmental point of view and in the use of energy and other resources, as well as in safety measures;
3 PROTECTION of transport users (and, in particular, vulnerable users), workers and the public at large against risks in safety matters, and improvement of social conditions in order to increase the welfare of European citizens;
4 COOPERATION at all levels and between all parties in the transport field (inter alia through transport research activities) especially in resolving border crossing problems, the development of data collection programmes and project evaluation capabilities, and the evaluation of transport needs on a regional basis;
5 INTEROPERABILITY within and between different transport modes and between networks and traffic management systems, especially through technical standardisation measures, with a view to ensuring extensive access possibilities and interconnections;
6 SUBSIDIARITY, meaning that issues should be dealt with at the most appropriate level (local, regional, national, international);
7 TRANSPARENCY in decision-making, especially as regards public financial support for transport operations, in order to avoid distortions of competitive conditions in transport markets;
8 CONTRIBUTION TO COSTS, meaning that the user of the infrastructure should make an appropriate contribution to investment and maintenance costs and contribute to the coverage of external cost elements of transport (eg. polluter pays);
9 EFFICIENCY IN THE USE OF INFRASTRUCTURE, vehicles and equipment, taking account of alternatives to new investment in physical infrastructure and maximising the benefits secured from new technology;
10 CONSULTATION of socio-economic groups in transport policy development;
IV. MEANS
The objectives set out in Section II should be achieved by the following means:
1 LEGISLATIVE APPROXIMATION in safety, environmental, technical and social spheres in order to eliminate distortions of competition and to assist in the creation of a unified transport market and to thus generate considerable benefits at macroeconomic level;
2 Gradual LIBERALISATION of transport markets in order to open access for transport operators to markets in all countries, completed by integration of procedures and the strict avoidance of unfair and discriminatory practices; the principle of freedom to provide services needs to take account of the specific characteristics of the sectors involved;
3 Development of INTERMODALITY, in order to create the necessary framework conditions for an efficient, modally integrated and environmentally friendly use of the pan-European transport system, through optimizing cooperation between modes in the intermodal transport chain (a doorto-door transport concept where each mode is chosen for that part of the journey for which it is more efficient), and through optimizing transhipment operations, both as regards quality and price and for both passengers and freight;
4 DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, in order to integrate, at a pan-European level, international, national and regional transport infrastructure, with appropriate links to local transport systems and thus to guarantee the means of mobility and choice of mode to people and goods, across national borders. Emphasis should be given to improved use of existing infrastructure and related services and, by applying appropriate methods of analysis to modernisation, to rehabilitation and construction projects. This development will be based on the trans-European transport network in the territory of the European Union Member States, its future extension to the acceding countries and on the updated Crete Corridors in the territories of countries in Central and Eastern Europe. In addition, specific Pan-European Transport Areas, such as the Black Sea Basin Area, the Barents Euro-Arctic Area, the Mediterranean Basin Area and the Adriatic and the Ionian Seas Area, will need special attention in future work on infrastructure development. The report on the adjustments of the Crete Corridors (enclosed) is regarded as the basis for further work;
5. Arrangements for a EUROPE WIDE TRANSPORT NETWORK PARTNERSHIP should be initiated to bring together all parties concerned with transport infrastructure in order to coordinate investment schemes in the most appropriate way. More efforts should be made in order to increase public financing by the States and the European Union, as well as to increase private financing, eg. through public-private partnership;
6. Promotion of public and COLLECTIVE PASSENGER TRANSPORT in regional, urban and interurban traffic, also in the interest of balanced territorial planning, in order to reduce congestion and other impacts generated by increased motorisation, taking into consideration the requirements of services of general interest; promotion of non-motorised modes of transport; FACILITATION OF ACCESS and promotion of safety of the vulnerable transport users;
7. Development and support of institutional frameworks and mechanisms as well as promotional action for the application of INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS which reduce congestion, accidents and pollution and facilitate transport management, making use of existing applications and research results, and taking advantage of the enhancement of intermodality (transport/traffic management, cost-effective maintenance and improved interface of various modes, administrative measures in alleviating bottlenecks, introduction of modern technology, etc.);
8. Reinforced cooperation in the field of RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT on transport in order to find common solutions to present and anticipated problems, covering in particular issues of safety, intermodality, intelligent transport systems, interoperability of traffic management systems, establishment of a common data base and cost-effective road maintenance and construction. Special attention should be given, more generally, to effective and innovative initiatives in the field. The possible gap between R&D and successful deployment can be overcome by activities in the fields of demonstration, dissemination of best practice, exploitation of results and training;
9. Identification of FULL INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS of all modes of transport and further consideration of the application of the principle of INTERNALISATION OF EXTERNAL COSTS to redress imbalances between transport modes while avoiding negative impact due to different geographical conditions in different countries by using economic instruments, such as differentiated charges for heavy goods vehicles, in line with real costs caused to infrastructure, society and environment;
10. FACILITATION OF TRANSIT by modern, compatible equipment and flexible procedures in border crossing; reinforced cooperation and coordination among all parties concerned in order to REDUCE FRAUD AND CRIME in international transport;
11. Promotion of a coherent form of cooperation on DATA COLLECTION and guaranteeing appropriate access to this information.
V. MONITORING AND REVIEW PROCEDURES
We invite the participants to
. take careful note of the principles set out in this Declaration and to implement them in order to achieve the objectives set out in Section II;
. consider the need firstly to monitor implementation of the "means" set out in Section IV of this declaration, and secondly to evaluate periodically the degree of achievement of the "objectives" described in Section II, and in this connection request the European Union, the European Conference of Ministers of Transport and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and partners in multilateral and regional initiatives to cooperate in the aggregation of relevant data, to review progress towards regional and sectoral goals, and to make proposals for more effective implementation on the basis of experience.
OPINION
(Rule 147 of the Rules of Procedure)
for the Committee on Transport and Tourism
on the follow-up to the Helsinki Conference on a pan-European transport policy
(Lüttge report)
Committee on External Economic Relations
Letter from the committee chairman to Mr Bazin, chairman of the Committee on Transport and Tourism
Brussels, 30 September 1998
Dear Mr Bazin,
The Committee on External Economic Relations considered the follow-up to the Third Pan-European Transport Conference in Helsinki at its meeting of 28 September 1998.
The Conference brought together representatives of the governments and parliaments of the countries of Europe, the Institutions of the European Union and other invited countries, together with intergovernmental organisations and bodies.
It adopted a final declaration (PE 221.342/fin.) which defines a set of principles and objectives.
'The overall objective is to promote sustainable, efficient transport systems which meet the economic, social, environmental and safety needs of European citizens, help reduce regional disparities and enable European businesses to compete effectively in world markets'[1]. This presupposes achieving as number of specific objectives including:
- support for the process of progressive liberalisation and integration of transport markets while preventing unfair and discriminatory practices which impede or negate the benefits derived from competition;
- greater efficiency in the development of transport throughout Europe, taking into account technical and interoperability aspects in order to facilitate movement at border crossings and contribute to the mobility of people and goods;
- ensuring more integrated use of all modes of transport, with special emphasis on promoting more environmentally-friendly modes: railways, inland waterways and short distance maritime transport;
- ensuring socially and environmentally acceptable and safe conditions for users, transport workers and the public at large;
- reducing existing discrepancies in European rules and the policies resulting from such rules;
- improving the operation of the existing system (infrastructure, vehicles and equipment, services and procedures).
The Committee on External Economic Relations can only approve these principles which reflect the opinions it has drawn up on various occasions on transport policy.
With particular regard to its own terms of reference, the Committee stresses the importance of:
1. an alignment of legislation and a progressive liberalisation of the transport markets in order to allow operators access to the markets of all countries;
2. developing international, national and regional infrastructures while linking them in an appropriate way with existing local systems, and extending the system to include the future Member States in Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean basin;
3. establishing a partnership at European level with regard to transport networks in order to coordinate Member States' or Union public investment programmes and private funding;
4. improving transit by modernising equipment and using more flexible systems for crossing borders. Cooperation and coordination should also be enhanced with a view to reducing fraud and offences in international transport.
The conclusions of the conference reflect the wishes expressed on a number of occasions by the Committee on External Economic Relations. The committee would therefore like those conclusions to form the basis of a future transport policy for the Union enlarged to include its neighbours in Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean basin.
Accordingly, it adopted the conclusions unanimously[2].
Yours sincerely,
(sgd) Luciana Castellina