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BackThe European Commission published a Communication on the Future of Transport already in June. Last week, the Commission held a conference with interest representatives on this subject. The Commission wants to realise CO2-free transport by 2050. If the Commission has its way, infrastructure should increasingly be financed via Public Private Partnerships. Rail transport shall become even more competitive; national passenger transport shall be liberalised.
Right at the start, Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani requested a further liberalisation for rail and road. With regard to air transport, the liberalisation steps had already been successful. Apart from that, Tajani would like an increase in the share of public transport. The Transport Commissioner also mentioned that the quality of transport jobs had to improve.
The Director General responsible for transport in the European Commission stated that new technologies would play a key role in realizing low-carbon transport. The discussion regarding alternative drives would lead in the right direction; there would, however, also be bridging technologies on the road to CO2-free transport. It was vital to find the right mix between regulatory interventions and the market for technology policy. One thing, however, would be clear: low-carbon transport would be expensive. One should not leave transport policy to finance or environment ministers.
Whilst the representative of the Swedish Presidency, Zetterberg criticised that 50 percent of HGVs on the road are without freight, the managing director of the transport company Nijhof-Wassink demanded the admission of 44 t HGVs in all 27 Member States. The President of The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies, Johannes Ludewig, criticised that less and less was invested in transport infrastructure: if in the eighties 1.5 percent of the gross domestic product were invested in infrastructure measures, today it was just 0.7 percent. Ludewig commented on the infrastructure that the railway sector in the Member States was even obliged to provide a relevant infrastructure. However, in particular in Eastern Europe nothing had happened for years. Here existed already a massive backlog. Representatives of the harbours (deep sea shipping, inland shipping) requested a better co-modality of the different means of transport. The concept of intelligent transport systems should be used. More traffic junctions would be necessary. They criticised at the same time that the railway would not be as reliable as other carriers.
In a workshop on transport sector workers, the representatives of the European Transport Worker's Federation Joel Le Coq and Roberto Parrillo requested a paradigm shift in transport policy: not only the competition and the Internal Market should play a part, but also sustainable transport. One had to focus on co-modality and to renew the infrastructure. In doing so one had to take care that all regions would be taken into account. It would be important to invest in training measures for transport sector workers. Restructurings should be carried out in a socially responsible manner. Apart from that, the ETF had suggested a monitoring centre for social and environmental issues. Concerning the current discussion on the Road Transport (Working Time) Directive Parrillo stated that it should apply to all, including self-employed HGV drivers.
During a discussion about the options of shifting transport, a Board Member of Deutsche Bahn, Volker Kefer, made the critical comment that compared to road transport the railway would have to pay an estimated € 300 million for the Emission Trading System. In addition there would be about € 400 million to be paid for energy taxes. Fabio Gamba, the representative of the Association of European Airlines commented that a modal shift would only be possible in case of the EU6, but not in case of the EU27. Jos Dings of Transport & Environment stated that the Member States had no money to invest in a low-carbon transport infrastructure. Here, the European Commission had to become active. Instead of imposing new taxes on work, one should consider taxes on emissions remarked Dings on the current budget problems of the Member States.
In his final words, Antonio Preto, Head of Cabinet of the Transport Commissioner stated the necessity of new innovative ways to finance infrastructure. For that reason, the Commission had just published a Communication on the subject of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). His comment that mistakes had been made in the past and that the individual modes of transport had been played off against each other made the participants sit up and take notice. An 80 % market share of the road freight transport would not be acceptable. The rail sector had to be made more competitive and national passenger transport had to be liberalised, said Preto in his concluding comments, thereby emphasising the true priorities of the Commission.
Further information:
AK EUROPA position on a Sustainable Future for Transport
Commission Communication on Public Private Partnerships
The Director General responsible for transport in the European Commission stated that new technologies would play a key role in realizing low-carbon transport. The discussion regarding alternative drives would lead in the right direction; there would, however, also be bridging technologies on the road to CO2-free transport. It was vital to find the right mix between regulatory interventions and the market for technology policy. One thing, however, would be clear: low-carbon transport would be expensive. One should not leave transport policy to finance or environment ministers.
Whilst the representative of the Swedish Presidency, Zetterberg criticised that 50 percent of HGVs on the road are without freight, the managing director of the transport company Nijhof-Wassink demanded the admission of 44 t HGVs in all 27 Member States. The President of The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies, Johannes Ludewig, criticised that less and less was invested in transport infrastructure: if in the eighties 1.5 percent of the gross domestic product were invested in infrastructure measures, today it was just 0.7 percent. Ludewig commented on the infrastructure that the railway sector in the Member States was even obliged to provide a relevant infrastructure. However, in particular in Eastern Europe nothing had happened for years. Here existed already a massive backlog. Representatives of the harbours (deep sea shipping, inland shipping) requested a better co-modality of the different means of transport. The concept of intelligent transport systems should be used. More traffic junctions would be necessary. They criticised at the same time that the railway would not be as reliable as other carriers.
In a workshop on transport sector workers, the representatives of the European Transport Worker's Federation Joel Le Coq and Roberto Parrillo requested a paradigm shift in transport policy: not only the competition and the Internal Market should play a part, but also sustainable transport. One had to focus on co-modality and to renew the infrastructure. In doing so one had to take care that all regions would be taken into account. It would be important to invest in training measures for transport sector workers. Restructurings should be carried out in a socially responsible manner. Apart from that, the ETF had suggested a monitoring centre for social and environmental issues. Concerning the current discussion on the Road Transport (Working Time) Directive Parrillo stated that it should apply to all, including self-employed HGV drivers.
During a discussion about the options of shifting transport, a Board Member of Deutsche Bahn, Volker Kefer, made the critical comment that compared to road transport the railway would have to pay an estimated € 300 million for the Emission Trading System. In addition there would be about € 400 million to be paid for energy taxes. Fabio Gamba, the representative of the Association of European Airlines commented that a modal shift would only be possible in case of the EU6, but not in case of the EU27. Jos Dings of Transport & Environment stated that the Member States had no money to invest in a low-carbon transport infrastructure. Here, the European Commission had to become active. Instead of imposing new taxes on work, one should consider taxes on emissions remarked Dings on the current budget problems of the Member States.
In his final words, Antonio Preto, Head of Cabinet of the Transport Commissioner stated the necessity of new innovative ways to finance infrastructure. For that reason, the Commission had just published a Communication on the subject of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). His comment that mistakes had been made in the past and that the individual modes of transport had been played off against each other made the participants sit up and take notice. An 80 % market share of the road freight transport would not be acceptable. The rail sector had to be made more competitive and national passenger transport had to be liberalised, said Preto in his concluding comments, thereby emphasising the true priorities of the Commission.
Further information:
AK EUROPA position on a Sustainable Future for Transport
Commission Communication on Public Private Partnerships