[sustran] European transport policy for 2010 : time to decide

[Arno Mong Daastoel]

Below : As a courtesy to those who did not have the time to attend the
recent presentation of the  EU Commission’s recent White Paper on
Transportation by the EU director of TEN (Trans-European Network), Alfonso
Gonzales Finat.




Best wishes!

Arno


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Arno Mong Daastøl (Daastoel)
Utsiktsveien 34, NO-1410 Kolbotn, Norway, Email: am at daastol.com,
Ph: (prefix 47) 6680 6373, Mobile: 9002 4956, Fax: 6699 5325
Web: daastol.com , creditary-economics.org
InnoTrans.Net , SporTaxi.com , AfriTrans.net









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European transport policy for 2010 : time to decide



A short summary of the presentation in Oslo:





“European transport policy for 2010 : time to decide”

ved

Direktør Alfonso Gonzales Finat

Europakommisjonens Generaldirektorat for transport og energi

12. november kl 16.30 – 17.30.





Some 50 people found the way to the presentation of the EU Commission’s
recent White Paper on Transportation, the first after the White Paper in
1992.



The presentation went along these notes of mine:



Transport is the essential driver of industry, trade, way of life, EU
integration and consists of a € 1000 billion market.



After 1992 no harmonious integration: growing congestion, pollution

Need to decouple growth from growth in transport

EU policy will be to

-         shift mode of transport

-         eliminate bottlenecks

-         place user in centre

Congestion

-         urban

-         10 % of roads = 7500 kms

-         20 % of roads = 16000 kms

-         air flights: 30 % are more than 15 minutes delayed

-         cost : 0,5 % of GDP p/a

Development: 2 x cars in 30 years, 3 mill per year

“Just in Time” contributes to the costs

2010: + 38 % goods, + 24 % passengers

If noting done: + 50 % goods

Growth: Sea: + 41 %, Rail: 8 %, Road: 44 %, waterways: 4 %

Co2 : 84 % from road, grow 50 % 1990-2010



EU policy will be to use 60 measures:

tougher controls, penalties, uniform law, better information

integrate rail in internal market, liberalisation

international freight trains today: 18 km/h, lack of punctuality

“Motorways of the Sea”: simplify harbour rules, one-stop shop

waterways: link to rivers, technical standardisation, improved navigation

Marco Polo program (replaces PACT): € 30 mill p/a for

short-sea shipping, start-up aid for logistics,

TEN (Trans-European Network): HST (High Speed Train) Rail through Pyrenees,
Stuttgart-Vienna, Denmark-Germany (Fehmarn), Straubing-Vilishofen, Iberian
HST, Verona-Naples, Bologna-Milan



Galileo (radio navigation),

substitute fuel: bio: 2 % in 2005, 6 % in 2010 (by tax reduction),

standard tax on fuel,

fund construction of missing links in corridors,

single sky from 2004, common rules, “Eurocontrol”, intermodality,



Goals: Freight +38 % instead of 50 %, Passenger + 21 % instead of 43 %, 200
mill ton reduction of CO2



Urban transport: More rational use of cars

increased cost of transport transferred to improved quality, corridors

EU can only propose, local authorities decide

to absorb transport rail must be improved tremendously




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Comments:



Einar Flydal, of Telenor, hailed the great goals but could not see any sigh
of the measures to reach them.



I (Arno Mong Daastøl, of InnoTrans) claimed that these measures in the main
were patchworks on more than 100-year-old technology, and complained about
lacking EU support from the EU network in innovative urban and intercity
transport in the EU eunitrans network.

After the response from Mr. Finat, concerning the new 6th Frame Program in
Research, I said that the innovative technologies are not a research
problem. They are here today and have been available for 20 years, but are
not used because of lobbying from vested interests of traditional transport
and sluggishness” of public authorities. The third time, I spoke I said that
most of the measures were negative and similar to those implemented in
Norway, and like them would add to the costs and inefficiency of the economy
and make it less competitive. Why not attack the problem from the positive
side and use new innovative technology?



After the meeting I had the chance to have another exchange of opinions with
Mr. Finat on various issues. I apologised for being so persistent, but he
claimed to be interested in further comments on the EU whiter paper, through
his Brussels office. A nice man.