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14 December 1993
Doc. 6978
1403-9/12/93-3-E
REPORT
on European transport problems
(Reply to the 38th and 39th annual reports
of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT))1
(Rapporteur: Mr EFRAIMOGLOU,
Greece, Group of the European People's Party)
Summary
The Assembly welcomes the rapidly expanding membership of the ECMT, now encompassing thirty countries. It hopes that the organisation will soon have all European countries as members, in order to be able to face the many new challenges confronting the continent.
Investment by ECMT member countries in transport infrastructure has for several years been insufficient to meet demand. The road traffic situation in particular remains precarious, with congestion threatening at a number of locations. The Assembly deplores the insufficient progress made in instituting co-operation between national railway systems, with a view to ensuring an efficient, Europe-wide passenger and freight railway network.
The Assembly inter alia calls on ECMT and Council of Europe member countries to work in favour of Europe-wide solutions to the continent's transport issues, and more particularly to develop a general investment plan for a pan-European railway system. It also asks the ECMT to intensify its work aiming to limit transport growth to a level compatible with a healthy environment.
I. Draft resolution
1. The Assembly has taken note of the 38th and 39th annual reports of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) (Doc. 6714 and Doc. 6964 covering 1991 and 1992 respectively), as well as the report by its Committee on Economic Affairs and Development (Doc. 6978) and the opinion presented by its Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities (Doc. ....).
2. The Assembly welcomes the rapidly expanding membership of the ECMT, now encompassing thirty countries. It hopes that the organisation will soon have all European countries as members, in order to be able to face the many new challenges confronting the continent.
3. Investment by ECMT member countries in transport infrastructure has for several years been insufficient to meet demand. The road traffic situation in particular remains precarious, with congestion threatening at a number of locations, especially along the west European north-south axis from the Netherlands through Germany to Italy, and in central and eastern Europe.
4. The Assembly deplores the insufficient progress made in instituting co-operation between national railway systems with a view to ensuring an efficient, Europe-wide passenger and freight railway network.
5. The Assembly regrets that, as a result, rail transport continues to decline when compared to other modes of transport and recalls its Resolution 977 (1992) in which it calls on ECMT and Council of Europe member states to "give priority to railways over roads" within an internationally co-ordinated investment programme to improve Europe's transport infrastructure.
6. The environmental problems caused by road vehicles in particular will make it necessary to consider ways of checking further expansion of road traffic, to devise more environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient lorries and cars, and to promote a reorientation from road to rail or combined (road/rail) transport.
7. In this context the Assembly welcomes the major efforts made by Austria and Switzerland to facilitate Alpine transit, and notably the Swiss NEAT (New Alpine Tunnels) project involving over 90 km of new railway tunnels for combined transport, at a cost of US$ 10 000 million. Such investments point the way to a harmonious and environmentally-sound integration of different modes of transport.
8. The economic development of central and eastern Europe necessarily depends on the rapid expansion and modernisation of its rail and road systems, including infrastructure. This holds not only for east-west links, but equally for north-south axes connecting the region with the Mediterranean.
9. The Assembly welcomes the 4th ECMT-Council of Europe Conference on Road Safety Education for Young Children and Teenagers, to be held in Strasbourg in March 1994, hopes that it will yield concrete results for European co-operation in this field in particular in central and eastern Europe, and resolves to report on its conclusions in due course.
10. The Assembly, in conclusion, calls on ECMT and Council of Europe member states:
i. to pursue vigorously the decisions of the Ministerial Council of the ECMT for a future European transport policy, and in particular the guidelines adopted at its May 1993 meeting in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, for improving the accessibility of peripheral regions and for upgrading the transport network of central and eastern Europe;
ii. to work in favour of Europe-wide solutions to the continent's transport issues — in particular avoiding any split between European Union members and other European countries — and to develop a general investment plan for a pan-European railway system;
iii. to attach as much importance to north-south as to east-west transport links in their co-operation with the countries of central and eastern Europe, and to seek to establish priorities on the basis of appropriate studies and simulation experiments as regards long-term demand;
iv. in particular, to plan for modern motorways linking the Baltic states with Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey, and the Iberian peninsula with the Balkans;
v. to pursue the ECMT's work in "transport telematics" — that is, the use of electronic data processing to assist traffic management — and in particular to realise the ECMT's goal of ensuring "inter-operability" among different national systems, while paying due attention to the need to protect the privacy of citizens;
vi. to heed the Assembly's call, in Resolution 938 (1990) on European transport problems for "considering an extension of the ECMT's competence to include also maritime transport";
vii. to promote close co-operation between the ECMT and the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), as well as with the European Union, on issues of interface between air and other modes of transport, such as transport to and from airports, or the development of high-speed trains;
viii. to ensure that the end of summer time is on the same date throughout Europe, in the interest of transport efficiency;
ix. to place environmental protection at the centre of European transport policies, in accordance with the agreements reached at the United Nations 1992 Conference on Environment and Development. Measures should aim at counteracting "global warming" via a reduction of CO2 emissions through improved vehicle and engine design, as well as through research into alternative fuels; and to reduce vehicle noise and emissions damaging to human health and buildings;
x. gradually to introduce co-ordinated solutions to the issue of the taxation of road transport, with the aim to have vehicles pay for road costs in a first stage, and for
the external costs they cause in a second stage;
xi. to pursue consultation on the complicated issue of railway privatisation, bearing in mind the differing circumstances prevailing in each country, and paying particular attention to the problems in this regard facing the countries of central and eastern Europe;
xii. to assist, materially and conceptually, the countries of central and eastern Europe in the modernisation of their railway systems, notably with regard to the efficiency and comfort of passenger transport;
xiii. to ensure that the Interrail Card, permitting young people to travel by rail across Europe on affordable conditions, be continued, and to include in the system all European countries;
xiv. to adopt adequate safety standards for lorry, coach and railway transport — as regards both the condition of vehicles and the alertness of drivers, especially on major holiday routes — through the speedy conclusion of a revised Europe-wide agreement concerning the work of crews engaged in international transport.
11. Finally, the Assembly warmly welcomes the recent opening of the Rhine-Maine-Danube inland waterway connecting the North Sea with the Black Sea, and considers it of great importance to Europe's future economic development.
12. It notes, however, that shipping on the Rhine is still governed by a convention separate from that of the Danube, and calls on the ECMT to promote harmonisation of the relevant legal provisions so as to ensure smooth passage on both waterways.
13. Notwithstanding the many promising developments which could greatly improve the transport situation in Europe, the Assembly notes rising awareness of the fact that transport and traffic cannot grow limitlessly. It therefore calls on the ECMT to intensify its work aiming to limit this growth to a level compatible with a healthy environment.
II. Explanatory memorandum
by Mr EFRAIMOGLOU
Contents
Page
I. Introduction 6 I
II. The opening up of central and Eastern Europe 8
III. Overcrowded roads 9
IV. Under-utilised railways 11
V. Maritime and inland water transport 14
VI. Road safety 16
VII. Transport and the environment 17
VIII. Transport in tomorrow's Europe 18
APPENDIX 1: International E Road Network 21
APPENDIX 2: International E Railway Network 23
I. Introduction
1. The present report on European transport issues and policies takes as its point of departure the 1991 and 1992 annual reports of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT), as well as that organisation's programme of activities foreseen for the years 1993-95.
2. A first version of the report was drawn up following a visit paid by the Rapporteur to ECMT headquarters in Paris in February 1993, in the course of which he had a most fruitful exchange of views with Mr Gerhard Aurbach, Secretary General of the ECMT and his senior staff. During the final discussion of the draft, in November 1993, Mr Aurbach came before the committee for a very rich exchange of views, and the Rapporteur wishes to thank both him and the several colleagues who provided valuable input to the report. The report will concentrate on present and emerging problems in European transport and will pay little attention to issues overtaken by events. The Rapporteur wishes to point out, however, that no report of this kind can do justice to the extremely wide-ranging activities and concerns of the ECMT. The picture that will be provided will be only fragmentary although, it is hoped, illustrative of the major problems in Europe's transport sector today.
3. It is something of an understatement to say that Europe has undergone profound changes since the Assembly adopted its last report on ECMT activities in early 1992. Market reform, democratisation and the rule of law has made major progress in central and eastern Europe even though many difficulties remain. The European Union's completion of its internal market, the so-called "1992" programme, has entered into force since January 1993, even though it would be presumptuous to say that it has been fully realised, including in the transport sector.
4. Furthermore, the countries of the European Union and all but one of the EFTA countries have agreed to form a European Economic Area. Needless to say, both "1992" and the EEA will have significant consequences for transport, also because of the transit agreements concluded with Switzerland and Austria. Finally, the European Union has taken several important initiatives in the transport sector generally, and in air transport especially, even though the latter will be examined in a separate report by our committee. For instance, the European Union, in October 1991, gathered virtually all European countries, and representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly, around the so-called Prague Declaration on an all-European transport policy, aiming to create a coherent framework for future initiatives in this field.
5. The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT), it will be remembered, is an intergovernmental organisation created in 1953 as a forum for the ministers of transport of European countries — to permit them to shape the "Europe of Transport" (minus air and maritime transport) in the best way possible. The Parliamentary Assembly constitutes the parliamentary forum of the ECMT since many years, and has seen it as its mission both to draw parliamentary attention to emerging transport issues and concerns, and to help guide the ECMT's work in the most fruitful directions.
6. The membership of the ECMT is expanding rapidly, and in rather similar fashion to that of the Council of Europe. Thus, at the meeting of ECMT ministers in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, in May 1993 membership was expanded to thirty countries through the acceptance of the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic and Bosnia-Herzegovina (subject, in the case of the latter, to the conclusion of the necessary legal and administrative procedures within a period of one year). The ECMT on this occasion also made the Russian Federation an associate member of the ECMT.2
7. It stands to reason that transport, both of people and of goods, should stagnate during a recession, and the present downturn is no exception. Passenger traffic in 1991 increased by only 1,1% in ECMT countries (excepting the countries in transition) as compared to 1990. This was the lowest year on rise since 1983. By contrast, the yearly increase between 1986 and 1988 was about 4,7%. Road transport accounted for most of the increases over the past few years, while rail traffic rose only slightly. Overall freight transport by contrast declined by 2,8% in 1991, and freight transport by road diminished by 0,3% — for the first time since 1980, mainly due to the recession.
8. The volume of rail freight traffic diminished by 0,6% in 1991 from the previous year, and was only slightly above the 1988 level. Total freight traffic on the railways of ECMT countries in 1991 stood at only about 90% of that in the peak year of 1974. Rail container traffic also suffered.
9. Both the Assembly and the ECMT have repeatedly drawn attention to the precarious situation in road traffic, and in particular to the likely development of bottlenecks at a number of locations in the near future. Congestion is perhaps less noticeable in the midst of a severe recession such as the present one, but it flares up even now from time to time at given "choking points", especially along the west European north-south axis from the Netherlands through Germany to northern Italy.
10. ECMT ministers at their above-mentioned Noordwijk meeting in May 1993 drew attention to this problem, and they also highlighted the need to enhance accessibility for peripheral regions and for upgrading the transport network of central and eastern Europe.
11. The Rapporteur in this context wishes to refer to a motion for a resolution which he submitted together with several of his Assembly colleagues in July 1992, regarding the need for an integrated planning of trunk communication routes with eastern and south — eastern Europe (Doc. 6649). The main points in the motion were the following:
—in frastructure planning has been focused too heavily on western Europe in the past, and it is high time to remedy the situation by paying equal attention to central and eastern Europe, including the latter's southern part;—
—im proved north-south connections in central and eastern Europe are as important for the region's economic revival as east-western ones, and;—
—th ere is an urgent need for a modern motorway linking the Baltic states to Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.We
We shall return to this subject below.
II. The opening-up of central and eastern Europe: the need for both
east-west and north-south corridors
12. ECMT ministers have decided to give top priority to the rapid integration of the new central and east European member states both into the ECMT as such, and into the general European system of transport, from the technical, economic, social and environmental point of view. This involves first of all an analysis of the norms in different fields adopted by ECMT member states over the years and which should be reached as quickly as possible by the new members. The aim is a smoothly functioning transport market ensuring fair and full competition.
13. Secondly, it means a considerable increase (of more than 100%) in the multilateral quota licences granted by ECMT to its new members. Related to this is the so-called "green lorry" concept of a much cleaner road transport vehicle which it is the ECMT's aim eventually to see adopted in all of Europe. A final priority concerns an improvement in the transport infrastructure in central and eastern Europe.
14. The most welcome opening-up — politically, economically and transport-wise — of central and eastern Europe has nevertheless shown the magnitude of the problems to be
overcome following forty or more years of division, during which the communist system concentrated on the production of raw and intermediate materials transported mainly by rail, to the neglect of roads and road traffic infrastructure in particular. This is in fact a serious obstacle to trade between the continent's different parts, and it is aggravated by excessively long waiting times at border crossings, both for passenger and goods traffic.
15. In recognition of the above, the European Union, supported by the ECMT, is at present perfecting its "Strategic Transport Corridors" project, by which thirteen "corridors" have been suggested (although no decision has yet been taken) to remedy the shortcomings of central and east European road transport, and to ensure the region's integration with western Europe. However, it should be noted that only two of the thirteen possible "corridors" follow a north-south axis. The scarcity of north-south road and railway links in central and eastern Europe is illustrated by Appendices 1 and 2 to this report.
16. This latter fact was pointed out by the Rapporteur as he replied to the request for an opinion submitted by the European Parliament in regard to the European Commission's White Paper on the future development of a common transport policy. It would indeed, he stated, be "regrettable if the Twelve restricted their transport thinking to present EC member states only, and did not take into account the vital need to secure adequate road, rail and maritime transport with a central and eastern Europe whose future political stability and economic development depend crucially on it".
17. This is a shortcoming, which can be remedied. Even before the changes of 1989, the trans-European north-south motorway project — encompassing Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Austria, Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey — was a major European transport corridor. In Greece, major efforts are underway to ensure that transport between Europe and Asia should be served adequately. In particular, work is progressing to improve the port of Igoumenitsa in the Ionian Sea, as well as the port of Alexandropolis near the Greek-Turkish border.
18. Especially Alexandropolis will be capable of handling intensive traffic both in an east-west direction (Igoumenitsa — Alexandropolis — Turkey) and along a north-south axis from Alexandropolis north to Bucharest, and from there along two main axes — one via Lvov to Kaunas, Riga and St Petersburg, and the other by Kiev to Moscow. These parts of Europe have an enormous development potential. Linking them together along a north-south axis would benefit all areas involved.
19. All the countries in this part of Europe — Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania and others — have always sought to expand their contacts with the Mediterranean, and from there further on, and not always by peaceful means. What greater service to peace in the area could there be than a major, modern port that — combined with an upgraded road and rail network — could open up the region to the Mediterranean, and from there, for instance, through the Suez Canal to the Far East. For imagine the cost if the latter were to take place, say, from Romania to China by land!
20. But, some may say, why not concentrate on a Black Sea port like Odessa instead, and ship goods by sea through the Bosphorus? The reason this is not possible is that the Bosphorus and its adjacent waters form a much too narrow passage which is in addition extremely treacherous due to strong currents. Its transit capacity is already surpassed, and any further increase in the number of passing ships would only be accompanied by more delays and a greater risk of accidents.
21. In an encouraging effort, Bulgaria is now about to receive support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Union's European Investment Bank for a general restoration of Bulgarian roads and the building of a motorway link that will connect Sofia with the main artery planned from Bucharest to Alexandropolis.
22. Let there be no misunderstanding, what has been said above about the urgency of north-south links in central and eastern Europe is in no way meant to belittle the parallel need for proper east-west connections. It is equally important, for example, to establish adequate road connections from Portugal over Spain, southern France and Italy south of the Piedmont to the Balkans.
III. Overcrowded roads
23. Investments in Europe's road network, although considerable, have not been able to keep pace with the increase in road traffic. Traffic is predicted to rise steadily in the next century in line with economic growth, despite a certain hiatus since 1991 due to the recession. Hence the near "choking" along many motorways, as well as in and around numerous cities.
24. However, even if infrastructure investment had kept up with the extraordinary explosion in demand (as expressed in the purchase of road vehicles and their use), demand would have reached infrastructure's capacity limit very soon.
25. This will be the case as long as road users are able to "pass on" road transport's external costs, such as damage to the environment, to society as a whole. Only if this can be prevented — for instance through the introduction of road tolls, now under intensive debate in some countries such as Germany — can the "road capacity — road demand trap" be at least partially avoided. This would, however, require investment in, or subsidies to, alternative modes of transport, such as railways. Price increases for car use, for example in the form of vehicle or petrol taxes are also likely to hurt people in remote regions who have to travel long distances, as well as people with low incomes. However, a British member of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development maintains that car users in his country already pay more than "their share", that is, more than they "cost" to society, including the environment. It would therefore, in his view, be unreasonable to ask them to pay extra through special taxes.
26. It is significant, however, that the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development in adopting the present report did not follow this line. Instead it decided to ask the ECMT gradually to introduce co-ordinated solutions to the taxation of road transport, with the aim to have vehicles pay for road costs in a first stage, and for the external costs they occasion in a second stage.
27. The issue of overcrowded roads was a hot topic during the ECMT Symposium "Transport growth in question," held in Lisbon in May 1992. With regard to the use of the private car, the symposium compared the growth of the car population to a "force of nature", one of the main reasons for such growth being that elderly people persist in driving as long as they are at all able. People like to keep to their regular habits as they grow older, even if these call for great mobility.
28. The main reason for the overcrowded roads is, quite simply, the increasing rate of motorisation. In other words, we seem to need more cars to do more and more things. For instance, the more complex mobility pattern of women calls for increased use of the car. In addition, many young people own cars nowadays, and an increasing number of households feel they have to have two or more vehicles for the different daily duties of members. Economic growth has led to a rise in real incomes, and this has favoured the acquisition and use of the private car. The car has also become, in a way, "part of the private space", allowing people to relax and reflect, often in the company of hifi music, on their way to and from work.
29. Parallel to this, demand for public transport is diminishing, since it is seen as less and less capable of moving people to and from more and more frequent, and more and more complex activities of all kinds. This may lead to a decline in the quality of public transport, thus completing the vicious circle.
30. Can transport telematics help? Transport telematics is the term used to describe computer applications aimed at assisting traffic management, whether in route guidance or in data interchange. The ECMT is pursuing the examination of projects which seek to ensure the necessary interface between different types of transport with respect to overall supply and demand, integrated travel information and more efficient management of road traffic. The ECMT also looked at issues such as enhanced safety through telematics, European standardisation and co-operation between public and private operators.
31. The use of transport telematics is important to maximise the potential of Europe's transport infrastructure. It can act as an early warning as traffic builds up at "choke points". Or it can help avoid the "empty lorry" phenomenon — 30% of lorries on Europe's roads run empty — by advising drivers how to reroute and collect another load. This presupposes, however, that drivers are legally permitted to do so when abroad.
32. However, the use of transport telematics raises certain problems, such as the respect of privacy and the possible use by unauthorised persons of information supplied through the system. Guidelines need to be established to avoid abuses and intrusions of privacy. Another problem is the lack of co-ordination of systems in use. The key issue as regards telematics is "inter-operability" among countries. Unless it succeeds at an early stage, users will inevitably encounter many incompatible systems for route guidance or driver information while travelling — systems which would broadcast information of extremely varied quality due to different standards and techniques.
33. In order to prevent this happening, ECMT ministers at their Noordwijk meeting in May 1993 adopted a resolution pledging to ensure that systems will be compatible in Europe. A lot of money is at stake: it is estimated that the all-European market for on-board telematics equipment will amount to ecu 50 000 million up to the year 2020.
34. One aspect of transport harmonisation is worth mentioning in this connection, namely summer time. Summer time was introduced by most European countries in the 1970s, and the European Union together with the Council of Europe in due course managed to have its beginning in the spring and end in the autumn coincide in most participating countries., including those not belonging to the EC. The reason for the EC's interest in the issue was, of course, its mandate of trying to remove the obstacles to the free movement of people, goods and services which differing national summertime arrangements would create.
35. As it happens, the United Kingdom and Ireland abandon their summer time at the end of October, whereas all the others do so at the end of September. Surveys show that a large majority of the European public would be in favour of the end of October. Whatever date is eventually chosen, the Rapporteur believes it important for the efficiency of European transport and communication if the dates for the end of summertime could be harmonised all over Europe, on the understanding that the EC consult all other countries concerned before deciding for itself.
IV. Under-utilised railways
36. The Parliamentary Assembly, in its Resolution 977 (1992) on European transport problems, called on the member states of the ECMT and of the Council of Europe to "achieve a tangible improvement of Europe's transport infrastructure through an internationally co-ordinated investment programme, and, in so doing, to give priority to railways over roads". Indeed, the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development in adopting the present report called for a general investment plan for a pan-European railway system.
37. In brief, rail has not been able to compete with the more flexible and adaptable road transport in spite of its offering a transport service which is both safe and environmentally friendly. It is therefore important to create the fair economic conditions which can encourage railway investment and allow this mode of transport to make its proper contribution to European transport.
38. The disappointing proportion of rail to road traffic has already been pointed out. In 1970, rail accounted for 31% of the freight transport in ECMT countries; in 1991 this percentage had sunk to about 17%. However, a relative, or even absolute, increase in rail traffic is hostage to capacity. The truth is that very little of the latter is available on the railways, where saturation levels are in many cases being approached already.
39. Furthermore, logistical systems rely on information technologies to monitor the movement of goods, and the railways cannot always provide this type of service, especially where international operations come into play. Unfortunately, it takes far too much time and hassle for a company to move its goods from, say, Finland to Italy by rail than by lorry, for the passage through each country along the way in fact makes the transport an entirely new cargo due to lacking co-ordination among national railway companies.
40. Much hope is attached to the so-called "rolling road" system, whereby the complete road vehicle is carried by rail. However, its efficiency is somewhat limited since the road vehicle and the driver are inactive during the rail haul, and the tare weights of wagon and road vehicle are combined so that energy is not used very efficiently. The future of the railways for the carriage of freight will instead have to rely on specialisation and management of individual trunk routes.
41. Rail has advantages to be exploited on major corridors, where it can absorb a considerable proportion of the goods carried. The Swiss and the Austrians are implementing this idea with great determination. By having railways take care of transportation along "trunk routes", all parties can benefit from substantial throughput, protection of the environment, and safety. Freight capacity would be further enhanced if rails for passenger traffic could be separated from, or added to, those for freight traffic.
42. Various countries are examining the possibility of privatising national railways. This is, however, an emotional issue since railways are often considered as part of the nation's "family silver" and since it is not certain that privatised railways will offer the public the same service as state-owned ones. Furthermore, the term "railway privatisation" means very different things to the different countries engaged in this process, and so has to be used with circumspection.
43. The ECMT Railway Group is at present examining the advantages and disadvantages of privatisation. Among the questions to be addressed are:
—No t all freight lines are lucrative, so should some be left to go bankrupt under the influence of market forces?—
—Co mpetition among potential buyers would be fierce for the more popular routes, in particular intercity travel. Should non-competitive routes have to be closed down?—
—Ca n privatised rail lines be counted on to maintain special reductions for needy groups such as students or senior citizens, and will tickets for through-travel on two or more separately owned lines be possible?—
—Ca n a nationwide train timetable be preserved, and what about co-ordination of train arrivals and departures among different private owners?44
44. The ECMT is at present asking itself how far privatisation of railways can and should go. Of particular importance are the aims behind restructuring. Can privatisation satisfy the objectives of self-management, efficiency, competition and a reduced burden on the government budget? Part of the ECMT's work is based on the European Union's Directive 440 on "free access to the market for railways, and free access to the railways of other countries", which the organisation is now trying to extend to all ECMT member countries.
45. The railway situation in central and eastern Europe calls for special attention. Even before the collapse of communism, the railways there were inefficient. Rolling stock was obsolete, and the system geared to bulk transportation. As these countries move away from bulk to more sophisticated production, the shortcomings of the existing railways systems become even more apparent. Investment in maintenance and modernisation of central and eastern European railways, as well as in new infrastructure, is badly needed.
46. A major problem in the region is over-staffing. The Russian railway system alone employs some two million people. Reducing staff to an economically viable size will be socially very difficult.
47. In the meantime, lorry transport is becoming more important. If rail in 1990 accounted for 65% of all transportation in central and eastern Europe, this figure had gone down to 62% in 1991. By contrast, road transport increased from 32% to almost 35% during the same period.
48. Within the European Union, the introduction of high speed rail links will receive special support. Among the plans is one suggesting a linkage of the German ICE train to the French network, and eventually to the French TGV (train à grande vitesse). Such developments should be encouraged. The Paris-Lyon TGV is an example of how successful this mode of transport can be. Since its opening, the route has not only taken customers from both road and air traffic, but it has also attracted travellers who up to then were not using either.
49. There are, of course, also many problems with high speed trains, especially of an environmental nature. However, with Europe being a small, yet densely populated continent, high speed trains can provide a viable (some would say necessary) alternative to Europe's already overloaded roads and airspace. The prospect of travelling by rail from city centre to city centre without hassle is an attractive one to many people. However, the investment required is enormous, and the legal hurdles during construction manifold.
50. The Alpine transit problem, and Austria and Switzerland's responses to it, were discussed at length in the last report on European transport issues (Doc. 6539). Switzerland for its part has committed itself to the following investments:
—in creased capacity in the Gotthard and Lötschberg tunnels to handle combined transport;—
—co nstruction of a second, 57 kilometre long tunnel under the Gotthard, running in part parallel to the old one (built in 1892);—
—co nstruction of a second, 34 kilometre long tunnel under the Lötschberg.51
51. The project, called NEAT (New Alpine Tunnels) will be realised in twelve years at a total cost of $10 thousand million, entirely to be financed by Switzerland itself. It must be said that Austria and Switzerland have done and will do a great deal, not only for their own environment but for Europe as a whole. For without question combined transport (road and "piggy-back"on rail) is the superior alternative for long hauls.
52. Austria will considerably modernise its road network, build a tunnel permitting lorries to avoid Innsbruck, and another one under the Brenner Pass. Finally, the European Union will help build or improve road/rail terminals in Germany, northern Italy and Rotterdam. It will also improve several tunnels in northern Italy.
53. The agreement between the European Union on the one hand, and Austria and Switzerland on the other, on the Alpine transit issue entered into force in January 1993. The two countries hope to move environmentally damaging, and rapidly increasing, trans-alpine freight traffic from the roads onto an upgraded rail network. If all goes well, these investments can point to a new way of harmoniously integrating different modes of transport while preserving the environment.
54. Finally, a word on behalf of our young people. The Interrail Card has permitted young people from all over Europe and beyond to travel the continent at affordable cost, to great advantage to themselves and to international understanding. A new system is now being proposed by the International Railways Union and under the auspices of the Council of Europe. The Rapporteur hopes that the new card will signify even more affordable conditions, especially as the tourism borders of Europe open up to the east.
V. Maritime and inland water transport
55. In its Resolution 938 (1990) on European transport problems, the Parliamentary Assembly called for "considering an extension of the ECMT's competence to include also maritime transport". It seems to this Rapporteur important to repeat this point, and to enquire of ECMT Ministers what is being done to remedy an anomaly which authorises ECMT to deal with inland water transport — rivers, canals and lakes — but not with maritime transport.
56. And yet Europe's very contours make the continent ideal for shipping certain types of goods the maritime route instead of across land. Goods from northern Germany to, say, Italy, could often be shipped more easily by using the Atlantic and the Mediterranean than across mainland Europe. Ports in the Mediterranean are under-utilised compared to major northern European ports, which are strained to the limit especially when one considers the adjacent road network. Greece's efforts to build ports have already been mentioned. Italy, too, does much to encourage maritime transport as an alternative to road transport. If the true cost of road transport in the form of pollution, the wear and tear of roads etc had to be paid by the user, then such a shift would no doubt come about more easily.
57. The European Union has, for its part, recently focused on one particular aspect of maritime transport, namely safety standards on seagoing vessels, especially as regards pollution. The EC has suggested that those who do not meet the required standards should be banned from Community waters. Measures include the harmonisation of existing rules and their enforcement; co-ordinated development of navigational aids and surveillance equipment; and support for international agencies in setting standards. It can only be hoped that other European countries will have their say in the shaping of regulations, so as to take into account their particular circumstances.
58. Maritime safety standards become particularly important when it comes to transportation of toxic waste, oil or nuclear materials. It is vital that standards be respected both on European and non-European carriers. Some transporters do not hesitate to "shop around" for the cheapest carriers, which may flout European rules by relying on flags of convenience.
59. With the opening up of central and eastern Europe, a whole new potential network of inland waterways can be integrated into a European system. This raises the issue of repairing, monitoring or building the necessary links in such a system.
60. The opening in 1992 of the Rhine-Main-Danube waterway was a major event in European transportation history. A trans-European link of 3 500 km linking Rotterdam directly to the Black Sea port of Ismail was inaugurated, traversing eleven countries. The Main-Danube link is 170 km long, comprising fifty-two locks (some of them among the biggest in the world) and enormous artificial lakes. In addition, the Main and the Danube have had to be "improved" along 680 km between Frankfurt and Budapest.
61. Traffic on this route has perhaps not yet lived up to the highest expectations — in part due to the recession but also largely owing to the United Nations sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro which have seriously curtailed trade in the whole of south-eastern Europe. However, there is no doubt that this link will be of enormous use in the future for linking western and eastern Europe from the point of view of trade.
62. Unfortunately, however, shipping on the Rhine is governed by one convention, and navigation on the Danube by another. This creates problems, and the ECMT should be asked to promote harmonisation of the relevant provisions in the two conventions to permit a smooth passage between the two waterways.
63. The countries concerned should be encouraged to consider the use of inland waterways as a quieter and less polluting supplement to other forms of traffic, especially for goods where speed of transportation is not the primary concern. France will also have to decide whether it is not high time to build a canal linking the Rhine with the Rhône. This would open up a direct link between Marseille and Rotterdam, 1 630 km long.
VI. Road safety
64. The number of road accidents diminished by 0,5% in 1991 from 1990 in ECMT member countries. However, the level of safety on the roads remained lower than it had been in 1988, and certainly lower than in 1985, the best year on record. Among countries noticing an improvement were the Netherlands (-9,5%), France (-8,4%), Finland (-8,1%) and the United Kingdom (-7,7%). Unfortunately, there were substantial increases in accidents in Turkey (+23,7%), Portugal (+15,7%) and Ireland (+7%).
65. The total number of casualties in ECMT member countries — over 1 927 000 killed or injured — diminished by 3,8% in 1991. Despite this good result, the figure was still higher than in 1985, 1986 and 1987. In 1991 about 60 000 people were killed in road accidents in ECMT countries, down by 2% from 1990. While clearly high, this figure is the lowest recorded since 1970 with the single exception of that for 1985.
66. The results as regards road safety in 1991 are therefore positive, consolidating efforts deployed since the mid-1970s. However, how can we be satisfied in noticing decreases, when the absolute figures are so shockingly high? Road accidents depend essentially on the road, the state of the vehicle and that of the driver (including the speed at which he drives). Governments must do more in this field, in adopting adequate safety standards not only for lorry and coach transport, but also for railways, with special attention paid to major holiday routes at peak season.
67. The picture is even more disquieting in central and eastern Europe. In countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic, the road accident trend is still, regrettably, upwards. Central and eastern Europe is in fact hit by a combination of new circumstances: a rapid increase in road traffic (due to the transition to a market economy and trade reorientation towards the west — a trade which mainly goes by road rather than rail); a greater number of vehicles due to increased wealth; a large stock of ageing, and often less safe, vehicles; poor roads; and shortcomings in the training of drivers.
68. It is therefore very much to be welcomed that the 4th ECMT-Council of Europe Conference on Road Safety Education for Young Children and Teenagers will be held in early 1994, with special emphasis on the situation in central and eastern Europe. The conference will build on the continuing collaboration between the Council of Europe and the ECMT as regards the teaching of road safety in schools.
69. In October 1982 Mr Probst and several of his Assembly colleagues introduced a motion for a recommendation on petrol tank protection systems (Doc. 6704). The motion points out that car accidents in which the petrol tank explodes are extremely serious. Even where the vehicle is at first only slightly on fire, no one can help because of the grave danger of a sudden tank explosion. The occupants burn to death, without the possibility of assistance.
70. For some time now, the signatories of the motion point out, tank protection systems have been available which can completely eliminate the possibility of explosion. The systems cost very little to install (approximately $1 per litre tank capacity), so that legislation for newly registered vehicles would seem highly justifiable. It is also quite easy to install the tank protection system in existing cars.
71. The signatories of the motion therefore recommend to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe that such tank protection systems be made compulsory for all newly registered vehicles throughout member states. The Rapporteur shares the concern of the signatories of this motion, but believes that it is in the first place the ECMT, which already has a very active Committee on Road Safety, to study the matter and make concrete proposals to the ECMT Ministerial Council.
72. Perhaps action will be stimulated following the large damages awarded in a civil liability suit launched in the United States against a major car manufacturer, as a result of negligence in the positioning of the petrol tank in one of their models. Civil liability damages are much more modest in Europe, which in this case could be considered a pity.
VII. Transport and the environment
73. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the "Earth Summit"), held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, adopted a "Framework Convention on Climate Change". It was signed by 150 countries, including all ECMT members.
74. The contribution of transport to overall global warming — that is, the additional warming of the atmosphere caused by gases released through human activity — is estimated at between 20% and 25% for most west European countries. The major transport source of global warming is the CO2 output of road vehicles. Road transport is responsible for over 80% of the sector's impact in most western European countries, the private car alone contributing about two-thirds of the total. The bulk of the greenhouse gas effects of the car are CO2 (60%), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs: 20%) and other gases (20%).
75. The Rio Convention contains little that is specific to transport. In practice, only few countries have specific targets for the reduction of pollution from transport. The Netherlands has set targets for 1996, 2000 and 2010 for both private cars and freight. Denmark has targets on CO2, whereas the emphasis in Sweden and the United Kingdom is on instruments to reduce pollution.
76. Technology can clearly make contributions toward reducing the problem. Better vehicle design and engine technology could enhance fuel efficiency by up to 20%. If vehicles are made smaller and speed limits introduced, reductions of 50% or more in CO2 emissions could be achieved. Alternative fuels offer further potential. Methanol and ethanol are possibilities but are expensive to produce. In the longer term, hydrogen produced from natural gas or biomass could reduce CO2 emissions by 80% to 90%. The benefits from electric vehicles depend on the electricity generation mix. These and other conclusions were reached at an ECMT seminar in 1992 on the theme "reducing transport's contribution to global warming".
77. Transport's effects on the environment are not, however, restricted to global warming. Older buildings in our cities show signs of serious decay, mainly as a result of car emissions. In the countryside, sensitive landscapes are often aesthetically impaired by new roads. Now is the time to limit such damage. The costs to the environment should be given as much attention as pure transport economics.
78. Modern transport affects human health in ways more than one. The noise from streets or busy roads pervades our daily existence. Exhaust fumes carry carbon monoxide, lead and other noxious substances, with largely unknown health risks for instance to children. Efforts must be made to reduce these problems. For instance, the price difference between leaded and unleaded fuel could be increased, or the introduction of more silent and cleaner vehicles speeded up.
VIII. Transport in tomorrow's Europe
79. Europe is a small, but densely populated continent. It comprises many countries with separate histories, traditions and interests. Transport opportunities have sometimes led to war among nations, but have more often been a source of understanding and prosperity. The opening of central and eastern Europe, the European Union's "1992" project and its extension to most EFTA countries through the European Economic Area constitute historic opportunities. Providing this new Europe with adequate transportation opportunities would equal these historic challenges, and would favour open trade and the fantastic potential for economic growth inherent in having some 600 million so geographically close to each other. The countries of central and eastern Europe need assistance from west European countries. The best help is trade — but trade requires a functioning transport system.
80. The Rapporteur believes in the general virtues of the market. However, it is also his conviction that an integrated European transport infrastructure cannot be left entirely to market forces. If this were to happen European transport would risk forming an ill-fitting mosaic with choking points at every interface between the pieces. Ideally, the transport system should make it easier for people and industry to meet and exchange thoughts, services and goods. Transport planning must anticipate the market forces that lead to increased wealth.
81. This is why governments and parliaments and international organisations must together take the lead in shaping the Europe of transport of tomorrow — not to counteract the market but to help it realise its full potential.
82. Let it be clear: even if this is not done, the market will still prevail. It will continue to operate, although subefficiently, producing less prosperity. For instance, if the road transport system were to collapse, making transport from distant production sites too time-consuming and hence too costly, then companies would have to decentralise to be closer to consumers. Large-scale, centralised production would have to be sacrificed in order to reach consumers. Whether this would be an overall advantage to society or not is beyond the scope of this report, but it is mentioned to highlight the principle of market dominance.
83. The ECMT seminar "Transport Growth in Question", held in Lisbon in October 1992, rightly therefore emphasised accessibility to disadvantaged areas. The meeting called for the definition of "accessibility indicators" to measure transport efficiency between remote and more central areas. Such indicators would make it easier to take policy measures and integrate Europe more effectively by providing better inter-regional connections.
84. More fundamentally, however, the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development in adopting the draft resolution in the present report returned to the very question raised in the title of the Lisbon Seminar. Transport, it said, cannot grow limitlessly. It must be brought to a level of growth compatible with the protection of our environment. Achieving this will be a major challenge for the ECMT in the coming years.
Reporting committee: Committee on Economic Affairs and Development.
Budgetary implications for the Assembly: none.
References to committee: Doc. 6714, Reference No. 1828 of 5 November 1992;
Doc. 6964, Reference No. 1909 of 4 November 1993; Doc. 6649, Reference No. 1802 of 30 September 1992; and Doc. 6704, Reference No. 1821 of 5 November 1992.
Draft resolution unanimously adopted on 22 November 1993 by the committee.
Members of the committee: Mr Holtz (Chairman), Dame Peggy Fenner, Mr Lotz (Vice-Chairmen), MM. Becker, Gudmundur Bjarnason, Bloetzer, Bonnici, Borderas, Brach, Brunhart, Mrs Burbiené, MM. Colombo, Davis, Demiralp, Mrs Durrieu, MM. Efraimoglou, Fabra (Alternate: Mrs Guirado), Figel, Flückiger, Goerens, Gregory, Hellström, Kempinaire, Kiliç, Kittelmann, Kolar, Albrecht Konecny, Koritzinsky, Le Grand, Lewandowski (Alternate: Wielowieyski), Mändmets, Mesoraca (Alternate: Covi), Novak, Paire, Pinto, Pirinski, Rehn (Alternate: Toivonen), Rodrigues, Rokofyllos, Mrs Saint Cyr, Mr Schwimmer, Mrs von Teichman, MM. Thoft, Toplak, Townend (Alternate: Lord Kirkhill), Valleix, Mrs Verspaget, Mr Wintgens, N. ... (Alternate: Dees).
N.B. The names of those members present at the meeting are printed in italics.
Secretaries to the committee: MM. Torbiörn and Mezei.
1 1 1. See Docs. 6714 and 6964.
2 1 1. ECMT member countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom. Six countries are associate members: Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the Russian Federation and the United States. Moldova and Morocco are also represented with observer status.