EUPAVE - EU AFFAIRS
24 June '09
EUPAVE joins ERTRAC
The Plenary Meeting of ERTRAC approved EUPAVE's application for membership.
ERTRAC, the European Road Transport Research Advisory Council, was established to mobilise all stakeholders, develop a shared vision, and ensure timely, co-ordinated and efficient application of research resources to meet the continuing challenges of road transport and European competitiveness.
www.ertrac.org
17 June '09
Future of the EU Transport policy: good music for EUPAVE's ears
On June 17th, 2009, the European Commission has adopted a communication on the future of transport with a view to promote a more accessible, integrated and environmental friendly transport system. Within this context, cement and concrete applications on transport infrastructures, as they offer relevant advantages fitting the main objectives of the communication (road safety, fuel consumption, durability, and congestion relief) will be in a privileged position to contribute to achieve EU transport goals over the next decade. A public consultation for stakeholders is open until the end of September 2009. Afterwards, the Commission will put forward proposals in a new White Paper due in 2010.
The new communication suggests operational objectives in seven main areas as described below. According to the Commission's communication, these are the structural axes that will allow the EU to face the main transport challenges such as population ageing, scarcity of fossil fuels, migratory flows and climate change.
Safe and secure transport: improving the overall quality of transport with special attention to the reduction of accidents, personal security, accessibility and passenger's rights. Infrastructure has to be built, maintained and upgraded on the principle of accessibility to all.
Better maintenance and integration: coordination of transport network must be ensured from infrastructures (such as rail and road), to administrative procedures, information and communication technologies. Infrastructure should be well maintained, and improvement works coordinated in order to reduce accidents, operating costs, congestion, pollution and noise. New infrastructure should be planned with a view to maximising account socio-economic benefits taking into account externalities and effects on the total network.
Improving environmental performance: transport should tend towards lower consumption of non-renewable fuels, reduction of air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and noise. In the longer term, all elements should be taken into account for operation of transport means and infrastructure (land occupancy, bio-diversity, etc).
Better services and innovation: technological innovation will be the main contributor to resolving the challenges shaping up in the transport sector, such as increasing security and safety, reduce the sector's impact on the environment, or making the best use of existing infrastructure. To meet such needs, it is important for the EU to step up productivity, mainly by investing more in research and development.
Protecting human capital: to avoid losing jobs because of adjustments to be made due to the current energy and economic context. The crisis must be managed in a way that new value-added work posts can be created in the sector.
Intelligent prices: introduction of differentiated and incentive tariffs depending on the use of less polluting modes of transport or infrastructure outside peak hours. New tariffs should allow citizens to choose the mode of transport that suits them best, being the most competitive and affordable.
Improving accessibility: passengers should benefit from easier access to transport means thanks to better planning of ground space, decentralisation and greater account taken of their needs during the planning process.
In a context of financial and economic crisis, the Commission recommends a self-financing system for the sector, with additional revenue expected through better tax collection on energy (fuel taxes) or on vehicles (i.e. charges for heavy vehicles). The same strategy could be implemented for infrastructure, mainly through application of levies for congestion.
3 June '08
EUPAVE's introduction in the EU institutions
On Tuesday 3 June '08, EUPAVE organised in collaboration with Alonso Asociados a lunch meeting in the European Parliament.
Introducing EUPAVE as newborn association to such a distinguished audience which included representatives from the main EU institutions was the principal reason to organise this meeting.
Short speeches were given by:
Mr. Aniceto Zaragoza, President of EUPAVE,
Mr. Jean-Pierre Jacobs, Managing Director of EUPAVE and
Mrs. Inés Ayala Sender, member of the Commission Transport & Tourism in the European Parliament.
The lunch meeting took place in a very friendly and convivial ambience...
Early 2008
EUPAVE - ERF
EUPAVE became member of the ERF - IRF BPC only a few months after its constitution.
The European Union Road Federation (ERF), the Brussels Programm Centre (BPC) of the International Road Federation (IRF), is a non-profit association which coordinates the views and concerns of Europe's road sector.
www.irfnet.eu