PLANNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE EUROPE? - TU Berlin

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- notes that the Commission will propose a framework to ensure that by 2004 the price
of using different modes of transport better reflects costs to society.
[Emphasis added].
This statement represents an unequivocal commitment on the part of the European
Union to move away from a purely market-demand driven transport action framework
that simply assesses future transport infrastructure needs on the basis on current mode
shares and GDP growth forecasts. If it were to be translated into concrete policy action,
this commitment would in fact bring about extensive adjustments to EU transport-sector
decision-making and financing, essentially replacing current growth-accommodating
strategies of transport infrastructure provision with an entirely new, goal-oriented
approach that specifically targeted investments into particular modes over others.
However, key Commission documents issued in the wake of the Gothenburg summit
quickly retracted from this ambitious commitment.
5.3.8 The White Paper “EU Transport Policy for 2010: Time to Decide”
Published in September 2001, this document represents the Commissions latest
and most comprehensive statement on transport policy, with sustainable mobility still
featuring as the stated central aim. The paper has not been well-received by interest
groups, however. The paper is comparatively long (over 100 pages excluding annexes)
and organized according to various transport issues and modes, with a heavy overall
focus on congestion as a central problem. The term “sustainable” is used extensively
throughout the entire document, but again, no truly new or innovative concepts are
introduced. Most importantly, the EU’s call for a decoupling of transport growth from
economic growth voiced in the Gothenburg Summit is watered down or even ignored.