PLANNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE EUROPE? - TU Berlin

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Gothenburg in June 2001.” 12
For additional information on the 2001 White Paper,
particularly its emphasis on bottlenecks, see Chapter 6.
5.3.9 The DG TREN Website
The gist of the statements on the current DG Transport and Energy Website
stands in sharp contrast to the many much more wide-ranging definitions of sustainable
transport. DG TREN has recently extensively revamped its website, providing short
sound bites of information on every major transport topic. Couched in over-simplistic
language, the current administration is thus presenting a capsule outline of EU transport
policy to the interested public. In stark contrast to above presented comprehensive
definitions, but concurrent with the 1993 White Paper on Growth, transport is frequently
referred to as the “life-blood of our economy” implying that to stymie transport is to
stymie growth. Under the sub-heading “Rethinking transport: ‘sustainable mobility’” DG
TREN outlines its vision for a move towards “sustainable mobility,” presented partially
in a question-and-answer format. The main problem according to this introduction is not
the environmental impact of transport but congestion. The following paragraph seems
indicative of DG TREN’s current growth-oriented stance:
In a word, our transport systems are in danger of grinding to a halt. Increasingly they
are synonymous with pollution and danger. And if transport seizes up, the whole of
the economy will pay the price. So what can be done? Can the volume of transport be
reduced? No – the demand for mobility is ever-increasing, and any prohibitive
measures would seriously hamper the working of our society.
[CEC, DG TREN 2001]
12 As a partial response to DG TRENs lack of openness and consultation, transport- and energy-oriented
European environmental groups decided to boycott the Commission’s First Annual Conference on Energy
and Transport in Barcelona in October 2001.