Decision Support Tools - Thematic Research Summary - Transport ...

transport system with good practice elsewhere. This will help them to understand how theycan improve and give them an incentive to act. Good performance should be recognisedand rewarded. Benchmarking has been a topic for research since then.Since the ten-year period covered by the White Paper for transport policy issued in 2001(CEC, 2001) is close to its end, the Commission is making reflections on future policy forsustainable transport. In the document “A sustainable future for transport: Towards anintegrated, technology-led and user friendly system” (CEC, 2009a), stress has been put onthe adoption of common methodologies and similar assumptions in the appraisal ofinfrastructure projects across modes and countries. This requires the definition of commondata and indicators, as well as suitable methodologies and tools to select projects on thebasis of comparable cost-benefit ratios and assessment of impacts. Appraisal methodsharmonised at EU level are also needed to assess the socio-economic benefits (e.g.regional development, public goods) deriving from investment in transport infrastructureand PT services (CEC, 2009a).The creation of the Trans-European transport network (TEN-T) has been established by adecision of the European Parliament and the Council in 1996 (CEC, 1996), and itsamendment in 2004 (CEC, 2004). So far, about 400 billion Euro has been invested to funda large number of projects for the development of the TEN-T. In the meantime, the social,economic, technological and environmental context has changed, and the Commission isundertaking a fundamental review of TEN-T policy (CEC, 2009b) and its priorities. In thisrespect, a review of the process for the selection of priority projects with reference, forexample, to the methodological soundness of their selection and the evaluation of thepotential for interconnection and extension (to other modes or other geographical areas) isenvisaged (CEC, 2009b). To efficiently and effectively carry out these activities, it isnecessary to develop appropriate decision support tools.Thematic Research Summary: “Decision Support Tools” Page: 18 of 74Transport Research Knowledge Centre