The main initiatives, challenges and opportunities in the field of transport under the Belgian presidency.
By MEP Dirk Sterckx.
After almost two years of preparation, Belgium is ready to start its six month of EU-presidency and put its stamp on European transport policy. The Belgian programme is certainly ambitious. Of course, six months is not a very long time, and as transport dossiers tend to take some time before they can be finished, it might not be that easy to conclude everything that has been planned.
Sustainability is the key word for Belgium.
In that regard everyone is expecting a solution for the "Eurovignette"-dossier. Internalisation of the external costs of transport is an important issue, which has been blocked in the Council for some time now. Belgium has decided to put it back on the agenda, as Sweden and Spain did not really open the dossier.
The Belgian presidency will put a compromise proposal on the table and will need very strict negotiation timing in order to arrive at a conclusion in the Council in December.
Another “left-over” that our presidency takes over from the Spanish is the dossier on the rights of bus passengers. No compromise was reached before Parliament’s second reading, so the dossier will go to conciliation. I am convinced that strong passenger rights in every transport mode are needed, and I hope the Belgian presidency will convince Council that Parliament’s approach is in line with the existing Directives for other transport modes.
The Commission's White Paper on the Future of Transport, which will set out the basis for the transport policy for the next 10 years, will be on the table in the coming months. In the report drafted by MEP Mathieu Grosch, the European Parliament has given its opinion on what the basic approach should be. Hopefully, the presidency can put some pressure on the Commission to publish the White Paper as soon as possible as it outlines the strategy from 2010 until 2020, not from 2011!
A review of the Trans-European Networks for Transport (TEN-T) is another difficult priority dossier where Council decisions are needed. The crucial point here is the financing of cross-border transport infrastructure.
I personally hope the Belgian presidency will emphasise the need to further develop the internal market, for all transport modes and especially for rail transport. Belgium has never been outstanding when it comes to restructuring railway transport. But in its presidency an effort is needed to put a next step on the way to a real internal market for rail.
The recast of the first railway package is also in the pipeline. If the Commission publishes its proposal on time, the Belgian presidency can start negotiations in this dossier.
Another key point of the presidency is the improvement of the safety and security in all transport modes. The 4th Road Safety Action Plan will be out in the second half of 2010. Strict targets to reduce the number of casualties and injured on European Roads are necessary. Every year 40.000 people lose their lives on our roads, and that is not acceptable. Therefore the Belgian presidency will among other things focus on “cross border enforcement”, the exchange between member states of data on traffic offenses.
The programme of the Belgian presidency in the Transport Council is ambitious. Important dossiers are in the pipeline, we need solutions as soon as possible, and on most of them Parliament is willing to assist and support.