Commission attempts to balance transport and environmental needs

The Commission's updated Europe's transport policy seeks to improve citizens' mobility and boost competitiveness, while keeping down energy consumption and reducing the negative impacts on the environment.

In 2001, the Commission adopted a White Paper on transport policy in order to face the challenges created by rapidly increasing freight and passenger transport:

• road congestion;

• environmental pressures;

• safety and quality of life problems.

These objectives are still relevant but, over the last five years, the context defining Europe’s transport policy has changed:

• Enlargement: whereas the EU-15 are suffering from congestion and pollution, accessibility remains the real problem for the EU-10.

• Globalisation is accelerating, further challenging Europe’s competitiveness and economic growth.

• Oil prices have increased dramatically.

• The Kyoto Protocol came into force, generating emission reduction commitments for Europe.

• Transport networks experienced particularly deadly terrorist attacks.

In order to adapt to these changes, the Commission has conducted a review of the original White paper, after consulting a wide range of stakeholders, creating a number of new tools to achieve its objective of sustainable transport. On 22 June the Commisison published the Communication, "Keep Europe Moving - Sustainable mobility for our continent", which is a mid-term review of the Commission’s 2001 White Paper.