EC Commissions 2 Studies for Sustainable Transport

The European Commission launched today two new research projects looking for possibilities to make transport more sustainable. The projects were launched at the Conference �Transport and Environment: A Global Challenge' in Milan which was held from 19 to 21 March. The conference, which has been organised by the Directorate General Joint Research Centre together with the region Lombardia in Italy, brings together European Commissioners, Ministers of Environment and Transport, stakeholders and scientists to discuss the technological and policy solutions to the problem of transport and air quality. The first project that was launched today is called TRAENVIA ("Transport and Environment: an Integrated Analysis"). In this project, assessments and comparisons will be made of the environmental and socio-economic impact of different transport modes along the extended Trans-European Corridor V, running from Lisbon to Kiev. The second is the "Collaborative Research Project for Air Pollution Reduction in Lombardia" which will focus on particulate matter and emission offset options for that region of Italy. The European Commission will also support research into sustainable transport within the 7th Research Framework Programme, which has �4.1 bn for transport research over the next 7 years. A call for proposals on a number of relevant topics is currently open with a closing date of 3 May 2007.