European Commission Communication:

1
European Commission Communication Sustainable
future for transport - a CER
perspective
UNECE, Geneva, 18th November 2009
Jeremy Drew
2
The Community of European Railway and
Infrastructure Companies

• 75 members include railway undertakings and
  infrastructure companies from
• European Union, Norway, and Switzerland
• accession countries
• Other Balkan countries
• Members include national railways and new
  entrants, freight and passenger companies and
  associations
• Based in Brussels - represents interests of
  members to European Parliament, Commission,
  Council of Ministers, other policymakers and
  transport actors

3
Context - the last 10 years

• The last White Paper for transport was published
  by Commission in 2001
• Followed by major legislation to implement the
  policy
• Progress with implementation mixed
• 10 new members have different problems

4
Achievements in railways since last White Paper

• Communication asserts that the objectives of the
  2001 White Paper largely met in fact
• Only rail liberalisation objectives met
• Broader policy objectives only met to very
  limited extent
• Decoupling of overall freight growth from GDP -
  not achieved
• Rails share of freight has fallen
• In CEE to 30 by 2007 target 35 for 2010
• In EU15 to 17 in 2007 target 19 (the 1998
  level)
• Efficient and fair pricing between modes - not
  achieved
• Channeling revenue from charges to build
  infrastructure on competing modes, especially
  rail - not achieved

5
Three pillars of policy in White Paper - only one
implemented

• Competition on rail is now well on its way.
• BUT
• without fair competition between modes and
  sufficient infrastructure, the railways efforts
  in quality and efficiency do not increase
  competiveness.

6
Freight small revival in Western Europe - but
decline continues in Central Europe
7
Commissions new policy initiative could lead to
legislation affecting railways

• European Commission (DGTREN) published
  Communication on Sustainable Future for
  Transport in June 2009
• CER submitted response October 7
• Commission plans new Transport White Paper in
  late 2010
• White Paper will set out policy for next 10 years
  

8
Communication does not adequately addressed
climate change

• Communication recognises problem of climate
  change
• But it does not consider radical solutions
• It relies too much on technological solutions and
  sees standards as key driver of technological
  change
• Role of prices in driving technological change is
  not recognised
• Communication discusses smart prices
  (internalising external costs) - but inevitable
  need for price increases is not mentioned

9
Self financing and access charges

• The Communication supports the need for greater
  infrastructure capacity and greater
  self-financing of investment
• CER agrees greater self-financing is both
  inevitable and desirable
• But this implies higher infrastructure access
  charges this could create problems for rail
  operators - unless higher access charges apply to
  all modes

10
Internalisation of external costs

• Communication supports internalisation of
  external costs a long standing Commission
  policy - but
• current legislation prevents charging for
  external costs of heavy goods vehicles
• rail lowest emissions mode yet perversely it is
  only mode for which charging for external costs
  allowed in EU legislation (ETS, rail specific
  legislation)
• Vital that rapid progress is made in putting EU
  policy on internalisation into practice

11
Investment in infrastructure

• Communication supports integration and
  interconnection between modal networks to
  enable their optimal functioning
• This fits with TEN-T policy to promote
  intermodality
• Communication advocates investment in intermodal
  transhipment platforms
• However, EU policy does not mention logical
  extension of this focussing TEN-T investment
• on rail network to serve long distance traffic
• on road for short distance traffic and feeder
  sections

12
Thank you for your attention!