EU Presidency Statement - Sustainable development: transport

Mr Chairman,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia and the Associated countries Cyprus and Malta align themselves with this statement.

The European Union takes this opportunity to thank the Secretary-General and the Secretariat for the preparatory work for this segment and for the excellent reports on the theme under consideration. The European Union has with interest studied these reports, including the documents that will form the basis for the multi-stakeholder dialogue. An EU paper outlining the key areas of concern to the EU for consideration by the CSD is attached to this statement.

Mr Chairman,

The expansion of the transport system has clearly brought many social and economic benefits, but also a number of problems. There is a clear need to take action to move transport trends in a more sustainable direction, and to take an integrated approach to transport planning and provision. Such action needs to be taken at all levels, and by a variety of players, including Governments, international and inter-governmental organisations, IFIs, NGOs, business and consumers.

To contribute fully to economic and social development, sustainable transport systems must be efficient and environmentally sound, safe for all and provide mobility and accessibility on an equitable basis to all sectors of society.

Sustainable transport is key to economic and social development. Affordable physical access to jobs, homes, health, education and other social amenities is vital to the well-being of people in rural and urban areas and is essential for economic growth, trade and social integration. Poor transport, and lack of access to safe and effective transport, constrain development in many developing countries, especially the least developed countries. These problems are exacerbated by population growth and urbanisation. Improving transport systems and access to transport, in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, can foster economic and social development, assist in the integration of developing countries into the world economy and contribute to the eradication of poverty. Another concern is to develop integrated transport safety programmes in order to reduce impacts of transport sector accidents.

The EU has chosen sustainable transport as a priority in its Development Co-operation Policy. Working with partners and other donors, this will be supported by increased donor co-ordination through the adoption of a sectoral approach, including guidelines, to ensure that transport effectively contributes to sustainable development goals.

Attention also needs to be given to providing equitable access to transport for women. It has been recognised that the differences in travel and activity patterns between men and women are a central and common feature in transportation systems all over the world.

Efforts should also be made to ensure access to transport for people with special needs and to take into account these considerations in transport planning and decision-making.

Mr Chairman,

Transport can have a significant effect on human health. Many people across the world face health difficulties, or even premature death, as a result of air pollution and high levels of lead from transport emissions can have a serious effect on children's health and development. Road transport is also responsible for a large number of deaths and injuries every year. Particular attention should be paid to reducing the human health and environmental impacts of transport in areas where the ecosystems are particularly sensitive, the geographic conditions may intensify pollution and noise, and where unique natural resources or natural and cultural heritage exists.

In order to move transport to a more sustainable basis, measures are needed to both reduce the need to travel and influence choices of mode of travel to more sustainable forms of transport. The EU has recognised that an indefinite continuation of current trends in the growth of transport is unsustainable.

Decisions on modes of transport, location, and investment are to a large extent based in price. Price based policies give consumers and industry incentives to find solutions to problems. Governments should improve incentives to reduce pollution through implementing the polluter pays principle and by fair and efficient pricing. Differentiation of taxes and charges due to the environmental properties of vehicles and fuels can provide effective incentives on the market and promote environmentally friendly transport. The European Commission has developed a framework for fair and efficient pricing in transport and infrastructure, including internalisation of external costs.

It is important to recognise the potential integrated land use planning has for influencing travel demand. It can help to ensure the sustainable distribution of goods, and encourage the siting of industries that use each other's products close together thus minimising transport needs. Governments should also promote moves to shift the modal split, including for freight distribution to more sustainable transport systems.

Investments in transport infrastructure have a long time scale and can influence the choice of mode and environmental impacts for decades. Governments and international organisations should make extended use of Strategic Environmental Assessments in their major transport investment plans and programmes.

Non-car transport needs to be improved and encouraged, in particular in industrialised countries. A good public transport system is also vital in reducing car travel and improving the access to services, and should be encouraged by fiscal and non-fiscal measures. Walking and cycling are also a key part of a sustainable transport system and should be encouraged by governments, including through safe and sufficient infrastructure.

Mr Chairman,

Technological developments have a key role to play in mitigating the impact of transport on the environment. Governments should share their knowledge on technological improvements and there should be further international cooperation between Governments, NGOs, industry and academic and other research facilities to ensure the benefits of technology are available to all.

Improving the standards of vehicles and fuels can have a very substantial impact on vehicle emissions, and a significant effect on the environment and people's health, often at a relatively low cost. Removing lead from petrol is a key step in this. Governments, intergovernmental organisations, The Intergovernmental Forum for Chemical Safety, research institutions, and civil society should assist national governments in phasing out lead in gasoline as soon as possible and reducing the levels of sulphur and benzene in fuel, by making available information, technical assistance, capacity building and funding.

Notwithstanding the necessity of reducing the sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions of shipping it is widely recognised that this mode of transport is generally safe and environmentally friendly. However, in regions of the world with a large amount of shipping movements in coastal areas, emissions from ships represent a significant share of the total transport emissions. The IMO and its member states should continue to work to reduce environmental pollution by international shipping and to further improve maritime safety, not least in the case of ships carrying dangerous or polluting substances. IMO member states should seek to ratify Annex VI to the Marpol Convention on the prevention of air pollution from ships.

Transport is an important and fast-growing end-user of energy in most countries. Unless appropriate action is taken transport emissions of carbon dioxide across the world are forecast to more than double from 4 billion tonnes in 1990 to over 8 billion tonnes by 2020. Strategies for mitigation of overall carbon dioxide emissions from transport must be developed, including economic, technical and operational measures and appropriate planning of transport infrastructure and systems.

The contribution of aircraft emissions to global warming is also of concern. The ICAO and the contracting states of the Chicago Convention should strengthen their efforts to reduce emissions and noise from aircraft and decide on concrete actions at the 33rd Assembly in September 2001. The EU attaches great importance to adopting decisions on technical and market-based instruments.

It is a major challenge to improve access to transport in developing countries in an environmentally and socially sustainable way. International financing institutions should make sustainable transport a priority. There is potential for the transfer of best practice between countries that have developed solutions to these problems, and there will also be scope for those countries that have experienced an explosion in transport demand to learn from those where demand for personal transport is lower.

Finally, we recognise the important role global and regional bodies, including UNEP, UNDP, OECD, WTO, ICAO and IMO, have to play in promoting more sustainable transport. Their efforts should be complementary rather than duplicatory. The business sector and non-governmental organisations, such as environmental, tourism and travel users groups also have a role to play.

Thank you, Mr Chairman.

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