R&D key to creating sustainable transport system, says Competitiveness Council
Meeting on 19 February, the EU Competitiveness Council called for progress on several EU transport research and development (R&D) initiatives in order to boost Europe's competitiveness. The European transport industry is an important economic sector in itself, accounting for 7% of European GDP. In light of its potential contribution to Europe's Lisbon Goals, the Council agreed that an EU sustainable transport policy must be developed to ensure the efficient use of different modes of transport. At the same time, the development of more environmentally-friendly transport must still be pursued, ministers said. Playing an important part in this process will be innovation and R&D, which the Council described as 'essential for strengthening the competitiveness and effectiveness of transport and for helping to offset the adverse effects of the increase in traffic in Europe.' Ministers pointed to several EU transport R&D initiatives where they would like to see further progress: On GALILEO, the European satellite navigation system, they emphasised the need to bring the concession contract negotiations with the private consortium to a successful conclusion. 'This innovative industrial programme is of prime importance for performing transport services and for Europe's technological position in international competition,' state the Council's conclusions. Also crucial to Europe's transport system is the launch of the Joint Undertaking to prepare SESAR, a programme that aims at modernising the infrastructure of air navigation systems. SESAR will enable air navigation services to meet the capacity requirements resulting from the growing volume of air traffic, while increasing safety levels, reducing the unit cost of air navigation services and reducing the environmental impact of every flight through the optimisation of air movements. Finally, the Council called for the further development and uptake of intelligent transport systems, paying particular attention to their interoperability. With regard to road transport, ministers called for the development of policy initiatives for systems, such as driver assistance systems, with a view to improving sustainable mobility and infrastructure use and increasing road safety. The development of intelligent transport systems will further boost the motor and supplier industry as electronics now account for nearly 50% of a vehicle's added value, they surmised. Other items discussed at the Council included how best to unlock business potential, especially among small and medium sized enterprises, in the transport sector; the sector's labour market and skills; and the need to tackle transport energy consumption and its effect on climate change.