PURPOSE: Communication on research and innovation in\nthe EU transport sector and put forward a European strategic\ntransport-technology plan.
\nCONTENT: the 2011\nWhite Paper on Transport makes the case for transforming the\nEuropean transport system into a sustainable and competitive system\nthat will further improve mobility and continue to support economic\ngrowth and employment. It sets ambitious objectives for reducing\nEurope’s dependence on imported oil, improving the\nenvironment, reducing accidents and sharply cutting greenhouse-gas\nemissions. Incremental changes will not be enough to confront the\nchallenges facing Europe and its transport sector. It is therefore\nessential that Europe’s research and innovation capacities are\nmobilised to support transport policy objectives and societal\ngoals. The White Paper proposes to set up a ‘Single European\nTransport Area’ to serve the 500 million citizens in the\ninternal market. The size of this market will allow for the\nlarge-scale testing of a diversity of innovative technologies\nand services, reaping economies of scale and scope and creating\nstrong home markets for Europe’s globally operating transport\nindustries. This approach interlinks innovation with the other\nthree dimensions of the White Paper: the internal market,\ninfrastructure development and international\ncooperation.
\nThe Communication presents the Commission’s views\non how transport research and innovation could contribute to the\nambitious objectives of the White Paper on Transport and support\nthe implementation of Horizon\n2020 linking also up with strategies for smart\nspecialisation.
\n1. Strengthen transport research and\ninnovation: the Communication\nrecommends strategic actions in four fields:
\n\n· \nthe research and innovation anchorage in\ntransport policy should be strengthened: the Commission’s proposal for Horizon 2020\nhighlights smart, green and integrated transport as one of the six\nmajor societal challenges where European research and innovation\ncan make a real difference;
\n\n· \nthe efforts of individual sectors and \nactors should be better aligned. The particularities of\ninnovation in the transport sector suggest that joint or\ncoordinated efforts across sectors and actors may be more effective\nin specific fields;
\n\n· \nit is important to overcome technology\nlock-in and institutional ‘silo’ thinking. Existing\nstructures and stakeholder alliances hamper full realisation of the\npotential offered by transport innovation that draws on other modes\nand sectors;
\n\n· \novercome extensive asset requirements, major\ninvestment needs, and high barriers faced by new market entrants\nwhich prevent the transport sector from bringing the necessary\ntransformative solutions to the market.
\n2. Research and innovation areas: the Communication acts as a starting point for\nstrengthening innovation. The Commission proposes three\ncomprehensive research and innovation areas where concrete and\ndeployable results must be achieved in the next twenty\nyears.
\n\n· \nMeans of transport: a paradigm shift towards alternative propulsion\nsystems, alternative fuels and smart communication technologies\nshould result in the development of clean, smart, safe and quiet\nrail and road vehicles, aircraft and vessels, together with a more\neffective interface with the infrastructure. This includes\ndevelopments in components, materials, and enabling technologies.\nBesides better serving the needs of the European user, the global\ncompetitive edge of the European transport manufacturing industry\nshould be enhanced.
\n\n· \nInfrastructure: progress is needed on smart, green, low-maintenance\nand climate-resilient infrastructure, including for the provision\nof alternative fuels, modal traffic management and information\nsystems which can support user services, demand management, and\nother solutions related to optimised infrastructure usage. Capacity\nbuilding on local, regional and national level is needed for both\npublic authorities responsible for the provision of services and\ntransport operators.
\n\n· \nTransport services and\noperations: major advances are needed\nwith regard to seamless and efficient services for passenger and\nfreight transport to allow stronger integration of all transport\nmodes, in particular in urban and inter-urban areas and in terms of\nwell-designed nodes and efficient transhipment equipment. Progress\nis also needed on integrated multimodal information, traffic and\ndemand management at European level, seamless logistics and\ninnovative urban mobility solutions, including high-quality public\ntransport.
\n3. Fields for road-mapping: with the three innovation areas, the Communication\npresents their ten identified fields and how they relate to\nthe White Paper’s goals and targets. The Commission sees these\nten fields as offering significant potential for contributing to\nthe White Paper’s objectives by 2030, though in certain fields\nup to 2050, and they take into account the specificities of the\nindividual modes and multimodal issues. The fields represent a\nstarting point for organising a road-mapping exercise, to be\nlaunched in September 2012 with the aim of focusing European\nR&D activities and funding on deployable technologies that\ncontribute effectively to policy objectives. The exercise will also\naim at identifying existing gaps and addressing weaknesses along\nthe innovation chain. Its end-result will be one or several\nroadmaps for each field, identifying funding, instruments and\nactors and foreseeing monitoring and governance mechanisms able to\ntake on board evolving contexts. The fields are:
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart road\nvehicles;
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart\naircraft;
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart\nvessels;
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart rail\nvehicles;
\n\n· \nsmart, green, low-maintenance and\nclimate-resilient infrastructure;
\n\n· \nEurope-wide alternative fuel distribution\ninfrastructures;
\n\n· \nefficient modal traffic management systems\n(including capacity and demand management);
\n\n· \nintegrated cross-modal information and\nmanagement services;
\n\n· \nseamless logistics;
\n\n· \nintegrated and innovative urban mobility and\ntransport.
\nWherever possible, roadmaps prepared by stakeholders\nwill be the starting point.
\n4. Funding: compared to\nthe private sector and Member States, the EU’s current\ninvestment in transport research and innovation is modest in\nmonetary terms but its leverage is high. It provided about EUR\n600 million per year in the 7th Framework Programme\n(FP7). So far, in FP7, the Marie Curie Actions have awarded EUR\n43.5 million to transport-related research, providing attractive\ncareer development opportunities to researchers.
\nSeveral proposed Commission funding resources will be\nused to support a new transport system in Europe. The strategic\ntransport-technology plan will support the implementation of the\nfunding programmes proposed by the Commission for the next\nmultiannual financial framework, subject to adoption by the\nlegislative authority. This includes Horizon 2020, the Connecting\nEurope Facility, the ERDF and Cohesion Fund, and the proposal\non a Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs\n(COSME). The European Investment Bank will be invited to\nintensify the provision of preferential loans via the Risk Sharing\nFinance Facility (RSFF), expand its lending to the transport sector\nunder its new lending policy and provide increased technical\nassistance to public and private stakeholders. Public financial\nsupport will need to be provided in full consistency with the\napplicable EU state aid rules.
\nWith a view to progressing the work, the Commission\ninvites the Council and Parliament to:
\n\n· \nconfirm the objective of better aligning \ntransport research and innovation with European transport policy\ngoals, taking into account the current economic and political\nreality and the long-term sustainability objectives;
\n\n· \nagree to focus efforts on delivering pioneering\nand sustainable transport solutions at a European, national and\nlocal level through innovative technologies, new service approaches\nand entrepreneurship;
\n\n· \nconsider how to find the appropriate balance\nbetween the various instruments necessary for market uptake and\ndeployment;
\n\n· \nendorse the approach comprising preparation of a\nEuropean strategic transport technology plan, and the options\nfor further actions, as outlined in the communication.
\nPURPOSE: Communication on research and innovation in\nthe EU transport sector and put forward a European strategic\ntransport-technology plan.
\nCONTENT: the 2011\nWhite Paper on Transport makes the case for transforming the\nEuropean transport system into a sustainable and competitive system\nthat will further improve mobility and continue to support economic\ngrowth and employment. It sets ambitious objectives for reducing\nEurope’s dependence on imported oil, improving the\nenvironment, reducing accidents and sharply cutting greenhouse-gas\nemissions. Incremental changes will not be enough to confront the\nchallenges facing Europe and its transport sector. It is therefore\nessential that Europe’s research and innovation capacities are\nmobilised to support transport policy objectives and societal\ngoals. The White Paper proposes to set up a ‘Single European\nTransport Area’ to serve the 500 million citizens in the\ninternal market. The size of this market will allow for the\nlarge-scale testing of a diversity of innovative technologies\nand services, reaping economies of scale and scope and creating\nstrong home markets for Europe’s globally operating transport\nindustries. This approach interlinks innovation with the other\nthree dimensions of the White Paper: the internal market,\ninfrastructure development and international\ncooperation.
\nThe Communication presents the Commission’s views\non how transport research and innovation could contribute to the\nambitious objectives of the White Paper on Transport and support\nthe implementation of Horizon\n2020 linking also up with strategies for smart\nspecialisation.
\n1. Strengthen transport research and\ninnovation: the Communication\nrecommends strategic actions in four fields:
\n\n· \nthe research and innovation anchorage in\ntransport policy should be strengthened: the Commission’s proposal for Horizon 2020\nhighlights smart, green and integrated transport as one of the six\nmajor societal challenges where European research and innovation\ncan make a real difference;
\n\n· \nthe efforts of individual sectors and \nactors should be better aligned. The particularities of\ninnovation in the transport sector suggest that joint or\ncoordinated efforts across sectors and actors may be more effective\nin specific fields;
\n\n· \nit is important to overcome technology\nlock-in and institutional ‘silo’ thinking. Existing\nstructures and stakeholder alliances hamper full realisation of the\npotential offered by transport innovation that draws on other modes\nand sectors;
\n\n· \novercome extensive asset requirements, major\ninvestment needs, and high barriers faced by new market entrants\nwhich prevent the transport sector from bringing the necessary\ntransformative solutions to the market.
\n2. Research and innovation areas: the Communication acts as a starting point for\nstrengthening innovation. The Commission proposes three\ncomprehensive research and innovation areas where concrete and\ndeployable results must be achieved in the next twenty\nyears.
\n\n· \nMeans of transport: a paradigm shift towards alternative propulsion\nsystems, alternative fuels and smart communication technologies\nshould result in the development of clean, smart, safe and quiet\nrail and road vehicles, aircraft and vessels, together with a more\neffective interface with the infrastructure. This includes\ndevelopments in components, materials, and enabling technologies.\nBesides better serving the needs of the European user, the global\ncompetitive edge of the European transport manufacturing industry\nshould be enhanced.
\n\n· \nInfrastructure: progress is needed on smart, green, low-maintenance\nand climate-resilient infrastructure, including for the provision\nof alternative fuels, modal traffic management and information\nsystems which can support user services, demand management, and\nother solutions related to optimised infrastructure usage. Capacity\nbuilding on local, regional and national level is needed for both\npublic authorities responsible for the provision of services and\ntransport operators.
\n\n· \nTransport services and\noperations: major advances are needed\nwith regard to seamless and efficient services for passenger and\nfreight transport to allow stronger integration of all transport\nmodes, in particular in urban and inter-urban areas and in terms of\nwell-designed nodes and efficient transhipment equipment. Progress\nis also needed on integrated multimodal information, traffic and\ndemand management at European level, seamless logistics and\ninnovative urban mobility solutions, including high-quality public\ntransport.
\n3. Fields for road-mapping: with the three innovation areas, the Communication\npresents their ten identified fields and how they relate to\nthe White Paper’s goals and targets. The Commission sees these\nten fields as offering significant potential for contributing to\nthe White Paper’s objectives by 2030, though in certain fields\nup to 2050, and they take into account the specificities of the\nindividual modes and multimodal issues. The fields represent a\nstarting point for organising a road-mapping exercise, to be\nlaunched in September 2012 with the aim of focusing European\nR&D activities and funding on deployable technologies that\ncontribute effectively to policy objectives. The exercise will also\naim at identifying existing gaps and addressing weaknesses along\nthe innovation chain. Its end-result will be one or several\nroadmaps for each field, identifying funding, instruments and\nactors and foreseeing monitoring and governance mechanisms able to\ntake on board evolving contexts. The fields are:
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart road\nvehicles;
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart\naircraft;
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart\nvessels;
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart rail\nvehicles;
\n\n· \nsmart, green, low-maintenance and\nclimate-resilient infrastructure;
\n\n· \nEurope-wide alternative fuel distribution\ninfrastructures;
\n\n· \nefficient modal traffic management systems\n(including capacity and demand management);
\n\n· \nintegrated cross-modal information and\nmanagement services;
\n\n· \nseamless logistics;
\n\n· \nintegrated and innovative urban mobility and\ntransport.
\nWherever possible, roadmaps prepared by stakeholders\nwill be the starting point.
\n4. Funding: compared to\nthe private sector and Member States, the EU’s current\ninvestment in transport research and innovation is modest in\nmonetary terms but its leverage is high. It provided about EUR\n600 million per year in the 7th Framework Programme\n(FP7). So far, in FP7, the Marie Curie Actions have awarded EUR\n43.5 million to transport-related research, providing attractive\ncareer development opportunities to researchers.
\nSeveral proposed Commission funding resources will be\nused to support a new transport system in Europe. The strategic\ntransport-technology plan will support the implementation of the\nfunding programmes proposed by the Commission for the next\nmultiannual financial framework, subject to adoption by the\nlegislative authority. This includes Horizon 2020, the Connecting\nEurope Facility, the ERDF and Cohesion Fund, and the proposal\non a Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs\n(COSME). The European Investment Bank will be invited to\nintensify the provision of preferential loans via the Risk Sharing\nFinance Facility (RSFF), expand its lending to the transport sector\nunder its new lending policy and provide increased technical\nassistance to public and private stakeholders. Public financial\nsupport will need to be provided in full consistency with the\napplicable EU state aid rules.
\nWith a view to progressing the work, the Commission\ninvites the Council and Parliament to:
\n\n· \nconfirm the objective of better aligning \ntransport research and innovation with European transport policy\ngoals, taking into account the current economic and political\nreality and the long-term sustainability objectives;
\n\n· \nagree to focus efforts on delivering pioneering\nand sustainable transport solutions at a European, national and\nlocal level through innovative technologies, new service approaches\nand entrepreneurship;
\n\n· \nconsider how to find the appropriate balance\nbetween the various instruments necessary for market uptake and\ndeployment;
\n\n· \nendorse the approach comprising preparation of a\nEuropean strategic transport technology plan, and the options\nfor further actions, as outlined in the communication.
\nPURPOSE: Communication on research and innovation in\nthe EU transport sector and put forward a European strategic\ntransport-technology plan.
\nCONTENT: the 2011\nWhite Paper on Transport makes the case for transforming the\nEuropean transport system into a sustainable and competitive system\nthat will further improve mobility and continue to support economic\ngrowth and employment. It sets ambitious objectives for reducing\nEurope’s dependence on imported oil, improving the\nenvironment, reducing accidents and sharply cutting greenhouse-gas\nemissions. Incremental changes will not be enough to confront the\nchallenges facing Europe and its transport sector. It is therefore\nessential that Europe’s research and innovation capacities are\nmobilised to support transport policy objectives and societal\ngoals. The White Paper proposes to set up a ‘Single European\nTransport Area’ to serve the 500 million citizens in the\ninternal market. The size of this market will allow for the\nlarge-scale testing of a diversity of innovative technologies\nand services, reaping economies of scale and scope and creating\nstrong home markets for Europe’s globally operating transport\nindustries. This approach interlinks innovation with the other\nthree dimensions of the White Paper: the internal market,\ninfrastructure development and international\ncooperation.
\nThe Communication presents the Commission’s views\non how transport research and innovation could contribute to the\nambitious objectives of the White Paper on Transport and support\nthe implementation of Horizon\n2020 linking also up with strategies for smart\nspecialisation.
\n1. Strengthen transport research and\ninnovation: the Communication\nrecommends strategic actions in four fields:
\n\n· \nthe research and innovation anchorage in\ntransport policy should be strengthened: the Commission’s proposal for Horizon 2020\nhighlights smart, green and integrated transport as one of the six\nmajor societal challenges where European research and innovation\ncan make a real difference;
\n\n· \nthe efforts of individual sectors and \nactors should be better aligned. The particularities of\ninnovation in the transport sector suggest that joint or\ncoordinated efforts across sectors and actors may be more effective\nin specific fields;
\n\n· \nit is important to overcome technology\nlock-in and institutional ‘silo’ thinking. Existing\nstructures and stakeholder alliances hamper full realisation of the\npotential offered by transport innovation that draws on other modes\nand sectors;
\n\n· \novercome extensive asset requirements, major\ninvestment needs, and high barriers faced by new market entrants\nwhich prevent the transport sector from bringing the necessary\ntransformative solutions to the market.
\n2. Research and innovation areas: the Communication acts as a starting point for\nstrengthening innovation. The Commission proposes three\ncomprehensive research and innovation areas where concrete and\ndeployable results must be achieved in the next twenty\nyears.
\n\n· \nMeans of transport: a paradigm shift towards alternative propulsion\nsystems, alternative fuels and smart communication technologies\nshould result in the development of clean, smart, safe and quiet\nrail and road vehicles, aircraft and vessels, together with a more\neffective interface with the infrastructure. This includes\ndevelopments in components, materials, and enabling technologies.\nBesides better serving the needs of the European user, the global\ncompetitive edge of the European transport manufacturing industry\nshould be enhanced.
\n\n· \nInfrastructure: progress is needed on smart, green, low-maintenance\nand climate-resilient infrastructure, including for the provision\nof alternative fuels, modal traffic management and information\nsystems which can support user services, demand management, and\nother solutions related to optimised infrastructure usage. Capacity\nbuilding on local, regional and national level is needed for both\npublic authorities responsible for the provision of services and\ntransport operators.
\n\n· \nTransport services and\noperations: major advances are needed\nwith regard to seamless and efficient services for passenger and\nfreight transport to allow stronger integration of all transport\nmodes, in particular in urban and inter-urban areas and in terms of\nwell-designed nodes and efficient transhipment equipment. Progress\nis also needed on integrated multimodal information, traffic and\ndemand management at European level, seamless logistics and\ninnovative urban mobility solutions, including high-quality public\ntransport.
\n3. Fields for road-mapping: with the three innovation areas, the Communication\npresents their ten identified fields and how they relate to\nthe White Paper’s goals and targets. The Commission sees these\nten fields as offering significant potential for contributing to\nthe White Paper’s objectives by 2030, though in certain fields\nup to 2050, and they take into account the specificities of the\nindividual modes and multimodal issues. The fields represent a\nstarting point for organising a road-mapping exercise, to be\nlaunched in September 2012 with the aim of focusing European\nR&D activities and funding on deployable technologies that\ncontribute effectively to policy objectives. The exercise will also\naim at identifying existing gaps and addressing weaknesses along\nthe innovation chain. Its end-result will be one or several\nroadmaps for each field, identifying funding, instruments and\nactors and foreseeing monitoring and governance mechanisms able to\ntake on board evolving contexts. The fields are:
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart road\nvehicles;
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart\naircraft;
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart\nvessels;
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart rail\nvehicles;
\n\n· \nsmart, green, low-maintenance and\nclimate-resilient infrastructure;
\n\n· \nEurope-wide alternative fuel distribution\ninfrastructures;
\n\n· \nefficient modal traffic management systems\n(including capacity and demand management);
\n\n· \nintegrated cross-modal information and\nmanagement services;
\n\n· \nseamless logistics;
\n\n· \nintegrated and innovative urban mobility and\ntransport.
\nWherever possible, roadmaps prepared by stakeholders\nwill be the starting point.
\n4. Funding: compared to\nthe private sector and Member States, the EU’s current\ninvestment in transport research and innovation is modest in\nmonetary terms but its leverage is high. It provided about EUR\n600 million per year in the 7th Framework Programme\n(FP7). So far, in FP7, the Marie Curie Actions have awarded EUR\n43.5 million to transport-related research, providing attractive\ncareer development opportunities to researchers.
\nSeveral proposed Commission funding resources will be\nused to support a new transport system in Europe. The strategic\ntransport-technology plan will support the implementation of the\nfunding programmes proposed by the Commission for the next\nmultiannual financial framework, subject to adoption by the\nlegislative authority. This includes Horizon 2020, the Connecting\nEurope Facility, the ERDF and Cohesion Fund, and the proposal\non a Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs\n(COSME). The European Investment Bank will be invited to\nintensify the provision of preferential loans via the Risk Sharing\nFinance Facility (RSFF), expand its lending to the transport sector\nunder its new lending policy and provide increased technical\nassistance to public and private stakeholders. Public financial\nsupport will need to be provided in full consistency with the\napplicable EU state aid rules.
\nWith a view to progressing the work, the Commission\ninvites the Council and Parliament to:
\n\n· \nconfirm the objective of better aligning \ntransport research and innovation with European transport policy\ngoals, taking into account the current economic and political\nreality and the long-term sustainability objectives;
\n\n· \nagree to focus efforts on delivering pioneering\nand sustainable transport solutions at a European, national and\nlocal level through innovative technologies, new service approaches\nand entrepreneurship;
\n\n· \nconsider how to find the appropriate balance\nbetween the various instruments necessary for market uptake and\ndeployment;
\n\n· \nendorse the approach comprising preparation of a\nEuropean strategic transport technology plan, and the options\nfor further actions, as outlined in the communication.
\nPURPOSE: Communication on research and innovation in\nthe EU transport sector and put forward a European strategic\ntransport-technology plan.
\nCONTENT: the 2011\nWhite Paper on Transport makes the case for transforming the\nEuropean transport system into a sustainable and competitive system\nthat will further improve mobility and continue to support economic\ngrowth and employment. It sets ambitious objectives for reducing\nEurope’s dependence on imported oil, improving the\nenvironment, reducing accidents and sharply cutting greenhouse-gas\nemissions. Incremental changes will not be enough to confront the\nchallenges facing Europe and its transport sector. It is therefore\nessential that Europe’s research and innovation capacities are\nmobilised to support transport policy objectives and societal\ngoals. The White Paper proposes to set up a ‘Single European\nTransport Area’ to serve the 500 million citizens in the\ninternal market. The size of this market will allow for the\nlarge-scale testing of a diversity of innovative technologies\nand services, reaping economies of scale and scope and creating\nstrong home markets for Europe’s globally operating transport\nindustries. This approach interlinks innovation with the other\nthree dimensions of the White Paper: the internal market,\ninfrastructure development and international\ncooperation.
\nThe Communication presents the Commission’s views\non how transport research and innovation could contribute to the\nambitious objectives of the White Paper on Transport and support\nthe implementation of Horizon\n2020 linking also up with strategies for smart\nspecialisation.
\n1. Strengthen transport research and\ninnovation: the Communication\nrecommends strategic actions in four fields:
\n\n· \nthe research and innovation anchorage in\ntransport policy should be strengthened: the Commission’s proposal for Horizon 2020\nhighlights smart, green and integrated transport as one of the six\nmajor societal challenges where European research and innovation\ncan make a real difference;
\n\n· \nthe efforts of individual sectors and \nactors should be better aligned. The particularities of\ninnovation in the transport sector suggest that joint or\ncoordinated efforts across sectors and actors may be more effective\nin specific fields;
\n\n· \nit is important to overcome technology\nlock-in and institutional ‘silo’ thinking. Existing\nstructures and stakeholder alliances hamper full realisation of the\npotential offered by transport innovation that draws on other modes\nand sectors;
\n\n· \novercome extensive asset requirements, major\ninvestment needs, and high barriers faced by new market entrants\nwhich prevent the transport sector from bringing the necessary\ntransformative solutions to the market.
\n2. Research and innovation areas: the Communication acts as a starting point for\nstrengthening innovation. The Commission proposes three\ncomprehensive research and innovation areas where concrete and\ndeployable results must be achieved in the next twenty\nyears.
\n\n· \nMeans of transport: a paradigm shift towards alternative propulsion\nsystems, alternative fuels and smart communication technologies\nshould result in the development of clean, smart, safe and quiet\nrail and road vehicles, aircraft and vessels, together with a more\neffective interface with the infrastructure. This includes\ndevelopments in components, materials, and enabling technologies.\nBesides better serving the needs of the European user, the global\ncompetitive edge of the European transport manufacturing industry\nshould be enhanced.
\n\n· \nInfrastructure: progress is needed on smart, green, low-maintenance\nand climate-resilient infrastructure, including for the provision\nof alternative fuels, modal traffic management and information\nsystems which can support user services, demand management, and\nother solutions related to optimised infrastructure usage. Capacity\nbuilding on local, regional and national level is needed for both\npublic authorities responsible for the provision of services and\ntransport operators.
\n\n· \nTransport services and\noperations: major advances are needed\nwith regard to seamless and efficient services for passenger and\nfreight transport to allow stronger integration of all transport\nmodes, in particular in urban and inter-urban areas and in terms of\nwell-designed nodes and efficient transhipment equipment. Progress\nis also needed on integrated multimodal information, traffic and\ndemand management at European level, seamless logistics and\ninnovative urban mobility solutions, including high-quality public\ntransport.
\n3. Fields for road-mapping: with the three innovation areas, the Communication\npresents their ten identified fields and how they relate to\nthe White Paper’s goals and targets. The Commission sees these\nten fields as offering significant potential for contributing to\nthe White Paper’s objectives by 2030, though in certain fields\nup to 2050, and they take into account the specificities of the\nindividual modes and multimodal issues. The fields represent a\nstarting point for organising a road-mapping exercise, to be\nlaunched in September 2012 with the aim of focusing European\nR&D activities and funding on deployable technologies that\ncontribute effectively to policy objectives. The exercise will also\naim at identifying existing gaps and addressing weaknesses along\nthe innovation chain. Its end-result will be one or several\nroadmaps for each field, identifying funding, instruments and\nactors and foreseeing monitoring and governance mechanisms able to\ntake on board evolving contexts. The fields are:
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart road\nvehicles;
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart\naircraft;
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart\nvessels;
\n\n· \nclean, efficient, safe, quiet and smart rail\nvehicles;
\n\n· \nsmart, green, low-maintenance and\nclimate-resilient infrastructure;
\n\n· \nEurope-wide alternative fuel distribution\ninfrastructures;
\n\n· \nefficient modal traffic management systems\n(including capacity and demand management);
\n\n· \nintegrated cross-modal information and\nmanagement services;
\n\n· \nseamless logistics;
\n\n· \nintegrated and innovative urban mobility and\ntransport.
\nWherever possible, roadmaps prepared by stakeholders\nwill be the starting point.
\n4. Funding: compared to\nthe private sector and Member States, the EU’s current\ninvestment in transport research and innovation is modest in\nmonetary terms but its leverage is high. It provided about EUR\n600 million per year in the 7th Framework Programme\n(FP7). So far, in FP7, the Marie Curie Actions have awarded EUR\n43.5 million to transport-related research, providing attractive\ncareer development opportunities to researchers.
\nSeveral proposed Commission funding resources will be\nused to support a new transport system in Europe. The strategic\ntransport-technology plan will support the implementation of the\nfunding programmes proposed by the Commission for the next\nmultiannual financial framework, subject to adoption by the\nlegislative authority. This includes Horizon 2020, the Connecting\nEurope Facility, the ERDF and Cohesion Fund, and the proposal\non a Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs\n(COSME). The European Investment Bank will be invited to\nintensify the provision of preferential loans via the Risk Sharing\nFinance Facility (RSFF), expand its lending to the transport sector\nunder its new lending policy and provide increased technical\nassistance to public and private stakeholders. Public financial\nsupport will need to be provided in full consistency with the\napplicable EU state aid rules.
\nWith a view to progressing the work, the Commission\ninvites the Council and Parliament to:
\n\n· \nconfirm the objective of better aligning \ntransport research and innovation with European transport policy\ngoals, taking into account the current economic and political\nreality and the long-term sustainability objectives;
\n\n· \nagree to focus efforts on delivering pioneering\nand sustainable transport solutions at a European, national and\nlocal level through innovative technologies, new service approaches\nand entrepreneurship;
\n\n· \nconsider how to find the appropriate balance\nbetween the various instruments necessary for market uptake and\ndeployment;
\n\n· \nendorse the approach comprising preparation of a\nEuropean strategic transport technology plan, and the options\nfor further actions, as outlined in the communication.
\nPURPOSE: second progress report on the EU’s\nIntegrated Maritime Policy.
\nCONTENT: since its creation in 2007, the Integrated\nMaritime Policy (IMP) has sought to enhance the sustainable\ndevelopment of the European maritime economy and better protect the\nmarine environment by facilitating the cooperation of all maritime\nplayers across sectors and borders. The potential for growth in the\nmaritime economy is an opportunity that Europe, as a maritime\ncontinent, needs to seize.
\nSince 2009, the EU has launched key initiatives in all\npolicy areas related to the seas in\norder to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness. By avoiding\nduplication of spending and efforts, and encouraging the\nsustainable development of maritime activities, the IMP has brought\nconcrete benefits to the European economy and maritime sectors in\nMember States.
\nIn 2009, the Council and European Parliament welcomed\nthe first Progress Report on the IMP and asked the Commission to\npresent further developments in 2012. This second Report describes\nthe progress of the EU’s IMP and maritime sectoral policies\nbetween 2010 and 2012. It highlights their contribution to the\nobjectives of the Europe 2020 strategy by taking stock of concrete\nachievements that help create growth, enhance resource efficiency\nand save public money.
\nThe European Parliament adopted a resolution\non the IMP in October 2010, which confirmed the validity of the\nintegrated approach to maritime affairs and invited the Commission\nto develop a maritime dimension to the Europe 2020 Strategy. With\nthe Europe 2020 strategy, the EU is seeking to get the European\neconomy back on track to deliver employment, competitiveness and\nsocial cohesion.
\nAchievements: the report\npresents a coherent picture of achievements in all policy areas\nrelated to the seas. These include maritime transport,\nenergy, shipbuilding, and fisheries and aquaculture.
\nThe EU has launched key initiatives such as:\n(i) the White\nPaper for Transport; (ii) the Common Information Sharing\nEnvironment for the EU’s maritime domain to improve the\nefficiency and cost-effectiveness of maritime surveillance; (iii) a\nTask force on Maritime Employment and Competitiveness; (iv) three\njoint calls of FP7 Research Programme under the Ocean of Tomorrow\nto support multidisciplinary marine and maritime projects, a first\nversion of the European Marine Observation and Data Network to\nimprove access to data and reduce costs to users; (v) a Maritime\nStrategy for the Atlantic adopted in November 2011; (vi) the\nfurther implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive,\nthe environment pillar of the IMP to achieve better environmental\nstatus for EU marine waters by 2020 and initiatives to promote\nMaritime Spatial Planning.
\nCooperation across sectors: Europe is going through cuts in public spending, so\ndelivering maximum results with limited means is crucial.\nCooperation makes operations at sea more cost-efficient and\noptimise data usage. As new uses of the sea are being developed\ndaily, the Commission considers that it is crucial that Member\nStates put in place stable planning systems favouring long-term\ninvestment and cross-border coherence.
\nResearch: the European\nmaritime industry is characterised by innovation and high-quality\nmarkets. The Commission is strengthening this competitive edge by\ndeveloping an ambitious marine research programme and making marine\ndata more accessible for innovation. The EU financial contribution\nto marine related-research and innovation has amounted to EUR\n1.4 billion through 644 projects over 2007-2010. Three joint\ncalls of FP7, under the Ocean of Tomorrow label, have supported\nmultidisciplinary marine and maritime projects for a total EU\ncontribution of EUR 134 million. This effort was complemented with\nthe launch of coordinated topics in 2012 in order to support the\nimplementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, for a\ntotal EU contribution of EUR 42 million.
\nBlue Growth: in\nSeptember 2012, the Commission adopted a Communication\non Blue Growth, opportunities for marine and maritime\nsustainable growth. The objective is to launch a joint initiative\nwith Member States, regions, and all relevant stakeholders to\nunlock the potential of the blue economy.
\n\n· \nThe Commission, in a 2010 study, identified as\ncommon bottlenecks the lack of appropriate skills, access to risk\ncapital, fragmented marine data, environmental challenges and\ndifficult planning processes.
\n\n· \nActions are underway in Member States to remedy\nthe skills shortage - for example, through encouraging clusters of\nindustry and education.
\n\n· \nIntegrated maritime policy initiatives are\naddressing the data and planning issues. However, certain sectors\nrequire a more targeted approach. Accordingly, five areas with\ngrowth potential - maritime and coastal tourism, ocean\nrenewable energy, marine mineral resources, aquaculture, and blue\nbiotechnology - have been analysed in more depth to suggest\nadditional measures needed to increase growth and jobs.
\nProtection of\nthe marine environment: the EU has the largest maritime\nterritory in the world. Ensuring the health of marine ecosystems is\nnecessary for the future of ocean biodiversity and to sustain\nmaritime growth.
\n\n· \nThe 2008 Marine\nStrategy Framework Directive is ţhe environment pillar of\nthe IMP. Its overarching aim is to achieve good environmental\nstatus (GES) for EU marine waters by 2020.
\n\n· \nAction must also be taken with respect to\nadaptation to and mitigation of climate change and addressing air\npollution from ships.
\nThe Commission is setting the best possible conditions\nfor sustainable economic development to come from the sea. Building\non those achievements, Blue Growth is the objective for the\ncoming years. During Cyprus’s Council Presidency, an\ninformal Ministerial Conference on IMP will be a major stepping\nstone towards this goal. Blue Growth will drive a second phase of\nthe Integrated Maritime Policy to achieve a healthy maritime\neconomy that delivers innovation, growth and sustainability for\nEuropean citizens.
\nThe Commission presents a Communication on Blue\nGrowth: opportunities for marine and maritime sustainable\ngrowth. This is the contribution of the EU's Integrated Maritime\nPolicy to achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy for\nsmart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The EU's blue economy\nrepresents 5.4 million jobs and a gross added value of just\nunder EUR 500 billion per year. In all, 75% of\nEurope’s external trade and 37% of trade within the EU is\nseaborne.
\nThis Communication drives forward the Commission's Integrated\nMaritime Policy and launches a process which will place the\nblue economy firmly on the agenda of Member States, regions,\nenterprise and civil society. It describes how Member States and EU\npolicies are already supporting the blue economy. It then\nidentifies specific areas where targeted action could provide an\nadditional stimulus. A set of initiatives will subsequently be\nlaunched to explore and develop the growth potential in these\nareas.
\nBlue Growth Focus Areas:\nan analysis of the job-creation potential, as well as the potential\nfor research and development to deliver technology improvements and\ninnovation and the need for action at EU level, has suggested that\nfive value chains could deliver sustainable growth and jobs in the\nblue economy. They could therefore benefit from clear-sighted\npolicymaking, allowing the private sector to play a leading role in\nhelping the blue economy reach its sustainable growth potential.\nThis list should not be considered exhaustive. Ongoing EU\ninitiatives are already encouraging innovation in sectors such as\nmaritime transport. Other value chains may emerge over time as\nsuitable areas for further policy focus.
\nThe Communication identifies five focus areas in which\nadditional efforts at EU level could yield long-term growth and\nsustainable jobs:
\n1. Blue energy: marine\nenergies have the potential to enhance the efficiency of harvesting\nthe European energy resource, minimize land-use requirements of the\npower sector and reduce the European greenhouse gas emissions (by\nabout 65 Mt CO2 in 2020).
\n\n· \nOffshore wind could meet 4% of the EU\nelectricity demand by 2020 and 14% by 2030. This would mean 170 000\njobs by 2020, increasing to 300 000 by 2030.
\n· \nOther offshore renewable energy technologies are\nstill at an early stage of development, with Member States planning\nto install only a moderate capacity of 2 to 4 GW by 2020. The\nchallenge is to accelerate the commercialisation of ocean energy\nthrough reductions in technology costs as world-wide demand is\nexpected to double annually in the near future. Further efforts to\nreinforce research and development in the field of ocean energy are\nneeded.
\n\n· \nEU measures, including funding (EIB, Structural Funds), can have a\ncrucial role in providing a framework that gives investors the\nconfidence to invest.
\n\n· \nEU industry is a world leader in blue energy and\ncan contribute to reductions in carbon emissions outside Europe\nthrough exports. In addition, synergies can also be explored with\nthe offshore conventional energy sector, for example by tackling\nsafety and infrastructure challenges together. The Commission\nproposal for levelling up safety standards in the\noffshore oil and gas sector EU-wide is a key initiative. Working\ntogether with the conventional energy sector will help secure\naffordable energy supplies in the EU.
\n2. Aquaculture: globally, aquaculture has a growth rate of 6.6% per\nannum, making it the fastest-growing animal-food-producing sector\nand faster than the 1.8% annual global population increases. Fish\naccounts for about 15.7% of the animal protein consumed globally.\nThe UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that aquaculture\nprovides half of this and that by 2030 it will reach 65%. It is\ncurrently 25% in the EU.
\nAs part of the Common Fisheries Policy reform, the\nCommission proposes to promote aquaculture through an 'open method\nof coordination' based on nonbinding strategic guidelines,\nmultiannual national strategic plans and the exchange of best\npractice. There is a wide scope for improving administrative\npractices, especially in licensing.
\n3. Maritime, coastal and cruise\ntourism: the maritime and coastal\ntourism sub-sector has now become the largest single maritime\neconomic activity, employing 2.35 million people, equivalent to\n1.1% of total EU employment. More than 90% of enterprises employ\nless than 10 people. The cruise industry is also growing. Within\nEurope it employs nearly 150000 people and generates direct\nturnover of EUR 14.5 billion. EU shipyards have been successful in\nserving this specialised market – both with large cruise ships\nand small leisure vessels.
\n4. Marine mineral resources: between 2000 and 2010 there has been an annual\nincrease of about 15% in the price of many non-energy raw\nmaterials, mainly as a result of consumer demand in emerging\neconomies. There is a risk of supply shortage for several of these,\nincluding those identified as critical to Europe's economy. By\n2020, 5% of the world's minerals, including cobalt, copper and zinc\ncould come from the ocean floors. This could rise to 10% by 2030.\nGlobal annual turnover of marine mineral mining can be expected to\ngrow from virtually nothing to EUR 5 billion in the next 10 years\nand up to EUR 10 billion by 2030.
\n5. Blue biotechnology: the unexplored and understudied nature of much of the\nunderwater world means that the capacity of marine organisms other\nthan fish and shellfish to provide inputs to the blue economy is\nonly just beginning to be appreciated, partly through new gene\nsequencing technologies for living organisms. While estimated\ncurrent employment in the sector in Europe is still relatively low,\nand a gross value added of EUR 0.8 billion, the growth of the\nsector will offer high-skilled employment, especially if\nground-breaking drugs can be developed from marine organisms, and\nsignificant downstream opportunities.
\nCommission plans: for\neach of the five activities highlighted the Commission will analyse\npolicy options and consider further initiatives. This will\ninvolve:
\n\n· \nassessing the options for giving industry \nthe confidence to invest in ocean renewable energy, taking into\naccount the framework provided by the Strategic Energy Technology\nPlan, the aim being to address ocean renewable energy issues in a\nCommunication in 2013;
\n\n· \nworking collaboratively with Member States to\ndevelop best practice and agree on Strategic Guidelines on\nAquaculture in the EU to be adopted in early 2013;
\n\n· \nassessing how maritime and coastal tourism can\nfurther contribute to economic growth and provide less precarious\njobs whilst improving its environmental sustainability. An impact\nassessment will be followed by a Communication in 2013;
\n\n· \nassessing how European industry can become\ncompetitive in extracting minerals from the seafloor and how best\nto ensure that this activity does not prevent future generations\nfrom benefiting from hitherto untouched ecosystems. An impact\nassessment followed by a Communication will be delivered in\n2014;
\n\n· \nassessing the options for blue biotechnology to\nharness the diversity of marine life. An impact assessment followed\nby a Communication will also be delivered in 2014.
\nIn each of these areas, the assessment of options\nwill begin with consultations with Member States and industry and\nother relevant stakeholders in order to develop joint\napproaches that will provide the extra push that the blue economy\nneeds in order to provide a positive contribution to Europe's\neconomic future, while safeguarding our unique marine environment\nfor future generations.
\nThe Commission presents its second report describing\nthe progress of the EU’s Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) and\nmaritime sectoral policies between 2010 and 2012. It highlights the\ncontribution of these policies to the objectives of the Europe 2020\nstrategy by taking stock of concrete achievements that help create\ngrowth, enhance resource efficiency and save public\nmoney.
\nThe report notes that the IMP was created to reaffirm\nthe maritime dimension of the EU. The IMP has grown from this\nvision into a tool delivering concrete benefits for maritime growth\nand sustainability in Europe. The report presents a picture of\nachievements in all policy areas related to the seas. It examines\nactions taken under the following policy areas: transport,\nresearch, environment, tourism, shipbuilding, climate change\nadaption, and regional policies. Among the initiatives launched are\nthe following:
\n\n· \nthe White\nPaper for Transport, which further specifies the orientations\nof the Maritime Transport Strategy until 2018: the ability to\nprovide cost-efficient maritime transport services; the long-term\ncompetitiveness of the EU shipping sector; and the creation of\nseamless transport chains for passengers and cargo across transport\nmodes;
\n\n· \nthe Common Information Sharing Environment for\nthe EU’s maritime domain to improve the efficiency and\ncost-effectiveness of maritime surveillance;
\n\n· \na Task force on Maritime Employment and\nCompetitiveness;
\n\n· \nthree joint calls of FP7 Research Programme\nunder the Ocean of Tomorrow to support multidisciplinary marine and\nmaritime projects, a first version of the European Marine\nObservation and Data Network to improve access to data and reduce\ncosts to users;
\n\n· \na Maritime\nStrategy for the Atlantic adopted in November 2011;
\n\n· \na Decision to implement the Marine Strategy\nFramework Directive, laying down criteria and methodological\nstandards for the assessment of Good Environmental\nStatus.
\nThe contribution of the maritime economy to growth and\nemployment
\nBlue Growth: the\nCommission adopted a Communication\non Blue Growth, opportunities for marine and maritime\nsustainable growth. The objective is to launch a joint initiative\nwith Member States, regions, and all relevant stakeholders to\nunlock the potential of the blue economy. A study launched by the\nCommission in 2010 has identified as common bottlenecks the\nlack of appropriate skills, access to risk capital, fragmented\nmarine data, environmental challenges and difficult planning\nprocesses. Actions are underway in Member States to remedy the\nskills shortage — for example through encouraging clusters of\nindustry and education. Integrated maritime policy initiatives are\naddressing the data and planning issues. However, certain sectors\nrequire a more targeted approach. Accordingly, five areas with\ngrowth potential —maritime and coastal tourism, ocean\nrenewable energy, marine mineral resources, aquaculture, and blue\nbiotechnology — have been analysed in more depth to suggest\nadditional measures needed to increase growth and jobs.
\nEnergy: offshore wind\nenergy contributes to reach a 20% share of energy from renewable\nsources by 2020. In 2011, the Commission proposed guidelines to lay\ndown rules for the development and interoperability of\ntrans-European energy networks. Priority corridors were identified,\nincluding the North Sea Offshore Grid and the Baltic Energy Market\nInterconnection Plan.
\nShipbuilding: a new\nFramework on State Aid to Shipbuilding was adopted in December 2011\ncontaining specific provisions in relation to innovation aid and\nregional aid for shipbuilding, as well as provisions on exports\ncredits. Its extended scope now applies to inland waterway vessels\nand floating and moving offshore structures.
\nFisheries and aquaculture: in July 2011, the Commission adopted a package of\ninitiatives, including new legislative proposals, to reform the\nCommon Fisheries Policy. The transition will be accompanied by a\nEuropean Maritime and Fisheries Fund to improve sustainability, the\nperformance of small-scale coastal fisheries, promote aquaculture,\nsupport job creation in maritime communities and deliver\ncost-efficiency in maritime affairs.
\nThe report shows that the strong contribution of\nmaritime sectors to Europe’s economy and the objectives of the\nEurope 2020 strategy are reinforced by coordinated action to\nlower costs, improve resource efficiency, reduce risks, support\ninnovation and make better use of public money. By facilitating the\ncooperation of all maritime players across sectors and borders, and\nby avoiding duplication of spending and efforts, the IMP has\nenhanced the sustainable development of the European maritime\neconomy, while contributing to a better protection of the marine\nenvironment.
\nThe Commission considers it is setting the best\npossible conditions for sustainable economic development to come\nfrom the sea. Building on those achievements, Blue Growth is the\nobjective for the coming years. During Cyprus’s Council\nPresidency, an informal Ministerial Conference on IMP will be a\nmajor stepping-stone towards this goal. Blue Growth will drive a\nsecond phase of the Integrated Maritime Policy to achieve a healthy\nmaritime economy that delivers innovation, growth and\nsustainability for European citizens.
\nPURPOSE: second progress report on the EU’s\nIntegrated Maritime Policy.
\nCONTENT: since its creation in 2007, the Integrated\nMaritime Policy (IMP) has sought to enhance the sustainable\ndevelopment of the European maritime economy and better protect the\nmarine environment by facilitating the cooperation of all maritime\nplayers across sectors and borders. The potential for growth in the\nmaritime economy is an opportunity that Europe, as a maritime\ncontinent, needs to seize.
\nSince 2009, the EU has launched key initiatives in all\npolicy areas related to the seas in\norder to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness. By avoiding\nduplication of spending and efforts, and encouraging the\nsustainable development of maritime activities, the IMP has brought\nconcrete benefits to the European economy and maritime sectors in\nMember States.
\nIn 2009, the Council and European Parliament welcomed\nthe first Progress Report on the IMP and asked the Commission to\npresent further developments in 2012. This second Report describes\nthe progress of the EU’s IMP and maritime sectoral policies\nbetween 2010 and 2012. It highlights their contribution to the\nobjectives of the Europe 2020 strategy by taking stock of concrete\nachievements that help create growth, enhance resource efficiency\nand save public money.
\nThe European Parliament adopted a resolution\non the IMP in October 2010, which confirmed the validity of the\nintegrated approach to maritime affairs and invited the Commission\nto develop a maritime dimension to the Europe 2020 Strategy. With\nthe Europe 2020 strategy, the EU is seeking to get the European\neconomy back on track to deliver employment, competitiveness and\nsocial cohesion.
\nAchievements: the report\npresents a coherent picture of achievements in all policy areas\nrelated to the seas. These include maritime transport,\nenergy, shipbuilding, and fisheries and aquaculture.
\nThe EU has launched key initiatives such as:\n(i) the White\nPaper for Transport; (ii) the Common Information Sharing\nEnvironment for the EU’s maritime domain to improve the\nefficiency and cost-effectiveness of maritime surveillance; (iii) a\nTask force on Maritime Employment and Competitiveness; (iv) three\njoint calls of FP7 Research Programme under the Ocean of Tomorrow\nto support multidisciplinary marine and maritime projects, a first\nversion of the European Marine Observation and Data Network to\nimprove access to data and reduce costs to users; (v) a Maritime\nStrategy for the Atlantic adopted in November 2011; (vi) the\nfurther implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive,\nthe environment pillar of the IMP to achieve better environmental\nstatus for EU marine waters by 2020 and initiatives to promote\nMaritime Spatial Planning.
\nCooperation across sectors: Europe is going through cuts in public spending, so\ndelivering maximum results with limited means is crucial.\nCooperation makes operations at sea more cost-efficient and\noptimise data usage. As new uses of the sea are being developed\ndaily, the Commission considers that it is crucial that Member\nStates put in place stable planning systems favouring long-term\ninvestment and cross-border coherence.
\nResearch: the European\nmaritime industry is characterised by innovation and high-quality\nmarkets. The Commission is strengthening this competitive edge by\ndeveloping an ambitious marine research programme and making marine\ndata more accessible for innovation. The EU financial contribution\nto marine related-research and innovation has amounted to EUR\n1.4 billion through 644 projects over 2007-2010. Three joint\ncalls of FP7, under the Ocean of Tomorrow label, have supported\nmultidisciplinary marine and maritime projects for a total EU\ncontribution of EUR 134 million. This effort was complemented with\nthe launch of coordinated topics in 2012 in order to support the\nimplementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, for a\ntotal EU contribution of EUR 42 million.
\nBlue Growth: in\nSeptember 2012, the Commission adopted a Communication\non Blue Growth, opportunities for marine and maritime\nsustainable growth. The objective is to launch a joint initiative\nwith Member States, regions, and all relevant stakeholders to\nunlock the potential of the blue economy.
\n\n· \nThe Commission, in a 2010 study, identified as\ncommon bottlenecks the lack of appropriate skills, access to risk\ncapital, fragmented marine data, environmental challenges and\ndifficult planning processes.
\n\n· \nActions are underway in Member States to remedy\nthe skills shortage - for example, through encouraging clusters of\nindustry and education.
\n\n· \nIntegrated maritime policy initiatives are\naddressing the data and planning issues. However, certain sectors\nrequire a more targeted approach. Accordingly, five areas with\ngrowth potential - maritime and coastal tourism, ocean\nrenewable energy, marine mineral resources, aquaculture, and blue\nbiotechnology - have been analysed in more depth to suggest\nadditional measures needed to increase growth and jobs.
\nProtection of\nthe marine environment: the EU has the largest maritime\nterritory in the world. Ensuring the health of marine ecosystems is\nnecessary for the future of ocean biodiversity and to sustain\nmaritime growth.
\n\n· \nThe 2008 Marine\nStrategy Framework Directive is ţhe environment pillar of\nthe IMP. Its overarching aim is to achieve good environmental\nstatus (GES) for EU marine waters by 2020.
\n\n· \nAction must also be taken with respect to\nadaptation to and mitigation of climate change and addressing air\npollution from ships.
\nThe Commission is setting the best possible conditions\nfor sustainable economic development to come from the sea. Building\non those achievements, Blue Growth is the objective for the\ncoming years. During Cyprus’s Council Presidency, an\ninformal Ministerial Conference on IMP will be a major stepping\nstone towards this goal. Blue Growth will drive a second phase of\nthe Integrated Maritime Policy to achieve a healthy maritime\neconomy that delivers innovation, growth and sustainability for\nEuropean citizens.
\nThe Commission presents a Communication on Blue\nGrowth: opportunities for marine and maritime sustainable\ngrowth. This is the contribution of the EU's Integrated Maritime\nPolicy to achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy for\nsmart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The EU's blue economy\nrepresents 5.4 million jobs and a gross added value of just\nunder EUR 500 billion per year. In all, 75% of\nEurope’s external trade and 37% of trade within the EU is\nseaborne.
\nThis Communication drives forward the Commission's Integrated\nMaritime Policy and launches a process which will place the\nblue economy firmly on the agenda of Member States, regions,\nenterprise and civil society. It describes how Member States and EU\npolicies are already supporting the blue economy. It then\nidentifies specific areas where targeted action could provide an\nadditional stimulus. A set of initiatives will subsequently be\nlaunched to explore and develop the growth potential in these\nareas.
\nBlue Growth Focus Areas:\nan analysis of the job-creation potential, as well as the potential\nfor research and development to deliver technology improvements and\ninnovation and the need for action at EU level, has suggested that\nfive value chains could deliver sustainable growth and jobs in the\nblue economy. They could therefore benefit from clear-sighted\npolicymaking, allowing the private sector to play a leading role in\nhelping the blue economy reach its sustainable growth potential.\nThis list should not be considered exhaustive. Ongoing EU\ninitiatives are already encouraging innovation in sectors such as\nmaritime transport. Other value chains may emerge over time as\nsuitable areas for further policy focus.
\nThe Communication identifies five focus areas in which\nadditional efforts at EU level could yield long-term growth and\nsustainable jobs:
\n1. Blue energy: marine\nenergies have the potential to enhance the efficiency of harvesting\nthe European energy resource, minimize land-use requirements of the\npower sector and reduce the European greenhouse gas emissions (by\nabout 65 Mt CO2 in 2020).
\n\n· \nOffshore wind could meet 4% of the EU\nelectricity demand by 2020 and 14% by 2030. This would mean 170 000\njobs by 2020, increasing to 300 000 by 2030.
\n· \nOther offshore renewable energy technologies are\nstill at an early stage of development, with Member States planning\nto install only a moderate capacity of 2 to 4 GW by 2020. The\nchallenge is to accelerate the commercialisation of ocean energy\nthrough reductions in technology costs as world-wide demand is\nexpected to double annually in the near future. Further efforts to\nreinforce research and development in the field of ocean energy are\nneeded.
\n\n· \nEU measures, including funding (EIB, Structural Funds), can have a\ncrucial role in providing a framework that gives investors the\nconfidence to invest.
\n\n· \nEU industry is a world leader in blue energy and\ncan contribute to reductions in carbon emissions outside Europe\nthrough exports. In addition, synergies can also be explored with\nthe offshore conventional energy sector, for example by tackling\nsafety and infrastructure challenges together. The Commission\nproposal for levelling up safety standards in the\noffshore oil and gas sector EU-wide is a key initiative. Working\ntogether with the conventional energy sector will help secure\naffordable energy supplies in the EU.
\n2. Aquaculture: globally, aquaculture has a growth rate of 6.6% per\nannum, making it the fastest-growing animal-food-producing sector\nand faster than the 1.8% annual global population increases. Fish\naccounts for about 15.7% of the animal protein consumed globally.\nThe UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that aquaculture\nprovides half of this and that by 2030 it will reach 65%. It is\ncurrently 25% in the EU.
\nAs part of the Common Fisheries Policy reform, the\nCommission proposes to promote aquaculture through an 'open method\nof coordination' based on nonbinding strategic guidelines,\nmultiannual national strategic plans and the exchange of best\npractice. There is a wide scope for improving administrative\npractices, especially in licensing.
\n3. Maritime, coastal and cruise\ntourism: the maritime and coastal\ntourism sub-sector has now become the largest single maritime\neconomic activity, employing 2.35 million people, equivalent to\n1.1% of total EU employment. More than 90% of enterprises employ\nless than 10 people. The cruise industry is also growing. Within\nEurope it employs nearly 150000 people and generates direct\nturnover of EUR 14.5 billion. EU shipyards have been successful in\nserving this specialised market – both with large cruise ships\nand small leisure vessels.
\n4. Marine mineral resources: between 2000 and 2010 there has been an annual\nincrease of about 15% in the price of many non-energy raw\nmaterials, mainly as a result of consumer demand in emerging\neconomies. There is a risk of supply shortage for several of these,\nincluding those identified as critical to Europe's economy. By\n2020, 5% of the world's minerals, including cobalt, copper and zinc\ncould come from the ocean floors. This could rise to 10% by 2030.\nGlobal annual turnover of marine mineral mining can be expected to\ngrow from virtually nothing to EUR 5 billion in the next 10 years\nand up to EUR 10 billion by 2030.
\n5. Blue biotechnology: the unexplored and understudied nature of much of the\nunderwater world means that the capacity of marine organisms other\nthan fish and shellfish to provide inputs to the blue economy is\nonly just beginning to be appreciated, partly through new gene\nsequencing technologies for living organisms. While estimated\ncurrent employment in the sector in Europe is still relatively low,\nand a gross value added of EUR 0.8 billion, the growth of the\nsector will offer high-skilled employment, especially if\nground-breaking drugs can be developed from marine organisms, and\nsignificant downstream opportunities.
\nCommission plans: for\neach of the five activities highlighted the Commission will analyse\npolicy options and consider further initiatives. This will\ninvolve:
\n\n· \nassessing the options for giving industry \nthe confidence to invest in ocean renewable energy, taking into\naccount the framework provided by the Strategic Energy Technology\nPlan, the aim being to address ocean renewable energy issues in a\nCommunication in 2013;
\n\n· \nworking collaboratively with Member States to\ndevelop best practice and agree on Strategic Guidelines on\nAquaculture in the EU to be adopted in early 2013;
\n\n· \nassessing how maritime and coastal tourism can\nfurther contribute to economic growth and provide less precarious\njobs whilst improving its environmental sustainability. An impact\nassessment will be followed by a Communication in 2013;
\n\n· \nassessing how European industry can become\ncompetitive in extracting minerals from the seafloor and how best\nto ensure that this activity does not prevent future generations\nfrom benefiting from hitherto untouched ecosystems. An impact\nassessment followed by a Communication will be delivered in\n2014;
\n\n· \nassessing the options for blue biotechnology to\nharness the diversity of marine life. An impact assessment followed\nby a Communication will also be delivered in 2014.
\nIn each of these areas, the assessment of options\nwill begin with consultations with Member States and industry and\nother relevant stakeholders in order to develop joint\napproaches that will provide the extra push that the blue economy\nneeds in order to provide a positive contribution to Europe's\neconomic future, while safeguarding our unique marine environment\nfor future generations.
\nPURPOSE: second progress report on the EU’s\nIntegrated Maritime Policy.
\nCONTENT: since its creation in 2007, the Integrated\nMaritime Policy (IMP) has sought to enhance the sustainable\ndevelopment of the European maritime economy and better protect the\nmarine environment by facilitating the cooperation of all maritime\nplayers across sectors and borders. The potential for growth in the\nmaritime economy is an opportunity that Europe, as a maritime\ncontinent, needs to seize.
\nSince 2009, the EU has launched key initiatives in all\npolicy areas related to the seas in\norder to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness. By avoiding\nduplication of spending and efforts, and encouraging the\nsustainable development of maritime activities, the IMP has brought\nconcrete benefits to the European economy and maritime sectors in\nMember States.
\nIn 2009, the Council and European Parliament welcomed\nthe first Progress Report on the IMP and asked the Commission to\npresent further developments in 2012. This second Report describes\nthe progress of the EU’s IMP and maritime sectoral policies\nbetween 2010 and 2012. It highlights their contribution to the\nobjectives of the Europe 2020 strategy by taking stock of concrete\nachievements that help create growth, enhance resource efficiency\nand save public money.
\nThe European Parliament adopted a resolution\non the IMP in October 2010, which confirmed the validity of the\nintegrated approach to maritime affairs and invited the Commission\nto develop a maritime dimension to the Europe 2020 Strategy. With\nthe Europe 2020 strategy, the EU is seeking to get the European\neconomy back on track to deliver employment, competitiveness and\nsocial cohesion.
\nAchievements: the report\npresents a coherent picture of achievements in all policy areas\nrelated to the seas. These include maritime transport,\nenergy, shipbuilding, and fisheries and aquaculture.
\nThe EU has launched key initiatives such as:\n(i) the White\nPaper for Transport; (ii) the Common Information Sharing\nEnvironment for the EU’s maritime domain to improve the\nefficiency and cost-effectiveness of maritime surveillance; (iii) a\nTask force on Maritime Employment and Competitiveness; (iv) three\njoint calls of FP7 Research Programme under the Ocean of Tomorrow\nto support multidisciplinary marine and maritime projects, a first\nversion of the European Marine Observation and Data Network to\nimprove access to data and reduce costs to users; (v) a Maritime\nStrategy for the Atlantic adopted in November 2011; (vi) the\nfurther implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive,\nthe environment pillar of the IMP to achieve better environmental\nstatus for EU marine waters by 2020 and initiatives to promote\nMaritime Spatial Planning.
\nCooperation across sectors: Europe is going through cuts in public spending, so\ndelivering maximum results with limited means is crucial.\nCooperation makes operations at sea more cost-efficient and\noptimise data usage. As new uses of the sea are being developed\ndaily, the Commission considers that it is crucial that Member\nStates put in place stable planning systems favouring long-term\ninvestment and cross-border coherence.
\nResearch: the European\nmaritime industry is characterised by innovation and high-quality\nmarkets. The Commission is strengthening this competitive edge by\ndeveloping an ambitious marine research programme and making marine\ndata more accessible for innovation. The EU financial contribution\nto marine related-research and innovation has amounted to EUR\n1.4 billion through 644 projects over 2007-2010. Three joint\ncalls of FP7, under the Ocean of Tomorrow label, have supported\nmultidisciplinary marine and maritime projects for a total EU\ncontribution of EUR 134 million. This effort was complemented with\nthe launch of coordinated topics in 2012 in order to support the\nimplementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, for a\ntotal EU contribution of EUR 42 million.
\nBlue Growth: in\nSeptember 2012, the Commission adopted a Communication\non Blue Growth, opportunities for marine and maritime\nsustainable growth. The objective is to launch a joint initiative\nwith Member States, regions, and all relevant stakeholders to\nunlock the potential of the blue economy.
\n\n· \nThe Commission, in a 2010 study, identified as\ncommon bottlenecks the lack of appropriate skills, access to risk\ncapital, fragmented marine data, environmental challenges and\ndifficult planning processes.
\n\n· \nActions are underway in Member States to remedy\nthe skills shortage - for example, through encouraging clusters of\nindustry and education.
\n\n· \nIntegrated maritime policy initiatives are\naddressing the data and planning issues. However, certain sectors\nrequire a more targeted approach. Accordingly, five areas with\ngrowth potential - maritime and coastal tourism, ocean\nrenewable energy, marine mineral resources, aquaculture, and blue\nbiotechnology - have been analysed in more depth to suggest\nadditional measures needed to increase growth and jobs.
\nProtection of\nthe marine environment: the EU has the largest maritime\nterritory in the world. Ensuring the health of marine ecosystems is\nnecessary for the future of ocean biodiversity and to sustain\nmaritime growth.
\n\n· \nThe 2008 Marine\nStrategy Framework Directive is ţhe environment pillar of\nthe IMP. Its overarching aim is to achieve good environmental\nstatus (GES) for EU marine waters by 2020.
\n\n· \nAction must also be taken with respect to\nadaptation to and mitigation of climate change and addressing air\npollution from ships.
\nThe Commission is setting the best possible conditions\nfor sustainable economic development to come from the sea. Building\non those achievements, Blue Growth is the objective for the\ncoming years. During Cyprus’s Council Presidency, an\ninformal Ministerial Conference on IMP will be a major stepping\nstone towards this goal. Blue Growth will drive a second phase of\nthe Integrated Maritime Policy to achieve a healthy maritime\neconomy that delivers innovation, growth and sustainability for\nEuropean citizens.
\nThe Commission presents a Communication on Blue\nGrowth: opportunities for marine and maritime sustainable\ngrowth. This is the contribution of the EU's Integrated Maritime\nPolicy to achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy for\nsmart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The EU's blue economy\nrepresents 5.4 million jobs and a gross added value of just\nunder EUR 500 billion per year. In all, 75% of\nEurope’s external trade and 37% of trade within the EU is\nseaborne.
\nThis Communication drives forward the Commission's Integrated\nMaritime Policy and launches a process which will place the\nblue economy firmly on the agenda of Member States, regions,\nenterprise and civil society. It describes how Member States and EU\npolicies are already supporting the blue economy. It then\nidentifies specific areas where targeted action could provide an\nadditional stimulus. A set of initiatives will subsequently be\nlaunched to explore and develop the growth potential in these\nareas.
\nBlue Growth Focus Areas:\nan analysis of the job-creation potential, as well as the potential\nfor research and development to deliver technology improvements and\ninnovation and the need for action at EU level, has suggested that\nfive value chains could deliver sustainable growth and jobs in the\nblue economy. They could therefore benefit from clear-sighted\npolicymaking, allowing the private sector to play a leading role in\nhelping the blue economy reach its sustainable growth potential.\nThis list should not be considered exhaustive. Ongoing EU\ninitiatives are already encouraging innovation in sectors such as\nmaritime transport. Other value chains may emerge over time as\nsuitable areas for further policy focus.
\nThe Communication identifies five focus areas in which\nadditional efforts at EU level could yield long-term growth and\nsustainable jobs:
\n1. Blue energy: marine\nenergies have the potential to enhance the efficiency of harvesting\nthe European energy resource, minimize land-use requirements of the\npower sector and reduce the European greenhouse gas emissions (by\nabout 65 Mt CO2 in 2020).
\n\n· \nOffshore wind could meet 4% of the EU\nelectricity demand by 2020 and 14% by 2030. This would mean 170 000\njobs by 2020, increasing to 300 000 by 2030.
\n· \nOther offshore renewable energy technologies are\nstill at an early stage of development, with Member States planning\nto install only a moderate capacity of 2 to 4 GW by 2020. The\nchallenge is to accelerate the commercialisation of ocean energy\nthrough reductions in technology costs as world-wide demand is\nexpected to double annually in the near future. Further efforts to\nreinforce research and development in the field of ocean energy are\nneeded.
\n\n· \nEU measures, including funding (EIB, Structural Funds), can have a\ncrucial role in providing a framework that gives investors the\nconfidence to invest.
\n\n· \nEU industry is a world leader in blue energy and\ncan contribute to reductions in carbon emissions outside Europe\nthrough exports. In addition, synergies can also be explored with\nthe offshore conventional energy sector, for example by tackling\nsafety and infrastructure challenges together. The Commission\nproposal for levelling up safety standards in the\noffshore oil and gas sector EU-wide is a key initiative. Working\ntogether with the conventional energy sector will help secure\naffordable energy supplies in the EU.
\n2. Aquaculture: globally, aquaculture has a growth rate of 6.6% per\nannum, making it the fastest-growing animal-food-producing sector\nand faster than the 1.8% annual global population increases. Fish\naccounts for about 15.7% of the animal protein consumed globally.\nThe UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that aquaculture\nprovides half of this and that by 2030 it will reach 65%. It is\ncurrently 25% in the EU.
\nAs part of the Common Fisheries Policy reform, the\nCommission proposes to promote aquaculture through an 'open method\nof coordination' based on nonbinding strategic guidelines,\nmultiannual national strategic plans and the exchange of best\npractice. There is a wide scope for improving administrative\npractices, especially in licensing.
\n3. Maritime, coastal and cruise\ntourism: the maritime and coastal\ntourism sub-sector has now become the largest single maritime\neconomic activity, employing 2.35 million people, equivalent to\n1.1% of total EU employment. More than 90% of enterprises employ\nless than 10 people. The cruise industry is also growing. Within\nEurope it employs nearly 150000 people and generates direct\nturnover of EUR 14.5 billion. EU shipyards have been successful in\nserving this specialised market – both with large cruise ships\nand small leisure vessels.
\n4. Marine mineral resources: between 2000 and 2010 there has been an annual\nincrease of about 15% in the price of many non-energy raw\nmaterials, mainly as a result of consumer demand in emerging\neconomies. There is a risk of supply shortage for several of these,\nincluding those identified as critical to Europe's economy. By\n2020, 5% of the world's minerals, including cobalt, copper and zinc\ncould come from the ocean floors. This could rise to 10% by 2030.\nGlobal annual turnover of marine mineral mining can be expected to\ngrow from virtually nothing to EUR 5 billion in the next 10 years\nand up to EUR 10 billion by 2030.
\n5. Blue biotechnology: the unexplored and understudied nature of much of the\nunderwater world means that the capacity of marine organisms other\nthan fish and shellfish to provide inputs to the blue economy is\nonly just beginning to be appreciated, partly through new gene\nsequencing technologies for living organisms. While estimated\ncurrent employment in the sector in Europe is still relatively low,\nand a gross value added of EUR 0.8 billion, the growth of the\nsector will offer high-skilled employment, especially if\nground-breaking drugs can be developed from marine organisms, and\nsignificant downstream opportunities.
\nCommission plans: for\neach of the five activities highlighted the Commission will analyse\npolicy options and consider further initiatives. This will\ninvolve:
\n\n· \nassessing the options for giving industry \nthe confidence to invest in ocean renewable energy, taking into\naccount the framework provided by the Strategic Energy Technology\nPlan, the aim being to address ocean renewable energy issues in a\nCommunication in 2013;
\n\n· \nworking collaboratively with Member States to\ndevelop best practice and agree on Strategic Guidelines on\nAquaculture in the EU to be adopted in early 2013;
\n\n· \nassessing how maritime and coastal tourism can\nfurther contribute to economic growth and provide less precarious\njobs whilst improving its environmental sustainability. An impact\nassessment will be followed by a Communication in 2013;
\n\n· \nassessing how European industry can become\ncompetitive in extracting minerals from the seafloor and how best\nto ensure that this activity does not prevent future generations\nfrom benefiting from hitherto untouched ecosystems. An impact\nassessment followed by a Communication will be delivered in\n2014;
\n\n· \nassessing the options for blue biotechnology to\nharness the diversity of marine life. An impact assessment followed\nby a Communication will also be delivered in 2014.
\nIn each of these areas, the assessment of options\nwill begin with consultations with Member States and industry and\nother relevant stakeholders in order to develop joint\napproaches that will provide the extra push that the blue economy\nneeds in order to provide a positive contribution to Europe's\neconomic future, while safeguarding our unique marine environment\nfor future generations.
\nThe Commission presents a Communication on Blue\nGrowth: opportunities for marine and maritime sustainable\ngrowth. This is the contribution of the EU's Integrated Maritime\nPolicy to achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy for\nsmart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The EU's blue economy\nrepresents 5.4 million jobs and a gross added value of just\nunder EUR 500 billion per year. In all, 75% of\nEurope’s external trade and 37% of trade within the EU is\nseaborne.
\nThis Communication drives forward the Commission's Integrated\nMaritime Policy and launches a process which will place the\nblue economy firmly on the agenda of Member States, regions,\nenterprise and civil society. It describes how Member States and EU\npolicies are already supporting the blue economy. It then\nidentifies specific areas where targeted action could provide an\nadditional stimulus. A set of initiatives will subsequently be\nlaunched to explore and develop the growth potential in these\nareas.
\nBlue Growth Focus Areas:\nan analysis of the job-creation potential, as well as the potential\nfor research and development to deliver technology improvements and\ninnovation and the need for action at EU level, has suggested that\nfive value chains could deliver sustainable growth and jobs in the\nblue economy. They could therefore benefit from clear-sighted\npolicymaking, allowing the private sector to play a leading role in\nhelping the blue economy reach its sustainable growth potential.\nThis list should not be considered exhaustive. Ongoing EU\ninitiatives are already encouraging innovation in sectors such as\nmaritime transport. Other value chains may emerge over time as\nsuitable areas for further policy focus.
\nThe Communication identifies five focus areas in which\nadditional efforts at EU level could yield long-term growth and\nsustainable jobs:
\n1. Blue energy: marine\nenergies have the potential to enhance the efficiency of harvesting\nthe European energy resource, minimize land-use requirements of the\npower sector and reduce the European greenhouse gas emissions (by\nabout 65 Mt CO2 in 2020).
\n\n· \nOffshore wind could meet 4% of the EU\nelectricity demand by 2020 and 14% by 2030. This would mean 170 000\njobs by 2020, increasing to 300 000 by 2030.
\n· \nOther offshore renewable energy technologies are\nstill at an early stage of development, with Member States planning\nto install only a moderate capacity of 2 to 4 GW by 2020. The\nchallenge is to accelerate the commercialisation of ocean energy\nthrough reductions in technology costs as world-wide demand is\nexpected to double annually in the near future. Further efforts to\nreinforce research and development in the field of ocean energy are\nneeded.
\n\n· \nEU measures, including funding (EIB, Structural Funds), can have a\ncrucial role in providing a framework that gives investors the\nconfidence to invest.
\n\n· \nEU industry is a world leader in blue energy and\ncan contribute to reductions in carbon emissions outside Europe\nthrough exports. In addition, synergies can also be explored with\nthe offshore conventional energy sector, for example by tackling\nsafety and infrastructure challenges together. The Commission\nproposal for levelling up safety standards in the\noffshore oil and gas sector EU-wide is a key initiative. Working\ntogether with the conventional energy sector will help secure\naffordable energy supplies in the EU.
\n2. Aquaculture: globally, aquaculture has a growth rate of 6.6% per\nannum, making it the fastest-growing animal-food-producing sector\nand faster than the 1.8% annual global population increases. Fish\naccounts for about 15.7% of the animal protein consumed globally.\nThe UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that aquaculture\nprovides half of this and that by 2030 it will reach 65%. It is\ncurrently 25% in the EU.
\nAs part of the Common Fisheries Policy reform, the\nCommission proposes to promote aquaculture through an 'open method\nof coordination' based on nonbinding strategic guidelines,\nmultiannual national strategic plans and the exchange of best\npractice. There is a wide scope for improving administrative\npractices, especially in licensing.
\n3. Maritime, coastal and cruise\ntourism: the maritime and coastal\ntourism sub-sector has now become the largest single maritime\neconomic activity, employing 2.35 million people, equivalent to\n1.1% of total EU employment. More than 90% of enterprises employ\nless than 10 people. The cruise industry is also growing. Within\nEurope it employs nearly 150000 people and generates direct\nturnover of EUR 14.5 billion. EU shipyards have been successful in\nserving this specialised market – both with large cruise ships\nand small leisure vessels.
\n4. Marine mineral resources: between 2000 and 2010 there has been an annual\nincrease of about 15% in the price of many non-energy raw\nmaterials, mainly as a result of consumer demand in emerging\neconomies. There is a risk of supply shortage for several of these,\nincluding those identified as critical to Europe's economy. By\n2020, 5% of the world's minerals, including cobalt, copper and zinc\ncould come from the ocean floors. This could rise to 10% by 2030.\nGlobal annual turnover of marine mineral mining can be expected to\ngrow from virtually nothing to EUR 5 billion in the next 10 years\nand up to EUR 10 billion by 2030.
\n5. Blue biotechnology: the unexplored and understudied nature of much of the\nunderwater world means that the capacity of marine organisms other\nthan fish and shellfish to provide inputs to the blue economy is\nonly just beginning to be appreciated, partly through new gene\nsequencing technologies for living organisms. While estimated\ncurrent employment in the sector in Europe is still relatively low,\nand a gross value added of EUR 0.8 billion, the growth of the\nsector will offer high-skilled employment, especially if\nground-breaking drugs can be developed from marine organisms, and\nsignificant downstream opportunities.
\nCommission plans: for\neach of the five activities highlighted the Commission will analyse\npolicy options and consider further initiatives. This will\ninvolve:
\n\n· \nassessing the options for giving industry \nthe confidence to invest in ocean renewable energy, taking into\naccount the framework provided by the Strategic Energy Technology\nPlan, the aim being to address ocean renewable energy issues in a\nCommunication in 2013;
\n\n· \nworking collaboratively with Member States to\ndevelop best practice and agree on Strategic Guidelines on\nAquaculture in the EU to be adopted in early 2013;
\n\n· \nassessing how maritime and coastal tourism can\nfurther contribute to economic growth and provide less precarious\njobs whilst improving its environmental sustainability. An impact\nassessment will be followed by a Communication in 2013;
\n\n· \nassessing how European industry can become\ncompetitive in extracting minerals from the seafloor and how best\nto ensure that this activity does not prevent future generations\nfrom benefiting from hitherto untouched ecosystems. An impact\nassessment followed by a Communication will be delivered in\n2014;
\n\n· \nassessing the options for blue biotechnology to\nharness the diversity of marine life. An impact assessment followed\nby a Communication will also be delivered in 2014.
\nIn each of these areas, the assessment of options\nwill begin with consultations with Member States and industry and\nother relevant stakeholders in order to develop joint\napproaches that will provide the extra push that the blue economy\nneeds in order to provide a positive contribution to Europe's\neconomic future, while safeguarding our unique marine environment\nfor future generations.
\nPURPOSE: second progress report on the EU’s\nIntegrated Maritime Policy.
\nCONTENT: since its creation in 2007, the Integrated\nMaritime Policy (IMP) has sought to enhance the sustainable\ndevelopment of the European maritime economy and better protect the\nmarine environment by facilitating the cooperation of all maritime\nplayers across sectors and borders. The potential for growth in the\nmaritime economy is an opportunity that Europe, as a maritime\ncontinent, needs to seize.
\nSince 2009, the EU has launched key initiatives in all\npolicy areas related to the seas in\norder to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness. By avoiding\nduplication of spending and efforts, and encouraging the\nsustainable development of maritime activities, the IMP has brought\nconcrete benefits to the European economy and maritime sectors in\nMember States.
\nIn 2009, the Council and European Parliament welcomed\nthe first Progress Report on the IMP and asked the Commission to\npresent further developments in 2012. This second Report describes\nthe progress of the EU’s IMP and maritime sectoral policies\nbetween 2010 and 2012. It highlights their contribution to the\nobjectives of the Europe 2020 strategy by taking stock of concrete\nachievements that help create growth, enhance resource efficiency\nand save public money.
\nThe European Parliament adopted a resolution\non the IMP in October 2010, which confirmed the validity of the\nintegrated approach to maritime affairs and invited the Commission\nto develop a maritime dimension to the Europe 2020 Strategy. With\nthe Europe 2020 strategy, the EU is seeking to get the European\neconomy back on track to deliver employment, competitiveness and\nsocial cohesion.
\nAchievements: the report\npresents a coherent picture of achievements in all policy areas\nrelated to the seas. These include maritime transport,\nenergy, shipbuilding, and fisheries and aquaculture.
\nThe EU has launched key initiatives such as:\n(i) the White\nPaper for Transport; (ii) the Common Information Sharing\nEnvironment for the EU’s maritime domain to improve the\nefficiency and cost-effectiveness of maritime surveillance; (iii) a\nTask force on Maritime Employment and Competitiveness; (iv) three\njoint calls of FP7 Research Programme under the Ocean of Tomorrow\nto support multidisciplinary marine and maritime projects, a first\nversion of the European Marine Observation and Data Network to\nimprove access to data and reduce costs to users; (v) a Maritime\nStrategy for the Atlantic adopted in November 2011; (vi) the\nfurther implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive,\nthe environment pillar of the IMP to achieve better environmental\nstatus for EU marine waters by 2020 and initiatives to promote\nMaritime Spatial Planning.
\nCooperation across sectors: Europe is going through cuts in public spending, so\ndelivering maximum results with limited means is crucial.\nCooperation makes operations at sea more cost-efficient and\noptimise data usage. As new uses of the sea are being developed\ndaily, the Commission considers that it is crucial that Member\nStates put in place stable planning systems favouring long-term\ninvestment and cross-border coherence.
\nResearch: the European\nmaritime industry is characterised by innovation and high-quality\nmarkets. The Commission is strengthening this competitive edge by\ndeveloping an ambitious marine research programme and making marine\ndata more accessible for innovation. The EU financial contribution\nto marine related-research and innovation has amounted to EUR\n1.4 billion through 644 projects over 2007-2010. Three joint\ncalls of FP7, under the Ocean of Tomorrow label, have supported\nmultidisciplinary marine and maritime projects for a total EU\ncontribution of EUR 134 million. This effort was complemented with\nthe launch of coordinated topics in 2012 in order to support the\nimplementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, for a\ntotal EU contribution of EUR 42 million.
\nBlue Growth: in\nSeptember 2012, the Commission adopted a Communication\non Blue Growth, opportunities for marine and maritime\nsustainable growth. The objective is to launch a joint initiative\nwith Member States, regions, and all relevant stakeholders to\nunlock the potential of the blue economy.
\n\n· \nThe Commission, in a 2010 study, identified as\ncommon bottlenecks the lack of appropriate skills, access to risk\ncapital, fragmented marine data, environmental challenges and\ndifficult planning processes.
\n\n· \nActions are underway in Member States to remedy\nthe skills shortage - for example, through encouraging clusters of\nindustry and education.
\n\n· \nIntegrated maritime policy initiatives are\naddressing the data and planning issues. However, certain sectors\nrequire a more targeted approach. Accordingly, five areas with\ngrowth potential - maritime and coastal tourism, ocean\nrenewable energy, marine mineral resources, aquaculture, and blue\nbiotechnology - have been analysed in more depth to suggest\nadditional measures needed to increase growth and jobs.
\nProtection of\nthe marine environment: the EU has the largest maritime\nterritory in the world. Ensuring the health of marine ecosystems is\nnecessary for the future of ocean biodiversity and to sustain\nmaritime growth.
\n\n· \nThe 2008 Marine\nStrategy Framework Directive is ţhe environment pillar of\nthe IMP. Its overarching aim is to achieve good environmental\nstatus (GES) for EU marine waters by 2020.
\n\n· \nAction must also be taken with respect to\nadaptation to and mitigation of climate change and addressing air\npollution from ships.
\nThe Commission is setting the best possible conditions\nfor sustainable economic development to come from the sea. Building\non those achievements, Blue Growth is the objective for the\ncoming years. During Cyprus’s Council Presidency, an\ninformal Ministerial Conference on IMP will be a major stepping\nstone towards this goal. Blue Growth will drive a second phase of\nthe Integrated Maritime Policy to achieve a healthy maritime\neconomy that delivers innovation, growth and sustainability for\nEuropean citizens.
\nPURPOSE: second progress report on the EU’s\nIntegrated Maritime Policy.
\nCONTENT: since its creation in 2007, the Integrated\nMaritime Policy (IMP) has sought to enhance the sustainable\ndevelopment of the European maritime economy and better protect the\nmarine environment by facilitating the cooperation of all maritime\nplayers across sectors and borders. The potential for growth in the\nmaritime economy is an opportunity that Europe, as a maritime\ncontinent, needs to seize.
\nSince 2009, the EU has launched key initiatives in all\npolicy areas related to the seas in\norder to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness. By avoiding\nduplication of spending and efforts, and encouraging the\nsustainable development of maritime activities, the IMP has brought\nconcrete benefits to the European economy and maritime sectors in\nMember States.
\nIn 2009, the Council and European Parliament welcomed\nthe first Progress Report on the IMP and asked the Commission to\npresent further developments in 2012. This second Report describes\nthe progress of the EU’s IMP and maritime sectoral policies\nbetween 2010 and 2012. It highlights their contribution to the\nobjectives of the Europe 2020 strategy by taking stock of concrete\nachievements that help create growth, enhance resource efficiency\nand save public money.
\nThe European Parliament adopted a resolution\non the IMP in October 2010, which confirmed the validity of the\nintegrated approach to maritime affairs and invited the Commission\nto develop a maritime dimension to the Europe 2020 Strategy. With\nthe Europe 2020 strategy, the EU is seeking to get the European\neconomy back on track to deliver employment, competitiveness and\nsocial cohesion.
\nAchievements: the report\npresents a coherent picture of achievements in all policy areas\nrelated to the seas. These include maritime transport,\nenergy, shipbuilding, and fisheries and aquaculture.
\nThe EU has launched key initiatives such as:\n(i) the White\nPaper for Transport; (ii) the Common Information Sharing\nEnvironment for the EU’s maritime domain to improve the\nefficiency and cost-effectiveness of maritime surveillance; (iii) a\nTask force on Maritime Employment and Competitiveness; (iv) three\njoint calls of FP7 Research Programme under the Ocean of Tomorrow\nto support multidisciplinary marine and maritime projects, a first\nversion of the European Marine Observation and Data Network to\nimprove access to data and reduce costs to users; (v) a Maritime\nStrategy for the Atlantic adopted in November 2011; (vi) the\nfurther implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive,\nthe environment pillar of the IMP to achieve better environmental\nstatus for EU marine waters by 2020 and initiatives to promote\nMaritime Spatial Planning.
\nCooperation across sectors: Europe is going through cuts in public spending, so\ndelivering maximum results with limited means is crucial.\nCooperation makes operations at sea more cost-efficient and\noptimise data usage. As new uses of the sea are being developed\ndaily, the Commission considers that it is crucial that Member\nStates put in place stable planning systems favouring long-term\ninvestment and cross-border coherence.
\nResearch: the European\nmaritime industry is characterised by innovation and high-quality\nmarkets. The Commission is strengthening this competitive edge by\ndeveloping an ambitious marine research programme and making marine\ndata more accessible for innovation. The EU financial contribution\nto marine related-research and innovation has amounted to EUR\n1.4 billion through 644 projects over 2007-2010. Three joint\ncalls of FP7, under the Ocean of Tomorrow label, have supported\nmultidisciplinary marine and maritime projects for a total EU\ncontribution of EUR 134 million. This effort was complemented with\nthe launch of coordinated topics in 2012 in order to support the\nimplementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, for a\ntotal EU contribution of EUR 42 million.
\nBlue Growth: in\nSeptember 2012, the Commission adopted a Communication\non Blue Growth, opportunities for marine and maritime\nsustainable growth. The objective is to launch a joint initiative\nwith Member States, regions, and all relevant stakeholders to\nunlock the potential of the blue economy.
\n\n· \nThe Commission, in a 2010 study, identified as\ncommon bottlenecks the lack of appropriate skills, access to risk\ncapital, fragmented marine data, environmental challenges and\ndifficult planning processes.
\n\n· \nActions are underway in Member States to remedy\nthe skills shortage - for example, through encouraging clusters of\nindustry and education.
\n\n· \nIntegrated maritime policy initiatives are\naddressing the data and planning issues. However, certain sectors\nrequire a more targeted approach. Accordingly, five areas with\ngrowth potential - maritime and coastal tourism, ocean\nrenewable energy, marine mineral resources, aquaculture, and blue\nbiotechnology - have been analysed in more depth to suggest\nadditional measures needed to increase growth and jobs.
\nProtection of\nthe marine environment: the EU has the largest maritime\nterritory in the world. Ensuring the health of marine ecosystems is\nnecessary for the future of ocean biodiversity and to sustain\nmaritime growth.
\n\n· \nThe 2008 Marine\nStrategy Framework Directive is ţhe environment pillar of\nthe IMP. Its overarching aim is to achieve good environmental\nstatus (GES) for EU marine waters by 2020.
\n\n· \nAction must also be taken with respect to\nadaptation to and mitigation of climate change and addressing air\npollution from ships.
\nThe Commission is setting the best possible conditions\nfor sustainable economic development to come from the sea. Building\non those achievements, Blue Growth is the objective for the\ncoming years. During Cyprus’s Council Presidency, an\ninformal Ministerial Conference on IMP will be a major stepping\nstone towards this goal. Blue Growth will drive a second phase of\nthe Integrated Maritime Policy to achieve a healthy maritime\neconomy that delivers innovation, growth and sustainability for\nEuropean citizens.
\nPURPOSE: second progress report on the EU’s\nIntegrated Maritime Policy.
\nCONTENT: since its creation in 2007, the Integrated\nMaritime Policy (IMP) has sought to enhance the sustainable\ndevelopment of the European maritime economy and better protect the\nmarine environment by facilitating the cooperation of all maritime\nplayers across sectors and borders. The potential for growth in the\nmaritime economy is an opportunity that Europe, as a maritime\ncontinent, needs to seize.
\nSince 2009, the EU has launched key initiatives in all\npolicy areas related to the seas in\norder to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness. By avoiding\nduplication of spending and efforts, and encouraging the\nsustainable development of maritime activities, the IMP has brought\nconcrete benefits to the European economy and maritime sectors in\nMember States.
\nIn 2009, the Council and European Parliament welcomed\nthe first Progress Report on the IMP and asked the Commission to\npresent further developments in 2012. This second Report describes\nthe progress of the EU’s IMP and maritime sectoral policies\nbetween 2010 and 2012. It highlights their contribution to the\nobjectives of the Europe 2020 strategy by taking stock of concrete\nachievements that help create growth, enhance resource efficiency\nand save public money.
\nThe European Parliament adopted a resolution\non the IMP in October 2010, which confirmed the validity of the\nintegrated approach to maritime affairs and invited the Commission\nto develop a maritime dimension to the Europe 2020 Strategy. With\nthe Europe 2020 strategy, the EU is seeking to get the European\neconomy back on track to deliver employment, competitiveness and\nsocial cohesion.
\nAchievements: the report\npresents a coherent picture of achievements in all policy areas\nrelated to the seas. These include maritime transport,\nenergy, shipbuilding, and fisheries and aquaculture.
\nThe EU has launched key initiatives such as:\n(i) the White\nPaper for Transport; (ii) the Common Information Sharing\nEnvironment for the EU’s maritime domain to improve the\nefficiency and cost-effectiveness of maritime surveillance; (iii) a\nTask force on Maritime Employment and Competitiveness; (iv) three\njoint calls of FP7 Research Programme under the Ocean of Tomorrow\nto support multidisciplinary marine and maritime projects, a first\nversion of the European Marine Observation and Data Network to\nimprove access to data and reduce costs to users; (v) a Maritime\nStrategy for the Atlantic adopted in November 2011; (vi) the\nfurther implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive,\nthe environment pillar of the IMP to achieve better environmental\nstatus for EU marine waters by 2020 and initiatives to promote\nMaritime Spatial Planning.
\nCooperation across sectors: Europe is going through cuts in public spending, so\ndelivering maximum results with limited means is crucial.\nCooperation makes operations at sea more cost-efficient and\noptimise data usage. As new uses of the sea are being developed\ndaily, the Commission considers that it is crucial that Member\nStates put in place stable planning systems favouring long-term\ninvestment and cross-border coherence.
\nResearch: the European\nmaritime industry is characterised by innovation and high-quality\nmarkets. The Commission is strengthening this competitive edge by\ndeveloping an ambitious marine research programme and making marine\ndata more accessible for innovation. The EU financial contribution\nto marine related-research and innovation has amounted to EUR\n1.4 billion through 644 projects over 2007-2010. Three joint\ncalls of FP7, under the Ocean of Tomorrow label, have supported\nmultidisciplinary marine and maritime projects for a total EU\ncontribution of EUR 134 million. This effort was complemented with\nthe launch of coordinated topics in 2012 in order to support the\nimplementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, for a\ntotal EU contribution of EUR 42 million.
\nBlue Growth: in\nSeptember 2012, the Commission adopted a Communication\non Blue Growth, opportunities for marine and maritime\nsustainable growth. The objective is to launch a joint initiative\nwith Member States, regions, and all relevant stakeholders to\nunlock the potential of the blue economy.
\n\n· \nThe Commission, in a 2010 study, identified as\ncommon bottlenecks the lack of appropriate skills, access to risk\ncapital, fragmented marine data, environmental challenges and\ndifficult planning processes.
\n\n· \nActions are underway in Member States to remedy\nthe skills shortage - for example, through encouraging clusters of\nindustry and education.
\n\n· \nIntegrated maritime policy initiatives are\naddressing the data and planning issues. However, certain sectors\nrequire a more targeted approach. Accordingly, five areas with\ngrowth potential - maritime and coastal tourism, ocean\nrenewable energy, marine mineral resources, aquaculture, and blue\nbiotechnology - have been analysed in more depth to suggest\nadditional measures needed to increase growth and jobs.
\nProtection of\nthe marine environment: the EU has the largest maritime\nterritory in the world. Ensuring the health of marine ecosystems is\nnecessary for the future of ocean biodiversity and to sustain\nmaritime growth.
\n\n· \nThe 2008 Marine\nStrategy Framework Directive is ţhe environment pillar of\nthe IMP. Its overarching aim is to achieve good environmental\nstatus (GES) for EU marine waters by 2020.
\n\n· \nAction must also be taken with respect to\nadaptation to and mitigation of climate change and addressing air\npollution from ships.
\nThe Commission is setting the best possible conditions\nfor sustainable economic development to come from the sea. Building\non those achievements, Blue Growth is the objective for the\ncoming years. During Cyprus’s Council Presidency, an\ninformal Ministerial Conference on IMP will be a major stepping\nstone towards this goal. Blue Growth will drive a second phase of\nthe Integrated Maritime Policy to achieve a healthy maritime\neconomy that delivers innovation, growth and sustainability for\nEuropean citizens.
\nThe Commission presents its second report describing\nthe progress of the EU’s Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) and\nmaritime sectoral policies between 2010 and 2012. It highlights the\ncontribution of these policies to the objectives of the Europe 2020\nstrategy by taking stock of concrete achievements that help create\ngrowth, enhance resource efficiency and save public\nmoney.
\nThe report notes that the IMP was created to reaffirm\nthe maritime dimension of the EU. The IMP has grown from this\nvision into a tool delivering concrete benefits for maritime growth\nand sustainability in Europe. The report presents a picture of\nachievements in all policy areas related to the seas. It examines\nactions taken under the following policy areas: transport,\nresearch, environment, tourism, shipbuilding, climate change\nadaption, and regional policies. Among the initiatives launched are\nthe following:
\n\n· \nthe White\nPaper for Transport, which further specifies the orientations\nof the Maritime Transport Strategy until 2018: the ability to\nprovide cost-efficient maritime transport services; the long-term\ncompetitiveness of the EU shipping sector; and the creation of\nseamless transport chains for passengers and cargo across transport\nmodes;
\n\n· \nthe Common Information Sharing Environment for\nthe EU’s maritime domain to improve the efficiency and\ncost-effectiveness of maritime surveillance;
\n\n· \na Task force on Maritime Employment and\nCompetitiveness;
\n\n· \nthree joint calls of FP7 Research Programme\nunder the Ocean of Tomorrow to support multidisciplinary marine and\nmaritime projects, a first version of the European Marine\nObservation and Data Network to improve access to data and reduce\ncosts to users;
\n\n· \na Maritime\nStrategy for the Atlantic adopted in November 2011;
\n\n· \na Decision to implement the Marine Strategy\nFramework Directive, laying down criteria and methodological\nstandards for the assessment of Good Environmental\nStatus.
\nThe contribution of the maritime economy to growth and\nemployment
\nBlue Growth: the\nCommission adopted a Communication\non Blue Growth, opportunities for marine and maritime\nsustainable growth. The objective is to launch a joint initiative\nwith Member States, regions, and all relevant stakeholders to\nunlock the potential of the blue economy. A study launched by the\nCommission in 2010 has identified as common bottlenecks the\nlack of appropriate skills, access to risk capital, fragmented\nmarine data, environmental challenges and difficult planning\nprocesses. Actions are underway in Member States to remedy the\nskills shortage — for example through encouraging clusters of\nindustry and education. Integrated maritime policy initiatives are\naddressing the data and planning issues. However, certain sectors\nrequire a more targeted approach. Accordingly, five areas with\ngrowth potential —maritime and coastal tourism, ocean\nrenewable energy, marine mineral resources, aquaculture, and blue\nbiotechnology — have been analysed in more depth to suggest\nadditional measures needed to increase growth and jobs.
\nEnergy: offshore wind\nenergy contributes to reach a 20% share of energy from renewable\nsources by 2020. In 2011, the Commission proposed guidelines to lay\ndown rules for the development and interoperability of\ntrans-European energy networks. Priority corridors were identified,\nincluding the North Sea Offshore Grid and the Baltic Energy Market\nInterconnection Plan.
\nShipbuilding: a new\nFramework on State Aid to Shipbuilding was adopted in December 2011\ncontaining specific provisions in relation to innovation aid and\nregional aid for shipbuilding, as well as provisions on exports\ncredits. Its extended scope now applies to inland waterway vessels\nand floating and moving offshore structures.
\nFisheries and aquaculture: in July 2011, the Commission adopted a package of\ninitiatives, including new legislative proposals, to reform the\nCommon Fisheries Policy. The transition will be accompanied by a\nEuropean Maritime and Fisheries Fund to improve sustainability, the\nperformance of small-scale coastal fisheries, promote aquaculture,\nsupport job creation in maritime communities and deliver\ncost-efficiency in maritime affairs.
\nThe report shows that the strong contribution of\nmaritime sectors to Europe’s economy and the objectives of the\nEurope 2020 strategy are reinforced by coordinated action to\nlower costs, improve resource efficiency, reduce risks, support\ninnovation and make better use of public money. By facilitating the\ncooperation of all maritime players across sectors and borders, and\nby avoiding duplication of spending and efforts, the IMP has\nenhanced the sustainable development of the European maritime\neconomy, while contributing to a better protection of the marine\nenvironment.
\nThe Commission considers it is setting the best\npossible conditions for sustainable economic development to come\nfrom the sea. Building on those achievements, Blue Growth is the\nobjective for the coming years. During Cyprus’s Council\nPresidency, an informal Ministerial Conference on IMP will be a\nmajor stepping-stone towards this goal. Blue Growth will drive a\nsecond phase of the Integrated Maritime Policy to achieve a healthy\nmaritime economy that delivers innovation, growth and\nsustainability for European citizens.
\nThe Commission presents a Communication on the\napplication of national road infrastructure charges levied on light\nprivate vehicles.
\nIt begins by noting that the White\nPaper on Transport (Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area\n– Towards a competitive and resource-efficient transport\nsystem) outlines the Commission's intention to propose mandatory\nmeasures to achieve the internalisation of the main external costs\nof transport covering noise, local pollution and congestion in 2020\nhorizon. While there are EU secondary rules concerning road charges\nlevied on heavy goods vehicles (see the\n\"Eurovignette\" Directive), the only rules concerning the\ncharging of light private vehicles stem directly from the Treaty on\nthe Functioning of the
\nEuropean Union. As a part of the broader strategy on\nroad charging outlined in the White Paper, the Communication aims\nto clarify the Commission's understanding of how the general\nprinciples of non-discrimination and proportionality of the Treaty\nare to be applied to a vignette system for light private\nvehicles. It also provides guidance on the application of such\nvignette system. The Commission underlines that the\nCommunication does not create new legislative rules.
\nThe current situation:\nuntil now, seven EU Member States have taken the advantage of the\nfreedom to put in place a vignette system for light private\nvehicles. These are Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary,\nSlovakia, Slovenia and Romania. Other Member States (e.g. Belgium)\nare planning to implement such systems.
\nThe current levies applied on light private vehicles\nreflect a wide variety of approaches between Member States.\nSome countries rely on a mix of different taxation instruments\n(fuel and vehicle taxes). In others, the mix of instruments is more\ndiverse and includes road user charges to recover infrastructure\ncosts from motorists using motorways. User charges take the form of\ntime-based charges (vignettes) often levied on the full primary\nnetwork, or distance-based charges (tolls) levied on individual\nroad sections frequently equipped by toll barriers. National\nvignettes are paid by light private vehicles in return for the\nright to use the main road network for a certain period.
\nNevertheless, the numerous complaints that the\nCommission keeps receiving show that the implementation of vignette\nsystems for light private vehicles, if not designed carefully, may\nraise practical problems, including: (i) hindrance to the free flow\nof traffic, especially in cross-border regions, (ii) inadequate\nenforcement practices, (iii) risks of potential discrimination of\noccasional users, mainly motorists coming from other Member States,\nwho may not be offered shorter-term vignettes or may be offered\nshorter-term vignettes at an equivalent daily rate\nsubstantially higher than the rate applied to annual vignettes\nwhich are mainly used by resident users. This may be seen as\ndisproportionate.
\nThe application of the vignette systems varies between\nMember States and these variations may give rise to potential\nshortcomings. On the other hand, tolling systems for light\nprivate vehicles do not entail the same problems as vignette\nsystems, as tolls are distance-based charges, directly linked\nto the use of infrastructure and therefore less likely to be\ndiscriminatory. Moreover, electronic tolling systems allow for the\nfree-flow of traffic, without users having to stop at toll\nbarriers.
\nApplicable provisions of the TFEU: the Commission looks at the Treaty provisions that\napply in this field, these being non-discrimination on\ngrounds of nationality, and proportionality. It notes that any\nvignette system applied by a Member State would operate to the\ndetriment of nationals of the other Member States, if it penalised\nnon-resident drivers who use its road network only on an occasional\nbasis, by failing to provide a charge for short-term usage or\ntransit of the road infrastructure.
\nA national measure that is equally applicable to\nnationals or residents and non-nationals or
\nnon-residents may also constitute a discriminatory\nmeasure (indirect discrimination). Such discrimination might\nnevertheless be justified by an overriding reason of general\ninterest e.g. the improvement of traffic flows and/or reduction of\nenvironmental costs/damage. However, it has to be emphasised that\nsuch measures should constitute a proportionate means of achieving\nthe objectives of general interest, meaning in particular that the\nobjective pursued by the measure cannot be achieved by other\nmeasures that are less onerous.
\nGuidance: on the basis\nof the received complaints and analytical studies, the Commission\nproposes guidance on the following points: (a) the availability of\nproportionately-priced vignettes; (b) proper access to information;\n(c) the collection of fees and their payment; (d) an appropriate\nenforcement practice.
\nThese rules should be non-discriminatory and\nproportionate to the infringements committed, and enable citizens\nto effectively implement their procedural rights. In particular,\nenforcement practices which could give rise to indirect\ndiscrimination against non-resident occasional users must be\navoided.
\nAccordingly, the Commission advises that in order to\nprovide for a non-discriminatory vignette system for light private\nvehicles, Member States must establish vignette systems that\noffer, in addition to annual and monthly vignettes, a weekly (or\nshorter period) vignette.
\nFurthermore, it would be advisable that:
\n\n· \nshort-term and long-term vignettes are\nprovided at a proportionate price;
\n\n· \nnon-resident occasional users have proper\naccess to information concerning vehicles subject to charging,\nroad infrastructure subject to charging, types of vignettes, their\nvalidity and the rates, sales points and penalties\napplied;
\n\n· \nnon-resident occasional road users are provided\nwith a wide range of options to pay for a\nvignette;
\n\n· \nenforcement is focussed on locations where the likeliness of non-compliance\nwith rules is relatively high and not mainly at border locations on\nnon-residents who are often first time offenders, so that both\nresidents and non-residents are treated equally;
\n\n· \npenalties are proportionate to other traffic offenses and reasonably reflect the\nsanction element.
\nAs vignette systems mainly implement the \"user-pays\"\nprinciple, the Commission advocates a transparent use of their\nrevenue which would ideally be applied only on roads for which\na proper maintenance programme exists, in order to offer users a\nminimum level of service in return of their payment. The Commission\ninvites Member States which have a vignette system for light\nprivate vehicles, or intend to introduce such a system, to assess\ntheir systems in the light of the Communication. In the light of\nthe experience, the Commission may consider an initiative to\nfurther clarify the rules applicable to road charges applied to\nlight private vehicles.
\nPURPOSE: Commission Communication on the\nImplementation of the European Electronic Toll Service\n(EETS).
\nCONTENT: in accordance with Commission Decision\n2009/750/EC defining the European Electronic Toll Service, the\nCommission presents this Communication on the state of advancement\nof EETS deployment. After putting the EETS in the broader context\nof European transport policy, the communication presents the\nprogress achieved in its implementation and gives the\nCommission’s assessment of the next steps to be taken for\nmaking the EETS operational.
\nThe Commission recalls that in its 2011\nWhite Paper “Roadmap to a Single European Transport\nArea”, it outlined possible measures to accelerate the\ndevelopment and the harmonisation of road use charging. It stressed\nthat the European Electronic Toll Service can be instrumental in\nthe promotion of road charging strategies that contribute to a\nsustainable transport system and in facilitating road charging\nacceptance by users.
\nSimilarly on the occasion of the recent amendment of\nthe “Eurovignette”\nDirective on the charging of heavy goods vehicles, the European\nParliament and the Council asked the Commission to monitor progress\nmade to implement within the agreed dates a genuine European\nElectronic Toll Service and to promote cooperation between Member\nStates that may prove necessary to ensure the interoperability of\nelectronic toll collection systems at European level.
\nThe Commission notes that European industry is at\npresent a global front-runner in road charging and tolling\nequipment. European companies keep winning tolling contracts\nover the world. EETS can facilitate the introduction and roll-out\non a global scale of new products such as interoperable on-board\nunits, combining the digital tachograph and tolling with other\nintelligent transport systems applications. This in turn may give\nrise to completely new services and applications, again with a\npotentially global market, which will contribute to the creation of\ngrowth and jobs in the European economy.
\nProgress achieved in deployment: the progress achieved in the advancement of EETS\ndeployment is disappointing. Despite the adoption of\nDecision 2009/750/EC which sets out the necessary technical\nspecifications and requirements as well as contractual rules\nrelating to EETS provision, the efforts of the Commission, and the\nmaturity of tolling technologies, the European Electronic Toll\nService is not yet a reality in everyday life of road users.\nNot all Member States and stakeholders have demonstrated the full\ncommitment necessary to finalise the regulatory and operational\ncontext of the service at their level.
\nNext steps: in order to\nfacilitate the timely introduction of EETS by Member States and the\nindustry and to promote the necessary cooperation as requested by\nthe European Parliament and the Council, the following actions are\nnecessary:
\n1. Accelerate a uniform implementation of the\ndecision:
\n\n· \nthe Commission and Member States will\nintensify the works of the Toll Committee set up by Directive\n2004/52/EC. Member States should fulfil as a matter of urgency\ntheir obligations provided for by Decision 2009/750/EC regarding in\nparticular the designation of their national Conciliation\nBody. The Commission will launch infringement procedures where\nappropriate;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will monitor the implementation\nof EETS by Member States in the light of its Guidance Note on the\ninterpretation of concepts referred to in Annex I of Decision\n2009/750/EC. Member States and national conciliation bodies should\nuse the note in their contacts with Toll Chargers and potential\nEETS providers. The latter should also use it in their contractual\nnegotiations. Furthermore the Commission will create a European\nnetwork of national Conciliation Bodies which would contribute\nto securing an EU-wide level playing field for the EETS\nprofessional stakeholders;
\n\n· \nMember States shall see to it that\ncontractual clauses automatically ending the contract if an\nEETS Provider does not reach full European coverage within 24\nmonths are not allowed. Such clauses go against the intended useful\neffect of Decision 2009/750/EC. If such a practice is kept, the\nCommission will launch infringement proceedings;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will take an initiative using the\nstructure established by the current EETS legislation to develop\na uniform set of protocols for “suitability for use”\ntests, including on the security aspects, in order to limit the\ndiscrepancy of these protocols between toll Chargers, which would\nin turn contribute to reducing the costs charged to EETS\nProviders;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will set-up with the stakeholders\na comprehensive information sharing resource platform,\nproviding up-to-date information on EETS through a single\npoint of access on the Internet. This platform will also contribute\nto the exchange of best practice and dissemination of up-to-date\ninformation on EETS among professional stakeholders.
\n2. Adoption of a stepwise approach:
\n\n· \nas a first step towards full European\ninteroperability, Member States with significant volume of traffic\non the trans-European network should encourage the cross-border\ninteroperability of their electronic road toll systems. These early\ndeployment project(s), on a regional basis, will be promoted in a\nway so that they can be extended to cover all the electronically\ntolled road infrastructures in the EU as soon as possible at a\nlater stage and can provide concrete experiences in solving\npractical EETS issues.
\n\n· \nattention should be paid to the involvement of a\nsufficiently wide set of Toll Chargers and Member States to ensure\nthese projects are scalable to the entire Union. The knowledge\ngained in implementing these regional projects fully complying with\nthe single contract/single on-board unit principle should be shared\neffectively across all the stakeholders. The Commission is willing\nto provide technical assistance to such regional initiatives\nand is ready to examine the provision of possible financial\nsupport to large scale regional projects in the context of the\nTEN-T programme.
\n3. Closely monitor development and take new\ninitiatives:
\n\n· \nMember States when starting new projects or\nrenewing concessions should systematically check and ensure\ncompliance with EETS requirements. When adopting its opinion on new\ntolling arrangements which are notified in the framework of the\nEurovignette Directive, the Commission will issue a negative\nopinion if they do not include a fully EETS compatible\nsystem.
\n\n· \nIf disputes between toll chargers and EETS\nProviders cannot be solved by the Conciliation Body, the Commission\nwill examine the points of contention and whether the arrangements\nbetween toll chargers and their existing local/national service\nproviders are discriminatory in comparison with those proposed to\nEETS providers.
\nLastly, it can be noted that the White Paper on\ntransport has indicated that if, despite all these efforts, its\nassessment shows that no substantial progress has been achieved by\nmid-2013, with no availability of an interoperable electronic toll\nservice on a substantial scale, the Commission reserves its\nright to present a new initiative to the European Parliament\nand the Council.
\nIn accordance with the requirements of Decision\n2009/750/EC, the Commission presents a report on the state of\nadvancement of European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) deployment.\nAfter putting the EETS in the broader context of European transport\npolicy, the report presents the progress achieved and gives the\nCommission’s assessment of the next steps to be taken for\nmaking the EETS operational. European industry is at present a\nglobal front-runner in road charging and tolling equipment. EETS\ncan facilitate the introduction and roll-out on a global scale of\nnew products such as interoperable on-board units, combining the\ndigital tachograph and tolling with other intelligent transport\nsystems applications. This in turn may give rise to completely new\nservices and applications, again with a potentially global market,\nwhich will contribute to the creation of growth and jobs in the\nEuropean economy.
\nTo recall, Decision 2009/750/EC establishes the\nessential requirements of this service valid over the entire EU and\nsets the mandatory standards, technical specifications and\noperational rules. In its 2011\nWhite Paper “Roadmap to a Single European Transport\nArea” the Commission stressed that the EETS can be\ninstrumental in the promotion of road charging strategies that\ncontribute to a sustainable transport system and in facilitating\nroad charging acceptance by users. Similarly on the occasion of the\nrecent amendment of Directive 1999/62/EC (Eurovignette Directive),\nthe European Parliament and the Council have asked the Commission\nto monitor progress made to implement within the agreed dates a\ngenuine European Electronic Toll Service and to promote cooperation\nbetween Member States that may prove necessary to ensure the\ninteroperability of electronic toll collection systems at European\nlevel.
\nThe report states that progress achieved in the\nadvancement of EETS deployment is disappointing. Despite the\nefforts of the Commission and the maturity of tolling technologies,\nthe EETS is not yet a reality in everyday life of road users. This\nfailure to implement EETS and to do it in the timescale provided is\nnot due to technical reasons. It is not more complicated\ntechnically to implement pan-European interoperability of\nelectronic road toll systems than pan-European roaming of mobile\nphones or worldwide interoperability of credit cards. The report\nexamines a number of possible explanations for the\ndelays:
\n\n· \nEETS implementation is still hampered by a\nlack of cooperation between different stakeholders groups,\nand eforts by Member States have been limited to the level of\nseparate national interoperability, which is now implemented in\nmost countries with electronic tolling systems;
\n\n· \nmost Member States still have to complete the\nnational framework so that potential EETS providers know how to\nregister in practice;
\n\n· \nsome Toll Chargers are proposing a\ncontractual clause which automatically ends the contract if\nthe EETS provider has not reached full European coverage within 24\nmonths. Such a clause sets a considerable business risk and\ndiscourages potential EETS providers.
\nNext steps: in order to\nfacilitate the timely introduction of EETS by Member States and\nindustry and to promote the necessary cooperation as requested by\nthe European Parliament and the Council, certain actions are\nnecessary.
\nAccelerate a uniform implementation of the\ndecision:
\n\n· \nintensify the work of the Toll Committee set up\nby Directive 2004/52/EC. Member States should fulfil their\nobligations in Decision 2009/750/EC regarding the designation of\ntheir national Conciliation Body. The Commission will launch\ninfringement procedures where appropriate;
\n\n· \nMembers States shall see to it that contractual\nclauses automatically ending the contract if an EETS Provider does\nnot reach full European coverage within 24 months are not\nallowed. If this practice is kept, the Commission will launch\ninfringement proceedings;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will develop a uniform set of\nprotocols for “suitability for use” tests, including\non the security aspects, in order to limit the discrepancy of these\nprotocols between toll chargers, which would in turn contribute to\nreducing the costs charged to EETS providers;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will set-up a comprehensive\ninformation sharing resource platform.
\nA\nstepwise approach
\n\n· \nas a first step towards full European\ninteroperability, Member States with significant volume of traffic\non the trans-European network should encourage the cross-border\ninteroperability of their electronic road toll systems;
\n\n· \nattention should be paid to the involvement of a\nsufficiently wide set of toll chargers and Member States to\nensure these projects may be applied across the entire Union.\nThe knowledge gained in implementing these regional projects fully\ncomplying with the single contract/single on-board unit principle\nshould be shared effectively across all the\nstakeholders;
\n\n· \nthe Commission is willing to provide a\ntechnical assistance to such regional initiatives and is ready\nto examine the provision of possible financial support to large\nscale regional projects in the context of the TEN-T\nprogramme;
\nClosely monitor development and take new\ninitiatives:
\n\n· \nMember States when starting new projects or\nrenewing concessions should systematically check and ensure\ncompliance with EETS requirements. When adopting its opinion on new\ntolling arrangements which are notified in the framework of Article\n7h of Directive 1999/62/EC (Eurovignette), the Commission will\nissue a negative opinion if they do not include a fully EETS\ncompatible system;
\n\n· \nif disputes between toll chargers and EETS\nproviders cannot be solved by the Conciliation Body, the Commission\nwill examine the points of contention and whether the arrangements\nbetween toll chargers and their existing local/national service\nproviders are discriminatory in comparison with those proposed to\nEETS providers;
\n\n· \nthe Commission reserves its right to present a\nnew initiative to the European Parliament and the Council. It\nreaffirms its commitment to take all the necessary measures to\nfacilitate the establishment of full technical and operational\ninteroperability of European electronic road tolling\nsystems.
\nPURPOSE: Commission Communication on the\nImplementation of the European Electronic Toll Service\n(EETS).
\nCONTENT: in accordance with Commission Decision\n2009/750/EC defining the European Electronic Toll Service, the\nCommission presents this Communication on the state of advancement\nof EETS deployment. After putting the EETS in the broader context\nof European transport policy, the communication presents the\nprogress achieved in its implementation and gives the\nCommission’s assessment of the next steps to be taken for\nmaking the EETS operational.
\nThe Commission recalls that in its 2011\nWhite Paper “Roadmap to a Single European Transport\nArea”, it outlined possible measures to accelerate the\ndevelopment and the harmonisation of road use charging. It stressed\nthat the European Electronic Toll Service can be instrumental in\nthe promotion of road charging strategies that contribute to a\nsustainable transport system and in facilitating road charging\nacceptance by users.
\nSimilarly on the occasion of the recent amendment of\nthe “Eurovignette”\nDirective on the charging of heavy goods vehicles, the European\nParliament and the Council asked the Commission to monitor progress\nmade to implement within the agreed dates a genuine European\nElectronic Toll Service and to promote cooperation between Member\nStates that may prove necessary to ensure the interoperability of\nelectronic toll collection systems at European level.
\nThe Commission notes that European industry is at\npresent a global front-runner in road charging and tolling\nequipment. European companies keep winning tolling contracts\nover the world. EETS can facilitate the introduction and roll-out\non a global scale of new products such as interoperable on-board\nunits, combining the digital tachograph and tolling with other\nintelligent transport systems applications. This in turn may give\nrise to completely new services and applications, again with a\npotentially global market, which will contribute to the creation of\ngrowth and jobs in the European economy.
\nProgress achieved in deployment: the progress achieved in the advancement of EETS\ndeployment is disappointing. Despite the adoption of\nDecision 2009/750/EC which sets out the necessary technical\nspecifications and requirements as well as contractual rules\nrelating to EETS provision, the efforts of the Commission, and the\nmaturity of tolling technologies, the European Electronic Toll\nService is not yet a reality in everyday life of road users.\nNot all Member States and stakeholders have demonstrated the full\ncommitment necessary to finalise the regulatory and operational\ncontext of the service at their level.
\nNext steps: in order to\nfacilitate the timely introduction of EETS by Member States and the\nindustry and to promote the necessary cooperation as requested by\nthe European Parliament and the Council, the following actions are\nnecessary:
\n1. Accelerate a uniform implementation of the\ndecision:
\n\n· \nthe Commission and Member States will\nintensify the works of the Toll Committee set up by Directive\n2004/52/EC. Member States should fulfil as a matter of urgency\ntheir obligations provided for by Decision 2009/750/EC regarding in\nparticular the designation of their national Conciliation\nBody. The Commission will launch infringement procedures where\nappropriate;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will monitor the implementation\nof EETS by Member States in the light of its Guidance Note on the\ninterpretation of concepts referred to in Annex I of Decision\n2009/750/EC. Member States and national conciliation bodies should\nuse the note in their contacts with Toll Chargers and potential\nEETS providers. The latter should also use it in their contractual\nnegotiations. Furthermore the Commission will create a European\nnetwork of national Conciliation Bodies which would contribute\nto securing an EU-wide level playing field for the EETS\nprofessional stakeholders;
\n\n· \nMember States shall see to it that\ncontractual clauses automatically ending the contract if an\nEETS Provider does not reach full European coverage within 24\nmonths are not allowed. Such clauses go against the intended useful\neffect of Decision 2009/750/EC. If such a practice is kept, the\nCommission will launch infringement proceedings;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will take an initiative using the\nstructure established by the current EETS legislation to develop\na uniform set of protocols for “suitability for use”\ntests, including on the security aspects, in order to limit the\ndiscrepancy of these protocols between toll Chargers, which would\nin turn contribute to reducing the costs charged to EETS\nProviders;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will set-up with the stakeholders\na comprehensive information sharing resource platform,\nproviding up-to-date information on EETS through a single\npoint of access on the Internet. This platform will also contribute\nto the exchange of best practice and dissemination of up-to-date\ninformation on EETS among professional stakeholders.
\n2. Adoption of a stepwise approach:
\n\n· \nas a first step towards full European\ninteroperability, Member States with significant volume of traffic\non the trans-European network should encourage the cross-border\ninteroperability of their electronic road toll systems. These early\ndeployment project(s), on a regional basis, will be promoted in a\nway so that they can be extended to cover all the electronically\ntolled road infrastructures in the EU as soon as possible at a\nlater stage and can provide concrete experiences in solving\npractical EETS issues.
\n\n· \nattention should be paid to the involvement of a\nsufficiently wide set of Toll Chargers and Member States to ensure\nthese projects are scalable to the entire Union. The knowledge\ngained in implementing these regional projects fully complying with\nthe single contract/single on-board unit principle should be shared\neffectively across all the stakeholders. The Commission is willing\nto provide technical assistance to such regional initiatives\nand is ready to examine the provision of possible financial\nsupport to large scale regional projects in the context of the\nTEN-T programme.
\n3. Closely monitor development and take new\ninitiatives:
\n\n· \nMember States when starting new projects or\nrenewing concessions should systematically check and ensure\ncompliance with EETS requirements. When adopting its opinion on new\ntolling arrangements which are notified in the framework of the\nEurovignette Directive, the Commission will issue a negative\nopinion if they do not include a fully EETS compatible\nsystem.
\n\n· \nIf disputes between toll chargers and EETS\nProviders cannot be solved by the Conciliation Body, the Commission\nwill examine the points of contention and whether the arrangements\nbetween toll chargers and their existing local/national service\nproviders are discriminatory in comparison with those proposed to\nEETS providers.
\nLastly, it can be noted that the White Paper on\ntransport has indicated that if, despite all these efforts, its\nassessment shows that no substantial progress has been achieved by\nmid-2013, with no availability of an interoperable electronic toll\nservice on a substantial scale, the Commission reserves its\nright to present a new initiative to the European Parliament\nand the Council.
\nPURPOSE: Commission Communication on the\nImplementation of the European Electronic Toll Service\n(EETS).
\nCONTENT: in accordance with Commission Decision\n2009/750/EC defining the European Electronic Toll Service, the\nCommission presents this Communication on the state of advancement\nof EETS deployment. After putting the EETS in the broader context\nof European transport policy, the communication presents the\nprogress achieved in its implementation and gives the\nCommission’s assessment of the next steps to be taken for\nmaking the EETS operational.
\nThe Commission recalls that in its 2011\nWhite Paper “Roadmap to a Single European Transport\nArea”, it outlined possible measures to accelerate the\ndevelopment and the harmonisation of road use charging. It stressed\nthat the European Electronic Toll Service can be instrumental in\nthe promotion of road charging strategies that contribute to a\nsustainable transport system and in facilitating road charging\nacceptance by users.
\nSimilarly on the occasion of the recent amendment of\nthe “Eurovignette”\nDirective on the charging of heavy goods vehicles, the European\nParliament and the Council asked the Commission to monitor progress\nmade to implement within the agreed dates a genuine European\nElectronic Toll Service and to promote cooperation between Member\nStates that may prove necessary to ensure the interoperability of\nelectronic toll collection systems at European level.
\nThe Commission notes that European industry is at\npresent a global front-runner in road charging and tolling\nequipment. European companies keep winning tolling contracts\nover the world. EETS can facilitate the introduction and roll-out\non a global scale of new products such as interoperable on-board\nunits, combining the digital tachograph and tolling with other\nintelligent transport systems applications. This in turn may give\nrise to completely new services and applications, again with a\npotentially global market, which will contribute to the creation of\ngrowth and jobs in the European economy.
\nProgress achieved in deployment: the progress achieved in the advancement of EETS\ndeployment is disappointing. Despite the adoption of\nDecision 2009/750/EC which sets out the necessary technical\nspecifications and requirements as well as contractual rules\nrelating to EETS provision, the efforts of the Commission, and the\nmaturity of tolling technologies, the European Electronic Toll\nService is not yet a reality in everyday life of road users.\nNot all Member States and stakeholders have demonstrated the full\ncommitment necessary to finalise the regulatory and operational\ncontext of the service at their level.
\nNext steps: in order to\nfacilitate the timely introduction of EETS by Member States and the\nindustry and to promote the necessary cooperation as requested by\nthe European Parliament and the Council, the following actions are\nnecessary:
\n1. Accelerate a uniform implementation of the\ndecision:
\n\n· \nthe Commission and Member States will\nintensify the works of the Toll Committee set up by Directive\n2004/52/EC. Member States should fulfil as a matter of urgency\ntheir obligations provided for by Decision 2009/750/EC regarding in\nparticular the designation of their national Conciliation\nBody. The Commission will launch infringement procedures where\nappropriate;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will monitor the implementation\nof EETS by Member States in the light of its Guidance Note on the\ninterpretation of concepts referred to in Annex I of Decision\n2009/750/EC. Member States and national conciliation bodies should\nuse the note in their contacts with Toll Chargers and potential\nEETS providers. The latter should also use it in their contractual\nnegotiations. Furthermore the Commission will create a European\nnetwork of national Conciliation Bodies which would contribute\nto securing an EU-wide level playing field for the EETS\nprofessional stakeholders;
\n\n· \nMember States shall see to it that\ncontractual clauses automatically ending the contract if an\nEETS Provider does not reach full European coverage within 24\nmonths are not allowed. Such clauses go against the intended useful\neffect of Decision 2009/750/EC. If such a practice is kept, the\nCommission will launch infringement proceedings;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will take an initiative using the\nstructure established by the current EETS legislation to develop\na uniform set of protocols for “suitability for use”\ntests, including on the security aspects, in order to limit the\ndiscrepancy of these protocols between toll Chargers, which would\nin turn contribute to reducing the costs charged to EETS\nProviders;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will set-up with the stakeholders\na comprehensive information sharing resource platform,\nproviding up-to-date information on EETS through a single\npoint of access on the Internet. This platform will also contribute\nto the exchange of best practice and dissemination of up-to-date\ninformation on EETS among professional stakeholders.
\n2. Adoption of a stepwise approach:
\n\n· \nas a first step towards full European\ninteroperability, Member States with significant volume of traffic\non the trans-European network should encourage the cross-border\ninteroperability of their electronic road toll systems. These early\ndeployment project(s), on a regional basis, will be promoted in a\nway so that they can be extended to cover all the electronically\ntolled road infrastructures in the EU as soon as possible at a\nlater stage and can provide concrete experiences in solving\npractical EETS issues.
\n\n· \nattention should be paid to the involvement of a\nsufficiently wide set of Toll Chargers and Member States to ensure\nthese projects are scalable to the entire Union. The knowledge\ngained in implementing these regional projects fully complying with\nthe single contract/single on-board unit principle should be shared\neffectively across all the stakeholders. The Commission is willing\nto provide technical assistance to such regional initiatives\nand is ready to examine the provision of possible financial\nsupport to large scale regional projects in the context of the\nTEN-T programme.
\n3. Closely monitor development and take new\ninitiatives:
\n\n· \nMember States when starting new projects or\nrenewing concessions should systematically check and ensure\ncompliance with EETS requirements. When adopting its opinion on new\ntolling arrangements which are notified in the framework of the\nEurovignette Directive, the Commission will issue a negative\nopinion if they do not include a fully EETS compatible\nsystem.
\n\n· \nIf disputes between toll chargers and EETS\nProviders cannot be solved by the Conciliation Body, the Commission\nwill examine the points of contention and whether the arrangements\nbetween toll chargers and their existing local/national service\nproviders are discriminatory in comparison with those proposed to\nEETS providers.
\nLastly, it can be noted that the White Paper on\ntransport has indicated that if, despite all these efforts, its\nassessment shows that no substantial progress has been achieved by\nmid-2013, with no availability of an interoperable electronic toll\nservice on a substantial scale, the Commission reserves its\nright to present a new initiative to the European Parliament\nand the Council.
\nPURPOSE: Commission Communication on the\nImplementation of the European Electronic Toll Service\n(EETS).
\nCONTENT: in accordance with Commission Decision\n2009/750/EC defining the European Electronic Toll Service, the\nCommission presents this Communication on the state of advancement\nof EETS deployment. After putting the EETS in the broader context\nof European transport policy, the communication presents the\nprogress achieved in its implementation and gives the\nCommission’s assessment of the next steps to be taken for\nmaking the EETS operational.
\nThe Commission recalls that in its 2011\nWhite Paper “Roadmap to a Single European Transport\nArea”, it outlined possible measures to accelerate the\ndevelopment and the harmonisation of road use charging. It stressed\nthat the European Electronic Toll Service can be instrumental in\nthe promotion of road charging strategies that contribute to a\nsustainable transport system and in facilitating road charging\nacceptance by users.
\nSimilarly on the occasion of the recent amendment of\nthe “Eurovignette”\nDirective on the charging of heavy goods vehicles, the European\nParliament and the Council asked the Commission to monitor progress\nmade to implement within the agreed dates a genuine European\nElectronic Toll Service and to promote cooperation between Member\nStates that may prove necessary to ensure the interoperability of\nelectronic toll collection systems at European level.
\nThe Commission notes that European industry is at\npresent a global front-runner in road charging and tolling\nequipment. European companies keep winning tolling contracts\nover the world. EETS can facilitate the introduction and roll-out\non a global scale of new products such as interoperable on-board\nunits, combining the digital tachograph and tolling with other\nintelligent transport systems applications. This in turn may give\nrise to completely new services and applications, again with a\npotentially global market, which will contribute to the creation of\ngrowth and jobs in the European economy.
\nProgress achieved in deployment: the progress achieved in the advancement of EETS\ndeployment is disappointing. Despite the adoption of\nDecision 2009/750/EC which sets out the necessary technical\nspecifications and requirements as well as contractual rules\nrelating to EETS provision, the efforts of the Commission, and the\nmaturity of tolling technologies, the European Electronic Toll\nService is not yet a reality in everyday life of road users.\nNot all Member States and stakeholders have demonstrated the full\ncommitment necessary to finalise the regulatory and operational\ncontext of the service at their level.
\nNext steps: in order to\nfacilitate the timely introduction of EETS by Member States and the\nindustry and to promote the necessary cooperation as requested by\nthe European Parliament and the Council, the following actions are\nnecessary:
\n1. Accelerate a uniform implementation of the\ndecision:
\n\n· \nthe Commission and Member States will\nintensify the works of the Toll Committee set up by Directive\n2004/52/EC. Member States should fulfil as a matter of urgency\ntheir obligations provided for by Decision 2009/750/EC regarding in\nparticular the designation of their national Conciliation\nBody. The Commission will launch infringement procedures where\nappropriate;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will monitor the implementation\nof EETS by Member States in the light of its Guidance Note on the\ninterpretation of concepts referred to in Annex I of Decision\n2009/750/EC. Member States and national conciliation bodies should\nuse the note in their contacts with Toll Chargers and potential\nEETS providers. The latter should also use it in their contractual\nnegotiations. Furthermore the Commission will create a European\nnetwork of national Conciliation Bodies which would contribute\nto securing an EU-wide level playing field for the EETS\nprofessional stakeholders;
\n\n· \nMember States shall see to it that\ncontractual clauses automatically ending the contract if an\nEETS Provider does not reach full European coverage within 24\nmonths are not allowed. Such clauses go against the intended useful\neffect of Decision 2009/750/EC. If such a practice is kept, the\nCommission will launch infringement proceedings;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will take an initiative using the\nstructure established by the current EETS legislation to develop\na uniform set of protocols for “suitability for use”\ntests, including on the security aspects, in order to limit the\ndiscrepancy of these protocols between toll Chargers, which would\nin turn contribute to reducing the costs charged to EETS\nProviders;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will set-up with the stakeholders\na comprehensive information sharing resource platform,\nproviding up-to-date information on EETS through a single\npoint of access on the Internet. This platform will also contribute\nto the exchange of best practice and dissemination of up-to-date\ninformation on EETS among professional stakeholders.
\n2. Adoption of a stepwise approach:
\n\n· \nas a first step towards full European\ninteroperability, Member States with significant volume of traffic\non the trans-European network should encourage the cross-border\ninteroperability of their electronic road toll systems. These early\ndeployment project(s), on a regional basis, will be promoted in a\nway so that they can be extended to cover all the electronically\ntolled road infrastructures in the EU as soon as possible at a\nlater stage and can provide concrete experiences in solving\npractical EETS issues.
\n\n· \nattention should be paid to the involvement of a\nsufficiently wide set of Toll Chargers and Member States to ensure\nthese projects are scalable to the entire Union. The knowledge\ngained in implementing these regional projects fully complying with\nthe single contract/single on-board unit principle should be shared\neffectively across all the stakeholders. The Commission is willing\nto provide technical assistance to such regional initiatives\nand is ready to examine the provision of possible financial\nsupport to large scale regional projects in the context of the\nTEN-T programme.
\n3. Closely monitor development and take new\ninitiatives:
\n\n· \nMember States when starting new projects or\nrenewing concessions should systematically check and ensure\ncompliance with EETS requirements. When adopting its opinion on new\ntolling arrangements which are notified in the framework of the\nEurovignette Directive, the Commission will issue a negative\nopinion if they do not include a fully EETS compatible\nsystem.
\n\n· \nIf disputes between toll chargers and EETS\nProviders cannot be solved by the Conciliation Body, the Commission\nwill examine the points of contention and whether the arrangements\nbetween toll chargers and their existing local/national service\nproviders are discriminatory in comparison with those proposed to\nEETS providers.
\nLastly, it can be noted that the White Paper on\ntransport has indicated that if, despite all these efforts, its\nassessment shows that no substantial progress has been achieved by\nmid-2013, with no availability of an interoperable electronic toll\nservice on a substantial scale, the Commission reserves its\nright to present a new initiative to the European Parliament\nand the Council.
\nThe Commission presents a Communication on the\napplication of national road infrastructure charges levied on light\nprivate vehicles.
\nIt begins by noting that the White\nPaper on Transport (Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area\n– Towards a competitive and resource-efficient transport\nsystem) outlines the Commission's intention to propose mandatory\nmeasures to achieve the internalisation of the main external costs\nof transport covering noise, local pollution and congestion in 2020\nhorizon. While there are EU secondary rules concerning road charges\nlevied on heavy goods vehicles (see the\n\"Eurovignette\" Directive), the only rules concerning the\ncharging of light private vehicles stem directly from the Treaty on\nthe Functioning of the
\nEuropean Union. As a part of the broader strategy on\nroad charging outlined in the White Paper, the Communication aims\nto clarify the Commission's understanding of how the general\nprinciples of non-discrimination and proportionality of the Treaty\nare to be applied to a vignette system for light private\nvehicles. It also provides guidance on the application of such\nvignette system. The Commission underlines that the\nCommunication does not create new legislative rules.
\nThe current situation:\nuntil now, seven EU Member States have taken the advantage of the\nfreedom to put in place a vignette system for light private\nvehicles. These are Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary,\nSlovakia, Slovenia and Romania. Other Member States (e.g. Belgium)\nare planning to implement such systems.
\nThe current levies applied on light private vehicles\nreflect a wide variety of approaches between Member States.\nSome countries rely on a mix of different taxation instruments\n(fuel and vehicle taxes). In others, the mix of instruments is more\ndiverse and includes road user charges to recover infrastructure\ncosts from motorists using motorways. User charges take the form of\ntime-based charges (vignettes) often levied on the full primary\nnetwork, or distance-based charges (tolls) levied on individual\nroad sections frequently equipped by toll barriers. National\nvignettes are paid by light private vehicles in return for the\nright to use the main road network for a certain period.
\nNevertheless, the numerous complaints that the\nCommission keeps receiving show that the implementation of vignette\nsystems for light private vehicles, if not designed carefully, may\nraise practical problems, including: (i) hindrance to the free flow\nof traffic, especially in cross-border regions, (ii) inadequate\nenforcement practices, (iii) risks of potential discrimination of\noccasional users, mainly motorists coming from other Member States,\nwho may not be offered shorter-term vignettes or may be offered\nshorter-term vignettes at an equivalent daily rate\nsubstantially higher than the rate applied to annual vignettes\nwhich are mainly used by resident users. This may be seen as\ndisproportionate.
\nThe application of the vignette systems varies between\nMember States and these variations may give rise to potential\nshortcomings. On the other hand, tolling systems for light\nprivate vehicles do not entail the same problems as vignette\nsystems, as tolls are distance-based charges, directly linked\nto the use of infrastructure and therefore less likely to be\ndiscriminatory. Moreover, electronic tolling systems allow for the\nfree-flow of traffic, without users having to stop at toll\nbarriers.
\nApplicable provisions of the TFEU: the Commission looks at the Treaty provisions that\napply in this field, these being non-discrimination on\ngrounds of nationality, and proportionality. It notes that any\nvignette system applied by a Member State would operate to the\ndetriment of nationals of the other Member States, if it penalised\nnon-resident drivers who use its road network only on an occasional\nbasis, by failing to provide a charge for short-term usage or\ntransit of the road infrastructure.
\nA national measure that is equally applicable to\nnationals or residents and non-nationals or
\nnon-residents may also constitute a discriminatory\nmeasure (indirect discrimination). Such discrimination might\nnevertheless be justified by an overriding reason of general\ninterest e.g. the improvement of traffic flows and/or reduction of\nenvironmental costs/damage. However, it has to be emphasised that\nsuch measures should constitute a proportionate means of achieving\nthe objectives of general interest, meaning in particular that the\nobjective pursued by the measure cannot be achieved by other\nmeasures that are less onerous.
\nGuidance: on the basis\nof the received complaints and analytical studies, the Commission\nproposes guidance on the following points: (a) the availability of\nproportionately-priced vignettes; (b) proper access to information;\n(c) the collection of fees and their payment; (d) an appropriate\nenforcement practice.
\nThese rules should be non-discriminatory and\nproportionate to the infringements committed, and enable citizens\nto effectively implement their procedural rights. In particular,\nenforcement practices which could give rise to indirect\ndiscrimination against non-resident occasional users must be\navoided.
\nAccordingly, the Commission advises that in order to\nprovide for a non-discriminatory vignette system for light private\nvehicles, Member States must establish vignette systems that\noffer, in addition to annual and monthly vignettes, a weekly (or\nshorter period) vignette.
\nFurthermore, it would be advisable that:
\n\n· \nshort-term and long-term vignettes are\nprovided at a proportionate price;
\n\n· \nnon-resident occasional users have proper\naccess to information concerning vehicles subject to charging,\nroad infrastructure subject to charging, types of vignettes, their\nvalidity and the rates, sales points and penalties\napplied;
\n\n· \nnon-resident occasional road users are provided\nwith a wide range of options to pay for a\nvignette;
\n\n· \nenforcement is focussed on locations where the likeliness of non-compliance\nwith rules is relatively high and not mainly at border locations on\nnon-residents who are often first time offenders, so that both\nresidents and non-residents are treated equally;
\n\n· \npenalties are proportionate to other traffic offenses and reasonably reflect the\nsanction element.
\nAs vignette systems mainly implement the \"user-pays\"\nprinciple, the Commission advocates a transparent use of their\nrevenue which would ideally be applied only on roads for which\na proper maintenance programme exists, in order to offer users a\nminimum level of service in return of their payment. The Commission\ninvites Member States which have a vignette system for light\nprivate vehicles, or intend to introduce such a system, to assess\ntheir systems in the light of the Communication. In the light of\nthe experience, the Commission may consider an initiative to\nfurther clarify the rules applicable to road charges applied to\nlight private vehicles.
\nThe Commission presents a Communication on the\napplication of national road infrastructure charges levied on light\nprivate vehicles.
\nIt begins by noting that the White\nPaper on Transport (Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area\n– Towards a competitive and resource-efficient transport\nsystem) outlines the Commission's intention to propose mandatory\nmeasures to achieve the internalisation of the main external costs\nof transport covering noise, local pollution and congestion in 2020\nhorizon. While there are EU secondary rules concerning road charges\nlevied on heavy goods vehicles (see the\n\"Eurovignette\" Directive), the only rules concerning the\ncharging of light private vehicles stem directly from the Treaty on\nthe Functioning of the
\nEuropean Union. As a part of the broader strategy on\nroad charging outlined in the White Paper, the Communication aims\nto clarify the Commission's understanding of how the general\nprinciples of non-discrimination and proportionality of the Treaty\nare to be applied to a vignette system for light private\nvehicles. It also provides guidance on the application of such\nvignette system. The Commission underlines that the\nCommunication does not create new legislative rules.
\nThe current situation:\nuntil now, seven EU Member States have taken the advantage of the\nfreedom to put in place a vignette system for light private\nvehicles. These are Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary,\nSlovakia, Slovenia and Romania. Other Member States (e.g. Belgium)\nare planning to implement such systems.
\nThe current levies applied on light private vehicles\nreflect a wide variety of approaches between Member States.\nSome countries rely on a mix of different taxation instruments\n(fuel and vehicle taxes). In others, the mix of instruments is more\ndiverse and includes road user charges to recover infrastructure\ncosts from motorists using motorways. User charges take the form of\ntime-based charges (vignettes) often levied on the full primary\nnetwork, or distance-based charges (tolls) levied on individual\nroad sections frequently equipped by toll barriers. National\nvignettes are paid by light private vehicles in return for the\nright to use the main road network for a certain period.
\nNevertheless, the numerous complaints that the\nCommission keeps receiving show that the implementation of vignette\nsystems for light private vehicles, if not designed carefully, may\nraise practical problems, including: (i) hindrance to the free flow\nof traffic, especially in cross-border regions, (ii) inadequate\nenforcement practices, (iii) risks of potential discrimination of\noccasional users, mainly motorists coming from other Member States,\nwho may not be offered shorter-term vignettes or may be offered\nshorter-term vignettes at an equivalent daily rate\nsubstantially higher than the rate applied to annual vignettes\nwhich are mainly used by resident users. This may be seen as\ndisproportionate.
\nThe application of the vignette systems varies between\nMember States and these variations may give rise to potential\nshortcomings. On the other hand, tolling systems for light\nprivate vehicles do not entail the same problems as vignette\nsystems, as tolls are distance-based charges, directly linked\nto the use of infrastructure and therefore less likely to be\ndiscriminatory. Moreover, electronic tolling systems allow for the\nfree-flow of traffic, without users having to stop at toll\nbarriers.
\nApplicable provisions of the TFEU: the Commission looks at the Treaty provisions that\napply in this field, these being non-discrimination on\ngrounds of nationality, and proportionality. It notes that any\nvignette system applied by a Member State would operate to the\ndetriment of nationals of the other Member States, if it penalised\nnon-resident drivers who use its road network only on an occasional\nbasis, by failing to provide a charge for short-term usage or\ntransit of the road infrastructure.
\nA national measure that is equally applicable to\nnationals or residents and non-nationals or
\nnon-residents may also constitute a discriminatory\nmeasure (indirect discrimination). Such discrimination might\nnevertheless be justified by an overriding reason of general\ninterest e.g. the improvement of traffic flows and/or reduction of\nenvironmental costs/damage. However, it has to be emphasised that\nsuch measures should constitute a proportionate means of achieving\nthe objectives of general interest, meaning in particular that the\nobjective pursued by the measure cannot be achieved by other\nmeasures that are less onerous.
\nGuidance: on the basis\nof the received complaints and analytical studies, the Commission\nproposes guidance on the following points: (a) the availability of\nproportionately-priced vignettes; (b) proper access to information;\n(c) the collection of fees and their payment; (d) an appropriate\nenforcement practice.
\nThese rules should be non-discriminatory and\nproportionate to the infringements committed, and enable citizens\nto effectively implement their procedural rights. In particular,\nenforcement practices which could give rise to indirect\ndiscrimination against non-resident occasional users must be\navoided.
\nAccordingly, the Commission advises that in order to\nprovide for a non-discriminatory vignette system for light private\nvehicles, Member States must establish vignette systems that\noffer, in addition to annual and monthly vignettes, a weekly (or\nshorter period) vignette.
\nFurthermore, it would be advisable that:
\n\n· \nshort-term and long-term vignettes are\nprovided at a proportionate price;
\n\n· \nnon-resident occasional users have proper\naccess to information concerning vehicles subject to charging,\nroad infrastructure subject to charging, types of vignettes, their\nvalidity and the rates, sales points and penalties\napplied;
\n\n· \nnon-resident occasional road users are provided\nwith a wide range of options to pay for a\nvignette;
\n\n· \nenforcement is focussed on locations where the likeliness of non-compliance\nwith rules is relatively high and not mainly at border locations on\nnon-residents who are often first time offenders, so that both\nresidents and non-residents are treated equally;
\n\n· \npenalties are proportionate to other traffic offenses and reasonably reflect the\nsanction element.
\nAs vignette systems mainly implement the \"user-pays\"\nprinciple, the Commission advocates a transparent use of their\nrevenue which would ideally be applied only on roads for which\na proper maintenance programme exists, in order to offer users a\nminimum level of service in return of their payment. The Commission\ninvites Member States which have a vignette system for light\nprivate vehicles, or intend to introduce such a system, to assess\ntheir systems in the light of the Communication. In the light of\nthe experience, the Commission may consider an initiative to\nfurther clarify the rules applicable to road charges applied to\nlight private vehicles.
\nPURPOSE: Commission Communication on the\nImplementation of the European Electronic Toll Service\n(EETS).
\nCONTENT: in accordance with Commission Decision\n2009/750/EC defining the European Electronic Toll Service, the\nCommission presents this Communication on the state of advancement\nof EETS deployment. After putting the EETS in the broader context\nof European transport policy, the communication presents the\nprogress achieved in its implementation and gives the\nCommission’s assessment of the next steps to be taken for\nmaking the EETS operational.
\nThe Commission recalls that in its 2011\nWhite Paper “Roadmap to a Single European Transport\nArea”, it outlined possible measures to accelerate the\ndevelopment and the harmonisation of road use charging. It stressed\nthat the European Electronic Toll Service can be instrumental in\nthe promotion of road charging strategies that contribute to a\nsustainable transport system and in facilitating road charging\nacceptance by users.
\nSimilarly on the occasion of the recent amendment of\nthe “Eurovignette”\nDirective on the charging of heavy goods vehicles, the European\nParliament and the Council asked the Commission to monitor progress\nmade to implement within the agreed dates a genuine European\nElectronic Toll Service and to promote cooperation between Member\nStates that may prove necessary to ensure the interoperability of\nelectronic toll collection systems at European level.
\nThe Commission notes that European industry is at\npresent a global front-runner in road charging and tolling\nequipment. European companies keep winning tolling contracts\nover the world. EETS can facilitate the introduction and roll-out\non a global scale of new products such as interoperable on-board\nunits, combining the digital tachograph and tolling with other\nintelligent transport systems applications. This in turn may give\nrise to completely new services and applications, again with a\npotentially global market, which will contribute to the creation of\ngrowth and jobs in the European economy.
\nProgress achieved in deployment: the progress achieved in the advancement of EETS\ndeployment is disappointing. Despite the adoption of\nDecision 2009/750/EC which sets out the necessary technical\nspecifications and requirements as well as contractual rules\nrelating to EETS provision, the efforts of the Commission, and the\nmaturity of tolling technologies, the European Electronic Toll\nService is not yet a reality in everyday life of road users.\nNot all Member States and stakeholders have demonstrated the full\ncommitment necessary to finalise the regulatory and operational\ncontext of the service at their level.
\nNext steps: in order to\nfacilitate the timely introduction of EETS by Member States and the\nindustry and to promote the necessary cooperation as requested by\nthe European Parliament and the Council, the following actions are\nnecessary:
\n1. Accelerate a uniform implementation of the\ndecision:
\n\n· \nthe Commission and Member States will\nintensify the works of the Toll Committee set up by Directive\n2004/52/EC. Member States should fulfil as a matter of urgency\ntheir obligations provided for by Decision 2009/750/EC regarding in\nparticular the designation of their national Conciliation\nBody. The Commission will launch infringement procedures where\nappropriate;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will monitor the implementation\nof EETS by Member States in the light of its Guidance Note on the\ninterpretation of concepts referred to in Annex I of Decision\n2009/750/EC. Member States and national conciliation bodies should\nuse the note in their contacts with Toll Chargers and potential\nEETS providers. The latter should also use it in their contractual\nnegotiations. Furthermore the Commission will create a European\nnetwork of national Conciliation Bodies which would contribute\nto securing an EU-wide level playing field for the EETS\nprofessional stakeholders;
\n\n· \nMember States shall see to it that\ncontractual clauses automatically ending the contract if an\nEETS Provider does not reach full European coverage within 24\nmonths are not allowed. Such clauses go against the intended useful\neffect of Decision 2009/750/EC. If such a practice is kept, the\nCommission will launch infringement proceedings;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will take an initiative using the\nstructure established by the current EETS legislation to develop\na uniform set of protocols for “suitability for use”\ntests, including on the security aspects, in order to limit the\ndiscrepancy of these protocols between toll Chargers, which would\nin turn contribute to reducing the costs charged to EETS\nProviders;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will set-up with the stakeholders\na comprehensive information sharing resource platform,\nproviding up-to-date information on EETS through a single\npoint of access on the Internet. This platform will also contribute\nto the exchange of best practice and dissemination of up-to-date\ninformation on EETS among professional stakeholders.
\n2. Adoption of a stepwise approach:
\n\n· \nas a first step towards full European\ninteroperability, Member States with significant volume of traffic\non the trans-European network should encourage the cross-border\ninteroperability of their electronic road toll systems. These early\ndeployment project(s), on a regional basis, will be promoted in a\nway so that they can be extended to cover all the electronically\ntolled road infrastructures in the EU as soon as possible at a\nlater stage and can provide concrete experiences in solving\npractical EETS issues.
\n\n· \nattention should be paid to the involvement of a\nsufficiently wide set of Toll Chargers and Member States to ensure\nthese projects are scalable to the entire Union. The knowledge\ngained in implementing these regional projects fully complying with\nthe single contract/single on-board unit principle should be shared\neffectively across all the stakeholders. The Commission is willing\nto provide technical assistance to such regional initiatives\nand is ready to examine the provision of possible financial\nsupport to large scale regional projects in the context of the\nTEN-T programme.
\n3. Closely monitor development and take new\ninitiatives:
\n\n· \nMember States when starting new projects or\nrenewing concessions should systematically check and ensure\ncompliance with EETS requirements. When adopting its opinion on new\ntolling arrangements which are notified in the framework of the\nEurovignette Directive, the Commission will issue a negative\nopinion if they do not include a fully EETS compatible\nsystem.
\n\n· \nIf disputes between toll chargers and EETS\nProviders cannot be solved by the Conciliation Body, the Commission\nwill examine the points of contention and whether the arrangements\nbetween toll chargers and their existing local/national service\nproviders are discriminatory in comparison with those proposed to\nEETS providers.
\nLastly, it can be noted that the White Paper on\ntransport has indicated that if, despite all these efforts, its\nassessment shows that no substantial progress has been achieved by\nmid-2013, with no availability of an interoperable electronic toll\nservice on a substantial scale, the Commission reserves its\nright to present a new initiative to the European Parliament\nand the Council.
\nIn accordance with the requirements of Decision\n2009/750/EC, the Commission presents a report on the state of\nadvancement of European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) deployment.\nAfter putting the EETS in the broader context of European transport\npolicy, the report presents the progress achieved and gives the\nCommission’s assessment of the next steps to be taken for\nmaking the EETS operational. European industry is at present a\nglobal front-runner in road charging and tolling equipment. EETS\ncan facilitate the introduction and roll-out on a global scale of\nnew products such as interoperable on-board units, combining the\ndigital tachograph and tolling with other intelligent transport\nsystems applications. This in turn may give rise to completely new\nservices and applications, again with a potentially global market,\nwhich will contribute to the creation of growth and jobs in the\nEuropean economy.
\nTo recall, Decision 2009/750/EC establishes the\nessential requirements of this service valid over the entire EU and\nsets the mandatory standards, technical specifications and\noperational rules. In its 2011\nWhite Paper “Roadmap to a Single European Transport\nArea” the Commission stressed that the EETS can be\ninstrumental in the promotion of road charging strategies that\ncontribute to a sustainable transport system and in facilitating\nroad charging acceptance by users. Similarly on the occasion of the\nrecent amendment of Directive 1999/62/EC (Eurovignette Directive),\nthe European Parliament and the Council have asked the Commission\nto monitor progress made to implement within the agreed dates a\ngenuine European Electronic Toll Service and to promote cooperation\nbetween Member States that may prove necessary to ensure the\ninteroperability of electronic toll collection systems at European\nlevel.
\nThe report states that progress achieved in the\nadvancement of EETS deployment is disappointing. Despite the\nefforts of the Commission and the maturity of tolling technologies,\nthe EETS is not yet a reality in everyday life of road users. This\nfailure to implement EETS and to do it in the timescale provided is\nnot due to technical reasons. It is not more complicated\ntechnically to implement pan-European interoperability of\nelectronic road toll systems than pan-European roaming of mobile\nphones or worldwide interoperability of credit cards. The report\nexamines a number of possible explanations for the\ndelays:
\n\n· \nEETS implementation is still hampered by a\nlack of cooperation between different stakeholders groups,\nand eforts by Member States have been limited to the level of\nseparate national interoperability, which is now implemented in\nmost countries with electronic tolling systems;
\n\n· \nmost Member States still have to complete the\nnational framework so that potential EETS providers know how to\nregister in practice;
\n\n· \nsome Toll Chargers are proposing a\ncontractual clause which automatically ends the contract if\nthe EETS provider has not reached full European coverage within 24\nmonths. Such a clause sets a considerable business risk and\ndiscourages potential EETS providers.
\nNext steps: in order to\nfacilitate the timely introduction of EETS by Member States and\nindustry and to promote the necessary cooperation as requested by\nthe European Parliament and the Council, certain actions are\nnecessary.
\nAccelerate a uniform implementation of the\ndecision:
\n\n· \nintensify the work of the Toll Committee set up\nby Directive 2004/52/EC. Member States should fulfil their\nobligations in Decision 2009/750/EC regarding the designation of\ntheir national Conciliation Body. The Commission will launch\ninfringement procedures where appropriate;
\n\n· \nMembers States shall see to it that contractual\nclauses automatically ending the contract if an EETS Provider does\nnot reach full European coverage within 24 months are not\nallowed. If this practice is kept, the Commission will launch\ninfringement proceedings;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will develop a uniform set of\nprotocols for “suitability for use” tests, including\non the security aspects, in order to limit the discrepancy of these\nprotocols between toll chargers, which would in turn contribute to\nreducing the costs charged to EETS providers;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will set-up a comprehensive\ninformation sharing resource platform.
\nA\nstepwise approach
\n\n· \nas a first step towards full European\ninteroperability, Member States with significant volume of traffic\non the trans-European network should encourage the cross-border\ninteroperability of their electronic road toll systems;
\n\n· \nattention should be paid to the involvement of a\nsufficiently wide set of toll chargers and Member States to\nensure these projects may be applied across the entire Union.\nThe knowledge gained in implementing these regional projects fully\ncomplying with the single contract/single on-board unit principle\nshould be shared effectively across all the\nstakeholders;
\n\n· \nthe Commission is willing to provide a\ntechnical assistance to such regional initiatives and is ready\nto examine the provision of possible financial support to large\nscale regional projects in the context of the TEN-T\nprogramme;
\nClosely monitor development and take new\ninitiatives:
\n\n· \nMember States when starting new projects or\nrenewing concessions should systematically check and ensure\ncompliance with EETS requirements. When adopting its opinion on new\ntolling arrangements which are notified in the framework of Article\n7h of Directive 1999/62/EC (Eurovignette), the Commission will\nissue a negative opinion if they do not include a fully EETS\ncompatible system;
\n\n· \nif disputes between toll chargers and EETS\nproviders cannot be solved by the Conciliation Body, the Commission\nwill examine the points of contention and whether the arrangements\nbetween toll chargers and their existing local/national service\nproviders are discriminatory in comparison with those proposed to\nEETS providers;
\n\n· \nthe Commission reserves its right to present a\nnew initiative to the European Parliament and the Council. It\nreaffirms its commitment to take all the necessary measures to\nfacilitate the establishment of full technical and operational\ninteroperability of European electronic road tolling\nsystems.
\nPURPOSE: Commission Communication on the\nImplementation of the European Electronic Toll Service\n(EETS).
\nCONTENT: in accordance with Commission Decision\n2009/750/EC defining the European Electronic Toll Service, the\nCommission presents this Communication on the state of advancement\nof EETS deployment. After putting the EETS in the broader context\nof European transport policy, the communication presents the\nprogress achieved in its implementation and gives the\nCommission’s assessment of the next steps to be taken for\nmaking the EETS operational.
\nThe Commission recalls that in its 2011\nWhite Paper “Roadmap to a Single European Transport\nArea”, it outlined possible measures to accelerate the\ndevelopment and the harmonisation of road use charging. It stressed\nthat the European Electronic Toll Service can be instrumental in\nthe promotion of road charging strategies that contribute to a\nsustainable transport system and in facilitating road charging\nacceptance by users.
\nSimilarly on the occasion of the recent amendment of\nthe “Eurovignette”\nDirective on the charging of heavy goods vehicles, the European\nParliament and the Council asked the Commission to monitor progress\nmade to implement within the agreed dates a genuine European\nElectronic Toll Service and to promote cooperation between Member\nStates that may prove necessary to ensure the interoperability of\nelectronic toll collection systems at European level.
\nThe Commission notes that European industry is at\npresent a global front-runner in road charging and tolling\nequipment. European companies keep winning tolling contracts\nover the world. EETS can facilitate the introduction and roll-out\non a global scale of new products such as interoperable on-board\nunits, combining the digital tachograph and tolling with other\nintelligent transport systems applications. This in turn may give\nrise to completely new services and applications, again with a\npotentially global market, which will contribute to the creation of\ngrowth and jobs in the European economy.
\nProgress achieved in deployment: the progress achieved in the advancement of EETS\ndeployment is disappointing. Despite the adoption of\nDecision 2009/750/EC which sets out the necessary technical\nspecifications and requirements as well as contractual rules\nrelating to EETS provision, the efforts of the Commission, and the\nmaturity of tolling technologies, the European Electronic Toll\nService is not yet a reality in everyday life of road users.\nNot all Member States and stakeholders have demonstrated the full\ncommitment necessary to finalise the regulatory and operational\ncontext of the service at their level.
\nNext steps: in order to\nfacilitate the timely introduction of EETS by Member States and the\nindustry and to promote the necessary cooperation as requested by\nthe European Parliament and the Council, the following actions are\nnecessary:
\n1. Accelerate a uniform implementation of the\ndecision:
\n\n· \nthe Commission and Member States will\nintensify the works of the Toll Committee set up by Directive\n2004/52/EC. Member States should fulfil as a matter of urgency\ntheir obligations provided for by Decision 2009/750/EC regarding in\nparticular the designation of their national Conciliation\nBody. The Commission will launch infringement procedures where\nappropriate;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will monitor the implementation\nof EETS by Member States in the light of its Guidance Note on the\ninterpretation of concepts referred to in Annex I of Decision\n2009/750/EC. Member States and national conciliation bodies should\nuse the note in their contacts with Toll Chargers and potential\nEETS providers. The latter should also use it in their contractual\nnegotiations. Furthermore the Commission will create a European\nnetwork of national Conciliation Bodies which would contribute\nto securing an EU-wide level playing field for the EETS\nprofessional stakeholders;
\n\n· \nMember States shall see to it that\ncontractual clauses automatically ending the contract if an\nEETS Provider does not reach full European coverage within 24\nmonths are not allowed. Such clauses go against the intended useful\neffect of Decision 2009/750/EC. If such a practice is kept, the\nCommission will launch infringement proceedings;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will take an initiative using the\nstructure established by the current EETS legislation to develop\na uniform set of protocols for “suitability for use”\ntests, including on the security aspects, in order to limit the\ndiscrepancy of these protocols between toll Chargers, which would\nin turn contribute to reducing the costs charged to EETS\nProviders;
\n\n· \nthe Commission will set-up with the stakeholders\na comprehensive information sharing resource platform,\nproviding up-to-date information on EETS through a single\npoint of access on the Internet. This platform will also contribute\nto the exchange of best practice and dissemination of up-to-date\ninformation on EETS among professional stakeholders.
\n2. Adoption of a stepwise approach:
\n\n· \nas a first step towards full European\ninteroperability, Member States with significant volume of traffic\non the trans-European network should encourage the cross-border\ninteroperability of their electronic road toll systems. These early\ndeployment project(s), on a regional basis, will be promoted in a\nway so that they can be extended to cover all the electronically\ntolled road infrastructures in the EU as soon as possible at a\nlater stage and can provide concrete experiences in solving\npractical EETS issues.
\n\n· \nattention should be paid to the involvement of a\nsufficiently wide set of Toll Chargers and Member States to ensure\nthese projects are scalable to the entire Union. The knowledge\ngained in implementing these regional projects fully complying with\nthe single contract/single on-board unit principle should be shared\neffectively across all the stakeholders. The Commission is willing\nto provide technical assistance to such regional initiatives\nand is ready to examine the provision of possible financial\nsupport to large scale regional projects in the context of the\nTEN-T programme.
\n3. Closely monitor development and take new\ninitiatives:
\n\n· \nMember States when starting new projects or\nrenewing concessions should systematically check and ensure\ncompliance with EETS requirements. When adopting its opinion on new\ntolling arrangements which are notified in the framework of the\nEurovignette Directive, the Commission will issue a negative\nopinion if they do not include a fully EETS compatible\nsystem.
\n\n· \nIf disputes between toll chargers and EETS\nProviders cannot be solved by the Conciliation Body, the Commission\nwill examine the points of contention and whether the arrangements\nbetween toll chargers and their existing local/national service\nproviders are discriminatory in comparison with those proposed to\nEETS providers.
\nLastly, it can be noted that the White Paper on\ntransport has indicated that if, despite all these efforts, its\nassessment shows that no substantial progress has been achieved by\nmid-2013, with no availability of an interoperable electronic toll\nservice on a substantial scale, the Commission reserves its\nright to present a new initiative to the European Parliament\nand the Council.
\nThe Commission presents a Communication on the\napplication of national road infrastructure charges levied on light\nprivate vehicles.
\nIt begins by noting that the White\nPaper on Transport (Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area\n– Towards a competitive and resource-efficient transport\nsystem) outlines the Commission's intention to propose mandatory\nmeasures to achieve the internalisation of the main external costs\nof transport covering noise, local pollution and congestion in 2020\nhorizon. While there are EU secondary rules concerning road charges\nlevied on heavy goods vehicles (see the\n\"Eurovignette\" Directive), the only rules concerning the\ncharging of light private vehicles stem directly from the Treaty on\nthe Functioning of the
\nEuropean Union. As a part of the broader strategy on\nroad charging outlined in the White Paper, the Communication aims\nto clarify the Commission's understanding of how the general\nprinciples of non-discrimination and proportionality of the Treaty\nare to be applied to a vignette system for light private\nvehicles. It also provides guidance on the application of such\nvignette system. The Commission underlines that the\nCommunication does not create new legislative rules.
\nThe current situation:\nuntil now, seven EU Member States have taken the advantage of the\nfreedom to put in place a vignette system for light private\nvehicles. These are Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary,\nSlovakia, Slovenia and Romania. Other Member States (e.g. Belgium)\nare planning to implement such systems.
\nThe current levies applied on light private vehicles\nreflect a wide variety of approaches between Member States.\nSome countries rely on a mix of different taxation instruments\n(fuel and vehicle taxes). In others, the mix of instruments is more\ndiverse and includes road user charges to recover infrastructure\ncosts from motorists using motorways. User charges take the form of\ntime-based charges (vignettes) often levied on the full primary\nnetwork, or distance-based charges (tolls) levied on individual\nroad sections frequently equipped by toll barriers. National\nvignettes are paid by light private vehicles in return for the\nright to use the main road network for a certain period.
\nNevertheless, the numerous complaints that the\nCommission keeps receiving show that the implementation of vignette\nsystems for light private vehicles, if not designed carefully, may\nraise practical problems, including: (i) hindrance to the free flow\nof traffic, especially in cross-border regions, (ii) inadequate\nenforcement practices, (iii) risks of potential discrimination of\noccasional users, mainly motorists coming from other Member States,\nwho may not be offered shorter-term vignettes or may be offered\nshorter-term vignettes at an equivalent daily rate\nsubstantially higher than the rate applied to annual vignettes\nwhich are mainly used by resident users. This may be seen as\ndisproportionate.
\nThe application of the vignette systems varies between\nMember States and these variations may give rise to potential\nshortcomings. On the other hand, tolling systems for light\nprivate vehicles do not entail the same problems as vignette\nsystems, as tolls are distance-based charges, directly linked\nto the use of infrastructure and therefore less likely to be\ndiscriminatory. Moreover, electronic tolling systems allow for the\nfree-flow of traffic, without users having to stop at toll\nbarriers.
\nApplicable provisions of the TFEU: the Commission looks at the Treaty provisions that\napply in this field, these being non-discrimination on\ngrounds of nationality, and proportionality. It notes that any\nvignette system applied by a Member State would operate to the\ndetriment of nationals of the other Member States, if it penalised\nnon-resident drivers who use its road network only on an occasional\nbasis, by failing to provide a charge for short-term usage or\ntransit of the road infrastructure.
\nA national measure that is equally applicable to\nnationals or residents and non-nationals or
\nnon-residents may also constitute a discriminatory\nmeasure (indirect discrimination). Such discrimination might\nnevertheless be justified by an overriding reason of general\ninterest e.g. the improvement of traffic flows and/or reduction of\nenvironmental costs/damage. However, it has to be emphasised that\nsuch measures should constitute a proportionate means of achieving\nthe objectives of general interest, meaning in particular that the\nobjective pursued by the measure cannot be achieved by other\nmeasures that are less onerous.
\nGuidance: on the basis\nof the received complaints and analytical studies, the Commission\nproposes guidance on the following points: (a) the availability of\nproportionately-priced vignettes; (b) proper access to information;\n(c) the collection of fees and their payment; (d) an appropriate\nenforcement practice.
\nThese rules should be non-discriminatory and\nproportionate to the infringements committed, and enable citizens\nto effectively implement their procedural rights. In particular,\nenforcement practices which could give rise to indirect\ndiscrimination against non-resident occasional users must be\navoided.
\nAccordingly, the Commission advises that in order to\nprovide for a non-discriminatory vignette system for light private\nvehicles, Member States must establish vignette systems that\noffer, in addition to annual and monthly vignettes, a weekly (or\nshorter period) vignette.
\nFurthermore, it would be advisable that:
\n\n· \nshort-term and long-term vignettes are\nprovided at a proportionate price;
\n\n· \nnon-resident occasional users have proper\naccess to information concerning vehicles subject to charging,\nroad infrastructure subject to charging, types of vignettes, their\nvalidity and the rates, sales points and penalties\napplied;
\n\n· \nnon-resident occasional road users are provided\nwith a wide range of options to pay for a\nvignette;
\n\n· \nenforcement is focussed on locations where the likeliness of non-compliance\nwith rules is relatively high and not mainly at border locations on\nnon-residents who are often first time offenders, so that both\nresidents and non-residents are treated equally;
\n\n· \npenalties are proportionate to other traffic offenses and reasonably reflect the\nsanction element.
\nAs vignette systems mainly implement the \"user-pays\"\nprinciple, the Commission advocates a transparent use of their\nrevenue which would ideally be applied only on roads for which\na proper maintenance programme exists, in order to offer users a\nminimum level of service in return of their payment. The Commission\ninvites Member States which have a vignette system for light\nprivate vehicles, or intend to introduce such a system, to assess\ntheir systems in the light of the Communication. In the light of\nthe experience, the Commission may consider an initiative to\nfurther clarify the rules applicable to road charges applied to\nlight private vehicles.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a view to enhance\nroad safety and environmental protection (\"Roadworthiness\nPackage\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament\nand of the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures\nwhich also includes: a proposal on the amendment of Directive\n1999/37/EC on registration documents for vehicles\nand a proposal for a regulation\non periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their\ntrailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT : the following options were\nconsidered:
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union (TFEU).
\nCONTENT: the \"Roadworthiness Package\" will carry over\nthe existing requirements laid down in the existing legislative\nframework related to the roadworthiness regime, which covers\nroadworthiness tests (Directive 2009/40/EC), roadside inspections\n(Directive 2000/30/EC) and rules on the registration of vehicles\n(Directive 1999/37/EC).
\nThe main objective of the proposal is to provide for\na risk-rating system aimed at focusing inspections on\nvehicles operated by undertaking with poor safety records, thus\nrewarding vehicles operated by undertakings that are mindful of\nsafety and the environment.
\nThe main points of the proposal are as\nfollows:
\nScope: light commercial\nvehicles and their trailers will be included into the scope of\nroadside test activities as this group of vehicles does not follow\nthe downward trend in road fatalities.
\nRoadside inspections: to\ndistribute better the roadside inspections by Member States a\npercentage of the number of registered commercial vehicles shall be\ninspected every year. The total percentage will not exceed the\nnumber of roadworthiness tests already performed in the\nUnion.
\nTraining and qualifications: the level of knowledge and skills of inspectors\nperforming roadside inspectors shall meet at least the level of\nthose conducting roadworthiness tests.
\nNational contact points:\ncooperation and exchange of information between Member States and\nwith the Commission will be performed more efficiently via\ndesignated points of contact in the Member States.
\nCommission’s powers: the Commission shall be empowered to update the\nannexes to technical progress via delegated acts and to maintain\nthe certificates and reporting forms in close cooperation with\nMember States via implementing acts including inter alia\nalternative test procedures based upon modern emission\nafter-treatment systems for checking the in use NOx and particulate\nemissions conformity which are still under development.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the\nproposal has no implications for the EU budget.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a view to enhance\nroad safety and environmental protection (\"Roadworthiness\nPackage\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament\nand of the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures which\nalso includes: a proposal on the amendment of Directive\n1999/37/EC on registration documents for vehicles\nand a proposal for a regulation\non technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of\ncommercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing\nDirective 2000/30/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT : the following options were\nconsidered:
\n\n· \nOption 1: the 'No policy change' approach where the present EU\nlegal framework would be maintained;
\n\n· \nOption 2: the \"Soft law approach\" would consist in both better\nimplementation and better monitoring of the application of existing\nlegislation;
\n\n· \nOption 3: the \"Legislative approach\" would be based on two\ncomponents: (a) revising upwards the minimum EU standards for\nperiodic roadworthiness tests (PTI) and unexpected roadside\ninspections (RSI) and define mandatory standards; (b) in a second\nphase, the possible establishment of and EU harmonised data\nexchange system linking the existing databases.
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union (TFEU).
\nCONTENT: the \"Roadworthiness Package\" will carry over\nthe existing requirements laid down in the existing legislative\nframework related to the roadworthiness regime, which covers\nroadworthiness tests (Directive 2009/40/EC), roadside inspections\n(Directive 2000/30/EC) and rules on the registration of vehicles\n(Directive 1999/37/EC).
\nThe main objective of the proposal is to provide for\na risk-rating system aimed at focusing inspections on\nvehicles operated by undertaking with poor safety records, thus\nrewarding vehicles operated by undertakings that are mindful of\nsafety and the environment.
\nThe main points of the proposal are as\nfollows:
\nScope: light commercial vehicles and their trailers will be\nincluded into the scope of roadside test activities as this group\nof vehicles does not follow the downward trend in road\nfatalities.
\nRoadside inspections: to\ndistribute better the roadside inspections by Member States a\npercentage of the number of registered commercial vehicles shall be\ninspected every year. The total percentage will not exceed the\nnumber of roadworthiness tests already performed in the\nUnion.
\n\n· \nThe selection of vehicles shall be based on the\nrisk profile of the operators and target high risk undertakings to\nreduce the burden on the operators that maintain their vehicles in\na proper way. Company profiling shall be based on the results of\nprevious roadworthiness tests and roadside inspections\nsimilar.
\n\n· \nMore elaborated roadside inspections shall be\nperformed using testing equipment either by mobile inspection units\nor at test centres in close vicinity. The securing of cargo should\nbe included in the roadside checks. Deficiencies detected shall be\nassessed according to harmonised rules related to their\nrisk.
\nTraining and qualifications: the level of knowledge and skills of inspectors\nperforming roadside inspectors shall meet at least the level of\nthose conducting roadworthiness tests.
\nNational contact points:\ncooperation and exchange of information between Member States and\nwith the Commission will be performed more efficiently via\ndesignated points of contact in the Member States.
\nCommission’s powers: the Commission shall be empowered to update the\nannexes to technical progress via delegated acts and to maintain\nthe certificates and reporting forms in close cooperation with\nMember States via implementing acts including inter alia\nalternative test procedures based upon modern emission\nafter-treatment systems for checking the in use NOx and particulate\nemissions conformity which are still under development.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the\nproposal has no implications for the EU budget.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a view to enhance\nroad safety and environmental protection (\"Roadworthiness\nPackage\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament\nand of the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures which\nalso includes: a proposal on the amendment of Directive\n1999/37/EC on registration documents for vehicles\nand a proposal for a regulation\non technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of\ncommercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing\nDirective 2000/30/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT : the following options were\nconsidered:
\n\n· \nOption 1: the 'No policy change' approach where the present EU\nlegal framework would be maintained;
\n\n· \nOption 2: the \"Soft law approach\" would consist in both better\nimplementation and better monitoring of the application of existing\nlegislation;
\n\n· \nOption 3: the \"Legislative approach\" would be based on two\ncomponents: (a) revising upwards the minimum EU standards for\nperiodic roadworthiness tests (PTI) and unexpected roadside\ninspections (RSI) and define mandatory standards; (b) in a second\nphase, the possible establishment of and EU harmonised data\nexchange system linking the existing databases.
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union (TFEU).
\nCONTENT: the \"Roadworthiness Package\" will carry over\nthe existing requirements laid down in the existing legislative\nframework related to the roadworthiness regime, which covers\nroadworthiness tests (Directive 2009/40/EC), roadside inspections\n(Directive 2000/30/EC) and rules on the registration of vehicles\n(Directive 1999/37/EC).
\nThe main objective of the proposal is to provide for\na risk-rating system aimed at focusing inspections on\nvehicles operated by undertaking with poor safety records, thus\nrewarding vehicles operated by undertakings that are mindful of\nsafety and the environment.
\nThe main points of the proposal are as\nfollows:
\nScope: light commercial vehicles and their trailers will be\nincluded into the scope of roadside test activities as this group\nof vehicles does not follow the downward trend in road\nfatalities.
\nRoadside inspections: to\ndistribute better the roadside inspections by Member States a\npercentage of the number of registered commercial vehicles shall be\ninspected every year. The total percentage will not exceed the\nnumber of roadworthiness tests already performed in the\nUnion.
\n\n· \nThe selection of vehicles shall be based on the\nrisk profile of the operators and target high risk undertakings to\nreduce the burden on the operators that maintain their vehicles in\na proper way. Company profiling shall be based on the results of\nprevious roadworthiness tests and roadside inspections\nsimilar.
\n\n· \nMore elaborated roadside inspections shall be\nperformed using testing equipment either by mobile inspection units\nor at test centres in close vicinity. The securing of cargo should\nbe included in the roadside checks. Deficiencies detected shall be\nassessed according to harmonised rules related to their\nrisk.
\nTraining and qualifications: the level of knowledge and skills of inspectors\nperforming roadside inspectors shall meet at least the level of\nthose conducting roadworthiness tests.
\nNational contact points:\ncooperation and exchange of information between Member States and\nwith the Commission will be performed more efficiently via\ndesignated points of contact in the Member States.
\nCommission’s powers: the Commission shall be empowered to update the\nannexes to technical progress via delegated acts and to maintain\nthe certificates and reporting forms in close cooperation with\nMember States via implementing acts including inter alia\nalternative test procedures based upon modern emission\nafter-treatment systems for checking the in use NOx and particulate\nemissions conformity which are still under development.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the\nproposal has no implications for the EU budget.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a view to enhance\nroad safety and environmental protection (\"Roadworthiness\nPackage\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament\nand of the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures\nwhich also includes: a proposal on the amendment of Directive\n1999/37/EC on registration documents for vehicles\nand a proposal for a regulation\non periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their\ntrailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT : the following options were\nconsidered:
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union (TFEU).
\nCONTENT: the \"Roadworthiness Package\" will carry over\nthe existing requirements laid down in the existing legislative\nframework related to the roadworthiness regime, which covers\nroadworthiness tests (Directive 2009/40/EC), roadside inspections\n(Directive 2000/30/EC) and rules on the registration of vehicles\n(Directive 1999/37/EC).
\nThe main objective of the proposal is to provide for\na risk-rating system aimed at focusing inspections on\nvehicles operated by undertaking with poor safety records, thus\nrewarding vehicles operated by undertakings that are mindful of\nsafety and the environment.
\nThe main points of the proposal are as\nfollows:
\nScope: light commercial\nvehicles and their trailers will be included into the scope of\nroadside test activities as this group of vehicles does not follow\nthe downward trend in road fatalities.
\nRoadside inspections: to\ndistribute better the roadside inspections by Member States a\npercentage of the number of registered commercial vehicles shall be\ninspected every year. The total percentage will not exceed the\nnumber of roadworthiness tests already performed in the\nUnion.
\nTraining and qualifications: the level of knowledge and skills of inspectors\nperforming roadside inspectors shall meet at least the level of\nthose conducting roadworthiness tests.
\nNational contact points:\ncooperation and exchange of information between Member States and\nwith the Commission will be performed more efficiently via\ndesignated points of contact in the Member States.
\nCommission’s powers: the Commission shall be empowered to update the\nannexes to technical progress via delegated acts and to maintain\nthe certificates and reporting forms in close cooperation with\nMember States via implementing acts including inter alia\nalternative test procedures based upon modern emission\nafter-treatment systems for checking the in use NOx and particulate\nemissions conformity which are still under development.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the\nproposal has no implications for the EU budget.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a view to enhance\nroad safety and environmental protection (\"Roadworthiness\nPackage\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament\nand of the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures\nwhich also includes: a proposal on the amendment of Directive\n1999/37/EC on registration documents for vehicles\nand a proposal for a regulation\non periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their\ntrailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT : the following options were\nconsidered:
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union (TFEU).
\nCONTENT: the \"Roadworthiness Package\" will carry over\nthe existing requirements laid down in the existing legislative\nframework related to the roadworthiness regime, which covers\nroadworthiness tests (Directive 2009/40/EC), roadside inspections\n(Directive 2000/30/EC) and rules on the registration of vehicles\n(Directive 1999/37/EC).
\nThe main objective of the proposal is to provide for\na risk-rating system aimed at focusing inspections on\nvehicles operated by undertaking with poor safety records, thus\nrewarding vehicles operated by undertakings that are mindful of\nsafety and the environment.
\nThe main points of the proposal are as\nfollows:
\nScope: light commercial\nvehicles and their trailers will be included into the scope of\nroadside test activities as this group of vehicles does not follow\nthe downward trend in road fatalities.
\nRoadside inspections: to\ndistribute better the roadside inspections by Member States a\npercentage of the number of registered commercial vehicles shall be\ninspected every year. The total percentage will not exceed the\nnumber of roadworthiness tests already performed in the\nUnion.
\nTraining and qualifications: the level of knowledge and skills of inspectors\nperforming roadside inspectors shall meet at least the level of\nthose conducting roadworthiness tests.
\nNational contact points:\ncooperation and exchange of information between Member States and\nwith the Commission will be performed more efficiently via\ndesignated points of contact in the Member States.
\nCommission’s powers: the Commission shall be empowered to update the\nannexes to technical progress via delegated acts and to maintain\nthe certificates and reporting forms in close cooperation with\nMember States via implementing acts including inter alia\nalternative test procedures based upon modern emission\nafter-treatment systems for checking the in use NOx and particulate\nemissions conformity which are still under development.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the\nproposal has no implications for the EU budget.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a view to enhance\nroad safety and environmental protection (\"Roadworthiness\nPackage\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament\nand of the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures\nwhich also includes: a proposal on the amendment of Directive\n1999/37/EC on registration documents for vehicles\nand a proposal for a regulation\non periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their\ntrailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT : the following options were\nconsidered:
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union (TFEU).
\nCONTENT: the \"Roadworthiness Package\" will carry over\nthe existing requirements laid down in the existing legislative\nframework related to the roadworthiness regime, which covers\nroadworthiness tests (Directive 2009/40/EC), roadside inspections\n(Directive 2000/30/EC) and rules on the registration of vehicles\n(Directive 1999/37/EC).
\nThe main objective of the proposal is to provide for\na risk-rating system aimed at focusing inspections on\nvehicles operated by undertaking with poor safety records, thus\nrewarding vehicles operated by undertakings that are mindful of\nsafety and the environment.
\nThe main points of the proposal are as\nfollows:
\nScope: light commercial\nvehicles and their trailers will be included into the scope of\nroadside test activities as this group of vehicles does not follow\nthe downward trend in road fatalities.
\nRoadside inspections: to\ndistribute better the roadside inspections by Member States a\npercentage of the number of registered commercial vehicles shall be\ninspected every year. The total percentage will not exceed the\nnumber of roadworthiness tests already performed in the\nUnion.
\nTraining and qualifications: the level of knowledge and skills of inspectors\nperforming roadside inspectors shall meet at least the level of\nthose conducting roadworthiness tests.
\nNational contact points:\ncooperation and exchange of information between Member States and\nwith the Commission will be performed more efficiently via\ndesignated points of contact in the Member States.
\nCommission’s powers: the Commission shall be empowered to update the\nannexes to technical progress via delegated acts and to maintain\nthe certificates and reporting forms in close cooperation with\nMember States via implementing acts including inter alia\nalternative test procedures based upon modern emission\nafter-treatment systems for checking the in use NOx and particulate\nemissions conformity which are still under development.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the\nproposal has no implications for the EU budget.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a view to enhance\nroad safety and environmental protection (\"Roadworthiness\nPackage\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and\nof the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures\nwhich also includes: a proposal for a regulation\non technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of\ncommercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing\nDirective 2000/30/EC and a proposal for a regulation\non periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their\ntrailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT: the following options were\nconsidered:
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union.
\nCONTENT: the proposal will amend the existing\nrequirements laid down in the existing legislative framework\nrelated to the registration documents for vehicles (Directive\n1999/37/EC). It aims at improving the enforcement of the\nroadworthiness testing and roadside inspection regime, notably\nin the case where the technical condition of a vehicle creates an\nimminent risk to road safety.
\nCompared to the existing act, the proposal provides\nfor more precise definitions on the place of registration of\nvehicles, withdrawal and cancellation of registrations. The\nproposal also lays down new requirements on electronic vehicle\nregistration registers and the follow up of notifications related\nto roadworthiness test results, re-registration and destruction of\nvehicles.
\nWithdrawal and cancellation of\nregistrations : the\nproposal:
\nElectronic registers: the proposal also introduces the establishment of\nelectronic registers containing all information related to the\nvehicle registration. This information will be made accessible for\nthe purpose of roadworthiness testing as only a part of this\ninformation is printed on the registration certificates. The\nregister provides for follow-up after notification of\nroadworthiness test results, re-registration and destruction of a\nvehicle.
\nCommission’s powers: the Commission shall be empowered to update the\nannexes taking into account the evolution of the EU type-approval\nlegislation in relation with the content of certificates of\nconformity as well as technical progress via delegated\nacts.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no\nimplications for the EU budget.
\nDELEGATED ACTS: the\nproposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt\ndelegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the EU.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a view to enhance\nroad safety and environmental protection (\"Roadworthiness\nPackage\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and\nof the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures which\nalso includes: a proposal on the amendment of Directive\n1999/37/EC on registration documents for vehicles\nand a proposal for a regulation\non technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of\ncommercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing\nDirective 2000/30/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT: the following options were\nconsidered:
\n\n· \nOption 1: the 'No policy change' approach where the present EU\nlegal framework would be maintained;
\n\n· \nOption 2: the \"Soft law approach\" would consist in both better\nimplementation and better monitoring of the application of existing\nlegislation;
\n\n· \nOption 3: the \"Legislative approach\" would be based on two\ncomponents: (a) revising upwards the minimum EU standards for\nperiodic roadworthiness tests (PTI) and unexpected roadside\ninspections (RSI) and define mandatory standards; (b) in a second\nphase, the possible establishment of and EU harmonised data\nexchange system linking the existing databases.
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union.
\nCONTENT: the proposal will amend the existing\nrequirements laid down in the existing legislative framework\nrelated to the registration documents for vehicles (Directive\n1999/37/EC). It aims at improving the enforcement of the\nroadworthiness testing and roadside inspection regime, notably\nin the case where the technical condition of a vehicle creates an\nimminent risk to road safety.
\nCompared to the existing act, the proposal provides\nfor more precise definitions on the place of registration of\nvehicles, withdrawal and cancellation of registrations. The\nproposal also lays down new requirements on electronic vehicle\nregistration registers and the follow up of notifications related\nto roadworthiness test results, re-registration and destruction of\nvehicles.
\nWithdrawal and cancellation of\nregistrations : the\nproposal:
\n\n· \nensures that vehicles which constitute an\nimmediate risk to road safety due to dangerous defects are not\nallowed on the road by withdrawing their registration until another\nroadworthiness test has been passed successfully. It should not be\nnecessary to go through the process of registration when the\nwithdrawal is lifted again;
\n\n· \nintroduces a degree of automatism whereby the\noriginal registration of vehicles which have been\nre-registered in another Member State are automatically\ncancelled. This avoids the existence of parallel registrations of\nvehicle in different Member States ;
\n\n· \nprovides that registrations of vehicles that\nwould need to be scrapped and those notified as 'end of life\nvehicle' shall be cancelled following its notification.
\nElectronic registers: the proposal also introduces the establishment of\nelectronic registers containing all information related to the\nvehicle registration. This information will be made accessible for\nthe purpose of roadworthiness testing as only a part of this\ninformation is printed on the registration certificates. The\nregister provides for follow-up after notification of\nroadworthiness test results, re-registration and destruction of a\nvehicle.
\nCommission’s powers: the Commission shall be empowered to update the\nannexes taking into account the evolution of the EU type-approval\nlegislation in relation with the content of certificates of\nconformity as well as technical progress via delegated\nacts.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no\nimplications for the EU budget.
\nDELEGATED ACTS: the\nproposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt\ndelegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the EU.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a view to enhance\nroad safety and environmental protection (\"Roadworthiness\nPackage\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and\nof the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures\nwhich also includes: a proposal for a regulation\non technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of\ncommercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing\nDirective 2000/30/EC and a proposal for a regulation\non periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their\ntrailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT: the following options were\nconsidered:
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union.
\nCONTENT: the proposal will amend the existing\nrequirements laid down in the existing legislative framework\nrelated to the registration documents for vehicles (Directive\n1999/37/EC). It aims at improving the enforcement of the\nroadworthiness testing and roadside inspection regime, notably\nin the case where the technical condition of a vehicle creates an\nimminent risk to road safety.
\nCompared to the existing act, the proposal provides\nfor more precise definitions on the place of registration of\nvehicles, withdrawal and cancellation of registrations. The\nproposal also lays down new requirements on electronic vehicle\nregistration registers and the follow up of notifications related\nto roadworthiness test results, re-registration and destruction of\nvehicles.
\nWithdrawal and cancellation of\nregistrations : the\nproposal:
\nElectronic registers: the proposal also introduces the establishment of\nelectronic registers containing all information related to the\nvehicle registration. This information will be made accessible for\nthe purpose of roadworthiness testing as only a part of this\ninformation is printed on the registration certificates. The\nregister provides for follow-up after notification of\nroadworthiness test results, re-registration and destruction of a\nvehicle.
\nCommission’s powers: the Commission shall be empowered to update the\nannexes taking into account the evolution of the EU type-approval\nlegislation in relation with the content of certificates of\nconformity as well as technical progress via delegated\nacts.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no\nimplications for the EU budget.
\nDELEGATED ACTS: the\nproposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt\ndelegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the EU.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a view to enhance\nroad safety and environmental protection (\"Roadworthiness\nPackage\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and\nof the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures\nwhich also includes: a proposal for a regulation\non technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of\ncommercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing\nDirective 2000/30/EC and a proposal for a regulation\non periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their\ntrailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT: the following options were\nconsidered:
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union.
\nCONTENT: the proposal will amend the existing\nrequirements laid down in the existing legislative framework\nrelated to the registration documents for vehicles (Directive\n1999/37/EC). It aims at improving the enforcement of the\nroadworthiness testing and roadside inspection regime, notably\nin the case where the technical condition of a vehicle creates an\nimminent risk to road safety.
\nCompared to the existing act, the proposal provides\nfor more precise definitions on the place of registration of\nvehicles, withdrawal and cancellation of registrations. The\nproposal also lays down new requirements on electronic vehicle\nregistration registers and the follow up of notifications related\nto roadworthiness test results, re-registration and destruction of\nvehicles.
\nWithdrawal and cancellation of\nregistrations : the\nproposal:
\nElectronic registers: the proposal also introduces the establishment of\nelectronic registers containing all information related to the\nvehicle registration. This information will be made accessible for\nthe purpose of roadworthiness testing as only a part of this\ninformation is printed on the registration certificates. The\nregister provides for follow-up after notification of\nroadworthiness test results, re-registration and destruction of a\nvehicle.
\nCommission’s powers: the Commission shall be empowered to update the\nannexes taking into account the evolution of the EU type-approval\nlegislation in relation with the content of certificates of\nconformity as well as technical progress via delegated\nacts.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no\nimplications for the EU budget.
\nDELEGATED ACTS: the\nproposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt\ndelegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the EU.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a view to enhance\nroad safety and environmental protection (\"Roadworthiness\nPackage\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and\nof the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures which\nalso includes: a proposal on the amendment of Directive\n1999/37/EC on registration documents for vehicles\nand a proposal for a regulation\non technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of\ncommercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing\nDirective 2000/30/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT: the following options were\nconsidered:
\n\n· \nOption 1: the 'No policy change' approach where the present EU\nlegal framework would be maintained;
\n\n· \nOption 2: the \"Soft law approach\" would consist in both better\nimplementation and better monitoring of the application of existing\nlegislation;
\n\n· \nOption 3: the \"Legislative approach\" would be based on two\ncomponents: (a) revising upwards the minimum EU standards for\nperiodic roadworthiness tests (PTI) and unexpected roadside\ninspections (RSI) and define mandatory standards; (b) in a second\nphase, the possible establishment of and EU harmonised data\nexchange system linking the existing databases.
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union.
\nCONTENT: the proposal will amend the existing\nrequirements laid down in the existing legislative framework\nrelated to the registration documents for vehicles (Directive\n1999/37/EC). It aims at improving the enforcement of the\nroadworthiness testing and roadside inspection regime, notably\nin the case where the technical condition of a vehicle creates an\nimminent risk to road safety.
\nCompared to the existing act, the proposal provides\nfor more precise definitions on the place of registration of\nvehicles, withdrawal and cancellation of registrations. The\nproposal also lays down new requirements on electronic vehicle\nregistration registers and the follow up of notifications related\nto roadworthiness test results, re-registration and destruction of\nvehicles.
\nWithdrawal and cancellation of\nregistrations : the\nproposal:
\n\n· \nensures that vehicles which constitute an\nimmediate risk to road safety due to dangerous defects are not\nallowed on the road by withdrawing their registration until another\nroadworthiness test has been passed successfully. It should not be\nnecessary to go through the process of registration when the\nwithdrawal is lifted again;
\n\n· \nintroduces a degree of automatism whereby the\noriginal registration of vehicles which have been\nre-registered in another Member State are automatically\ncancelled. This avoids the existence of parallel registrations of\nvehicle in different Member States ;
\n\n· \nprovides that registrations of vehicles that\nwould need to be scrapped and those notified as 'end of life\nvehicle' shall be cancelled following its notification.
\nElectronic registers: the proposal also introduces the establishment of\nelectronic registers containing all information related to the\nvehicle registration. This information will be made accessible for\nthe purpose of roadworthiness testing as only a part of this\ninformation is printed on the registration certificates. The\nregister provides for follow-up after notification of\nroadworthiness test results, re-registration and destruction of a\nvehicle.
\nCommission’s powers: the Commission shall be empowered to update the\nannexes taking into account the evolution of the EU type-approval\nlegislation in relation with the content of certificates of\nconformity as well as technical progress via delegated\nacts.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no\nimplications for the EU budget.
\nDELEGATED ACTS: the\nproposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt\ndelegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the EU.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a view to enhance\nroad safety and environmental protection (\"Roadworthiness\nPackage\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and\nof the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures\nwhich also includes: a proposal for a regulation\non technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of\ncommercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing\nDirective 2000/30/EC and a proposal for a regulation\non periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their\ntrailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT: the following options were\nconsidered:
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union.
\nCONTENT: the proposal will amend the existing\nrequirements laid down in the existing legislative framework\nrelated to the registration documents for vehicles (Directive\n1999/37/EC). It aims at improving the enforcement of the\nroadworthiness testing and roadside inspection regime, notably\nin the case where the technical condition of a vehicle creates an\nimminent risk to road safety.
\nCompared to the existing act, the proposal provides\nfor more precise definitions on the place of registration of\nvehicles, withdrawal and cancellation of registrations. The\nproposal also lays down new requirements on electronic vehicle\nregistration registers and the follow up of notifications related\nto roadworthiness test results, re-registration and destruction of\nvehicles.
\nWithdrawal and cancellation of\nregistrations : the\nproposal:
\nElectronic registers: the proposal also introduces the establishment of\nelectronic registers containing all information related to the\nvehicle registration. This information will be made accessible for\nthe purpose of roadworthiness testing as only a part of this\ninformation is printed on the registration certificates. The\nregister provides for follow-up after notification of\nroadworthiness test results, re-registration and destruction of a\nvehicle.
\nCommission’s powers: the Commission shall be empowered to update the\nannexes taking into account the evolution of the EU type-approval\nlegislation in relation with the content of certificates of\nconformity as well as technical progress via delegated\nacts.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no\nimplications for the EU budget.
\nDELEGATED ACTS: the\nproposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt\ndelegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the EU.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a\nview to enhance road safety and environmental protection\n(\"Roadworthiness Package\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament\nand of the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures which\nalso includes: a proposal on the amendment of Directive\n1999/37/EC on registration documents for vehicles\nand a proposal for a regulation\non technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of\ncommercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing\nDirective 2000/30/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT : the following options were\nconsidered:
\n\n· \nOption 1: the 'No policy change' approach where the present EU\nlegal framework would be maintained;
\n\n· \nOption 2: the \"Soft law approach\" would consist in both better\nimplementation and better monitoring of the application of existing\nlegislation;
\n\n· \nOption 3: the \"Legislative approach\" would be based on two\ncomponents: (a) revising upwards the minimum EU standards for\nperiodic roadworthiness tests (PTI) and unexpected roadside\ninspections (RSI) and define mandatory standards; (b) in a second\nphase, the possible establishment of and EU harmonised data\nexchange system linking the existing databases.
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union (TFEU).
\nCONTENT: the \"Roadworthiness Package\" will carry over\nthe existing requirements laid down in the existing legislative\nframework related to the roadworthiness regime, which covers\nroadworthiness tests (Directive 2009/40/EC), roadside inspections\n(Directive 2000/30/EC) and rules on the registration of vehicles\n(Directive 1999/37/EC).
\nCompared to the existing legislation on roadworthiness\ntests, the proposal extends the scope of the existing regime to new\ncategories of vehicles, including motorcycles, as well as the\nfrequency of inspections for older vehicles to those having reached\na high mileage. The proposal also lays down new requirements on\nseveral issues related to the standard and quality of testing,\nnamely:
\nAccess to information: testing centres shall have access to the technical\ninformation necessary to perform the tests including those of\nelectronic safety related components like ABS or ESC. Manufacturers\nshall provide access to such information as it is already in place\nfor vehicle repair and maintenance information.
\nInspections: the scope\nof vehicles to be tested will be extended to the powered two or\nthree wheelers, light trailers up to 3.5 tons and tractors with a\ndesign speed exceeding 40 km/h. Considering the aspects of vehicle\nage and yearly mileage the test frequency of older cars will be\nincreased and vehicles with high mileage will be subject to annual\ntesting as it is already the case for taxis and ambulances. A time\nwindow of four month in which the roadworthiness test shall be\nperformed will allow for sufficient flexibility for citizens and\noperators.
\nEquipment to be used for testing: the equipment to be used for testing shall fulfil\ncertain minimum requirements allowing for an efficient performing\nof the test methods described. Detected deficiencies shall be\nassessed according to harmonised rules related to their risk to\nroad safety.
\nQualifications and personnel training:\ninspectors performing roadworthiness tests shall\nmeet a certain level of knowledge and skills and be properly\ntrained. Inspectors shall be free of any conflict of interests, in\nparticular as regards economic, personal or family links with the\nholder of the vehicle registration. Roadworthiness test activities\nperformed by authorised private bodies shall be subject to\nsupervision.
\nResults and penalties:\nresults of roadworthiness tests, including information on the\nvehicles mileage, shall be kept in national registers, which will\nfacilitate the identification of mileage fraud. Odometer fraud\nshould also be more systematically considered as an offence liable\nto a penalty.
\nNational contact points:\nin several Member States a high number of private authorised test\ncentres carry out roadworthiness tests. In order to ensure the\nefficient exchange of information between Member States, national\ncontact points should be designated and certain common procedures\nsuch as a minimum to time limits and the nature of the information\nto be forwarded, should be specified.
\nCommission’s powers (delegated acts):\nthe Commission shall be empowered to amend the\nRegulation with a view to take into account, when appropriate,\nevolution of the EU type-approval legislation in relation with\nvehicle categories and to update the annexes to technical progress\nvia delegated acts including inter alia alternative test procedures\nbased upon modern emission after-treatment systems for checking the\nin use NOx and particulate emissions conformity which are still\nunder development.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no\nimplications for the EU budget.
\nDELEGATED ACTS: the\nproposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt\ndelegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the EU.
\nThe Council held a debate on a proposal for a\nRegulation updating the common rules on mandatory periodic\nroadworthiness tests for motor vehicles intended to improve road\nsafety, as well as environmental protection. The proposed Regulation, presented by the Commission\nin July 2012, is part of a \"roadworthiness package\" that also\nincludes proposals for Regulations on\nroadside inspections of commercial vehicles and on the registration\ndocuments for vehicles.
\nThe debate, which was based on a Presidency paper,\nfocused on the following questions:
\n1) The degree of harmonisation of vehicle testing to\nbe achieved through the new rules:
\n2) The list of vehicles to be checked regularly and\nthe frequency of the checks:
\nThe Council held a debate on a proposal for a\nRegulation updating the common rules on mandatory periodic\nroadworthiness tests for motor vehicles intended to improve road\nsafety, as well as environmental protection. The proposed Regulation, presented by the Commission\nin July 2012, is part of a \"roadworthiness package\" that also\nincludes proposals for Regulations on\nroadside inspections of commercial vehicles and on the registration\ndocuments for vehicles.
\nThe debate, which was based on a Presidency paper,\nfocused on the following questions:
\n1) The degree of harmonisation of vehicle testing to\nbe achieved through the new rules:
\n2) The list of vehicles to be checked regularly and\nthe frequency of the checks:
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a\nview to enhance road safety and environmental protection\n(\"Roadworthiness Package\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament\nand of the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures which\nalso includes: a proposal on the amendment of Directive\n1999/37/EC on registration documents for vehicles\nand a proposal for a regulation\non technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of\ncommercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing\nDirective 2000/30/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT : the following options were\nconsidered:
\n\n· \nOption 1: the 'No policy change' approach where the present EU\nlegal framework would be maintained;
\n\n· \nOption 2: the \"Soft law approach\" would consist in both better\nimplementation and better monitoring of the application of existing\nlegislation;
\n\n· \nOption 3: the \"Legislative approach\" would be based on two\ncomponents: (a) revising upwards the minimum EU standards for\nperiodic roadworthiness tests (PTI) and unexpected roadside\ninspections (RSI) and define mandatory standards; (b) in a second\nphase, the possible establishment of and EU harmonised data\nexchange system linking the existing databases.
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union (TFEU).
\nCONTENT: the \"Roadworthiness Package\" will carry over\nthe existing requirements laid down in the existing legislative\nframework related to the roadworthiness regime, which covers\nroadworthiness tests (Directive 2009/40/EC), roadside inspections\n(Directive 2000/30/EC) and rules on the registration of vehicles\n(Directive 1999/37/EC).
\nCompared to the existing legislation on roadworthiness\ntests, the proposal extends the scope of the existing regime to new\ncategories of vehicles, including motorcycles, as well as the\nfrequency of inspections for older vehicles to those having reached\na high mileage. The proposal also lays down new requirements on\nseveral issues related to the standard and quality of testing,\nnamely:
\nAccess to information: testing centres shall have access to the technical\ninformation necessary to perform the tests including those of\nelectronic safety related components like ABS or ESC. Manufacturers\nshall provide access to such information as it is already in place\nfor vehicle repair and maintenance information.
\nInspections: the scope\nof vehicles to be tested will be extended to the powered two or\nthree wheelers, light trailers up to 3.5 tons and tractors with a\ndesign speed exceeding 40 km/h. Considering the aspects of vehicle\nage and yearly mileage the test frequency of older cars will be\nincreased and vehicles with high mileage will be subject to annual\ntesting as it is already the case for taxis and ambulances. A time\nwindow of four month in which the roadworthiness test shall be\nperformed will allow for sufficient flexibility for citizens and\noperators.
\nEquipment to be used for testing: the equipment to be used for testing shall fulfil\ncertain minimum requirements allowing for an efficient performing\nof the test methods described. Detected deficiencies shall be\nassessed according to harmonised rules related to their risk to\nroad safety.
\nQualifications and personnel training:\ninspectors performing roadworthiness tests shall\nmeet a certain level of knowledge and skills and be properly\ntrained. Inspectors shall be free of any conflict of interests, in\nparticular as regards economic, personal or family links with the\nholder of the vehicle registration. Roadworthiness test activities\nperformed by authorised private bodies shall be subject to\nsupervision.
\nResults and penalties:\nresults of roadworthiness tests, including information on the\nvehicles mileage, shall be kept in national registers, which will\nfacilitate the identification of mileage fraud. Odometer fraud\nshould also be more systematically considered as an offence liable\nto a penalty.
\nNational contact points:\nin several Member States a high number of private authorised test\ncentres carry out roadworthiness tests. In order to ensure the\nefficient exchange of information between Member States, national\ncontact points should be designated and certain common procedures\nsuch as a minimum to time limits and the nature of the information\nto be forwarded, should be specified.
\nCommission’s powers (delegated acts):\nthe Commission shall be empowered to amend the\nRegulation with a view to take into account, when appropriate,\nevolution of the EU type-approval legislation in relation with\nvehicle categories and to update the annexes to technical progress\nvia delegated acts including inter alia alternative test procedures\nbased upon modern emission after-treatment systems for checking the\nin use NOx and particulate emissions conformity which are still\nunder development.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no\nimplications for the EU budget.
\nDELEGATED ACTS: the\nproposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt\ndelegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the EU.
\nThe Council held a debate on a proposal for a\nRegulation updating the common rules on mandatory periodic\nroadworthiness tests for motor vehicles intended to improve road\nsafety, as well as environmental protection. The proposed Regulation, presented by the Commission\nin July 2012, is part of a \"roadworthiness package\" that also\nincludes proposals for Regulations on\nroadside inspections of commercial vehicles and on the registration\ndocuments for vehicles.
\nThe debate, which was based on a Presidency paper,\nfocused on the following questions:
\n1) The degree of harmonisation of vehicle testing to\nbe achieved through the new rules:
\n2) The list of vehicles to be checked regularly and\nthe frequency of the checks:
\nThe Council held a debate on a proposal for a\nRegulation updating the common rules on mandatory periodic\nroadworthiness tests for motor vehicles intended to improve road\nsafety, as well as environmental protection. The proposed Regulation, presented by the Commission\nin July 2012, is part of a \"roadworthiness package\" that also\nincludes proposals for Regulations on\nroadside inspections of commercial vehicles and on the registration\ndocuments for vehicles.
\nThe debate, which was based on a Presidency paper,\nfocused on the following questions:
\n1) The degree of harmonisation of vehicle testing to\nbe achieved through the new rules:
\n2) The list of vehicles to be checked regularly and\nthe frequency of the checks:
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a\nview to enhance road safety and environmental protection\n(\"Roadworthiness Package\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament\nand of the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures which\nalso includes: a proposal on the amendment of Directive\n1999/37/EC on registration documents for vehicles\nand a proposal for a regulation\non technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of\ncommercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing\nDirective 2000/30/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT : the following options were\nconsidered:
\n\n· \nOption 1: the 'No policy change' approach where the present EU\nlegal framework would be maintained;
\n\n· \nOption 2: the \"Soft law approach\" would consist in both better\nimplementation and better monitoring of the application of existing\nlegislation;
\n\n· \nOption 3: the \"Legislative approach\" would be based on two\ncomponents: (a) revising upwards the minimum EU standards for\nperiodic roadworthiness tests (PTI) and unexpected roadside\ninspections (RSI) and define mandatory standards; (b) in a second\nphase, the possible establishment of and EU harmonised data\nexchange system linking the existing databases.
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union (TFEU).
\nCONTENT: the \"Roadworthiness Package\" will carry over\nthe existing requirements laid down in the existing legislative\nframework related to the roadworthiness regime, which covers\nroadworthiness tests (Directive 2009/40/EC), roadside inspections\n(Directive 2000/30/EC) and rules on the registration of vehicles\n(Directive 1999/37/EC).
\nCompared to the existing legislation on roadworthiness\ntests, the proposal extends the scope of the existing regime to new\ncategories of vehicles, including motorcycles, as well as the\nfrequency of inspections for older vehicles to those having reached\na high mileage. The proposal also lays down new requirements on\nseveral issues related to the standard and quality of testing,\nnamely:
\nAccess to information: testing centres shall have access to the technical\ninformation necessary to perform the tests including those of\nelectronic safety related components like ABS or ESC. Manufacturers\nshall provide access to such information as it is already in place\nfor vehicle repair and maintenance information.
\nInspections: the scope\nof vehicles to be tested will be extended to the powered two or\nthree wheelers, light trailers up to 3.5 tons and tractors with a\ndesign speed exceeding 40 km/h. Considering the aspects of vehicle\nage and yearly mileage the test frequency of older cars will be\nincreased and vehicles with high mileage will be subject to annual\ntesting as it is already the case for taxis and ambulances. A time\nwindow of four month in which the roadworthiness test shall be\nperformed will allow for sufficient flexibility for citizens and\noperators.
\nEquipment to be used for testing: the equipment to be used for testing shall fulfil\ncertain minimum requirements allowing for an efficient performing\nof the test methods described. Detected deficiencies shall be\nassessed according to harmonised rules related to their risk to\nroad safety.
\nQualifications and personnel training:\ninspectors performing roadworthiness tests shall\nmeet a certain level of knowledge and skills and be properly\ntrained. Inspectors shall be free of any conflict of interests, in\nparticular as regards economic, personal or family links with the\nholder of the vehicle registration. Roadworthiness test activities\nperformed by authorised private bodies shall be subject to\nsupervision.
\nResults and penalties:\nresults of roadworthiness tests, including information on the\nvehicles mileage, shall be kept in national registers, which will\nfacilitate the identification of mileage fraud. Odometer fraud\nshould also be more systematically considered as an offence liable\nto a penalty.
\nNational contact points:\nin several Member States a high number of private authorised test\ncentres carry out roadworthiness tests. In order to ensure the\nefficient exchange of information between Member States, national\ncontact points should be designated and certain common procedures\nsuch as a minimum to time limits and the nature of the information\nto be forwarded, should be specified.
\nCommission’s powers (delegated acts):\nthe Commission shall be empowered to amend the\nRegulation with a view to take into account, when appropriate,\nevolution of the EU type-approval legislation in relation with\nvehicle categories and to update the annexes to technical progress\nvia delegated acts including inter alia alternative test procedures\nbased upon modern emission after-treatment systems for checking the\nin use NOx and particulate emissions conformity which are still\nunder development.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no\nimplications for the EU budget.
\nDELEGATED ACTS: the\nproposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt\ndelegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the EU.
\nPURPOSE: to support and to enforce roadworthiness\ntesting of motor vehicles and their trailers with a\nview to enhance road safety and environmental protection\n(\"Roadworthiness Package\").
\nPROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament\nand of the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: before a vehicle may be put on the market,\nit has to fulfil all the relevant type or individual approval\nrequirements guaranteeing an optimal level of safety and\nenvironmental standards. Following this approval, cars on the road\nhave to be regularly submitted to periodic roadworthiness\ntests.
\nThe goal of roadworthiness testing is to check the\nfunctionality of safety components, the environmental performance\nand the compliance of a vehicle with its approval.
\nThe proposal aims at contributing to reach the target\nof a reduction of road fatalities by half until 2020 as laid down\nin the Policy Orientations on Road Safety\n2011-2020. It will also contribute to the\nreduction of emissions in road transport linked to poor maintenance\nof vehicles, following the European Strategy on clean and energy efficient\nvehicles as well as the integrated energy and climate change\npolicy.
\nThe proposal is part of a package of measures which\nalso includes: a proposal on the amendment of Directive\n1999/37/EC on registration documents for vehicles\nand a proposal for a regulation\non technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of\ncommercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing\nDirective 2000/30/EC.
\nIMPACT ASSESSMENT : the following options were\nconsidered:
\n\n· \nOption 1: the 'No policy change' approach where the present EU\nlegal framework would be maintained;
\n\n· \nOption 2: the \"Soft law approach\" would consist in both better\nimplementation and better monitoring of the application of existing\nlegislation;
\n\n· \nOption 3: the \"Legislative approach\" would be based on two\ncomponents: (a) revising upwards the minimum EU standards for\nperiodic roadworthiness tests (PTI) and unexpected roadside\ninspections (RSI) and define mandatory standards; (b) in a second\nphase, the possible establishment of and EU harmonised data\nexchange system linking the existing databases.
\nThe impact assessment has shown the benefits of a\ncombination of a soft-law approach with a regulatory approach.\nTherefore, the soft-law measures have been integrated into the\nlegislative texts.
\nLEGAL BASIS: Article 91 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union (TFEU).
\nCONTENT: the \"Roadworthiness Package\" will carry over\nthe existing requirements laid down in the existing legislative\nframework related to the roadworthiness regime, which covers\nroadworthiness tests (Directive 2009/40/EC), roadside inspections\n(Directive 2000/30/EC) and rules on the registration of vehicles\n(Directive 1999/37/EC).
\nCompared to the existing legislation on roadworthiness\ntests, the proposal extends the scope of the existing regime to new\ncategories of vehicles, including motorcycles, as well as the\nfrequency of inspections for older vehicles to those having reached\na high mileage. The proposal also lays down new requirements on\nseveral issues related to the standard and quality of testing,\nnamely:
\nAccess to information: testing centres shall have access to the technical\ninformation necessary to perform the tests including those of\nelectronic safety related components like ABS or ESC. Manufacturers\nshall provide access to such information as it is already in place\nfor vehicle repair and maintenance information.
\nInspections: the scope\nof vehicles to be tested will be extended to the powered two or\nthree wheelers, light trailers up to 3.5 tons and tractors with a\ndesign speed exceeding 40 km/h. Considering the aspects of vehicle\nage and yearly mileage the test frequency of older cars will be\nincreased and vehicles with high mileage will be subject to annual\ntesting as it is already the case for taxis and ambulances. A time\nwindow of four month in which the roadworthiness test shall be\nperformed will allow for sufficient flexibility for citizens and\noperators.
\nEquipment to be used for testing: the equipment to be used for testing shall fulfil\ncertain minimum requirements allowing for an efficient performing\nof the test methods described. Detected deficiencies shall be\nassessed according to harmonised rules related to their risk to\nroad safety.
\nQualifications and personnel training:\ninspectors performing roadworthiness tests shall\nmeet a certain level of knowledge and skills and be properly\ntrained. Inspectors shall be free of any conflict of interests, in\nparticular as regards economic, personal or family links with the\nholder of the vehicle registration. Roadworthiness test activities\nperformed by authorised private bodies shall be subject to\nsupervision.
\nResults and penalties:\nresults of roadworthiness tests, including information on the\nvehicles mileage, shall be kept in national registers, which will\nfacilitate the identification of mileage fraud. Odometer fraud\nshould also be more systematically considered as an offence liable\nto a penalty.
\nNational contact points:\nin several Member States a high number of private authorised test\ncentres carry out roadworthiness tests. In order to ensure the\nefficient exchange of information between Member States, national\ncontact points should be designated and certain common procedures\nsuch as a minimum to time limits and the nature of the information\nto be forwarded, should be specified.
\nCommission’s powers (delegated acts):\nthe Commission shall be empowered to amend the\nRegulation with a view to take into account, when appropriate,\nevolution of the EU type-approval legislation in relation with\nvehicle categories and to update the annexes to technical progress\nvia delegated acts including inter alia alternative test procedures\nbased upon modern emission after-treatment systems for checking the\nin use NOx and particulate emissions conformity which are still\nunder development.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no\nimplications for the EU budget.
\nDELEGATED ACTS: the\nproposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt\ndelegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the EU.
\nThe Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the\nown-initiative report by Philip BRADBOURN (ECR, UK) on the future\nof regional airports and air services in the EU.
\nThe report notes that regional aviation, like other\nmodes of transport, is a key enabler in citizens’ mobility. It\nstresses that improved connectivity and efficient inter-modal\nmobility can contribute considerably to better access to the\nregions, to business, tourism and the development of related\nservices, and to the spread of economic prosperity.
\nThe committee makes the following\nrecommendations:
\nEconomics of regional air\nservices: the report underlines the\nneed for a public service obligation for air services of\neconomic and public interest, especially those connecting\nremote regions, islands and the outermost regions, in order to\nensure their full accessibility and territorial integration.\nMembers believe that such services would not be economically viable\nwithout public money.
\nThey believe that it is desirable to avoid a\nproliferation of regional airports, and note that the\ndevelopment of regional airports should be targeted in order to\navoid the creation of unused or not efficiently used airport\ninfrastructures which would result in an economic burden for the\nauthorities responsible. They maintain, on the contrary, that\nexisting links should be strengthened, especially in areas\n(islands, for example) suffering from geographical\nhandicaps.
\nThe Commission is asked to review\nDecision 2012/21/EU on the application of Article 106(2),\nby means of which the threshold for which an airport can receive\nstate aid without having to notify the Commission was decreased to\n200 000 passengers per year, bearing in mind the\nCommunity Guidelines (2005/C312/01) which state that an airport can\nbecome cost-efficient with a traffic of over\n500 000 passengers per year.
\nThe committee takes the view that national and\nregional authorities should properly support regional airports, on\naccount of the latter’s environmental and economic impact.\nRegional airports should also be subject to local and regional\nconsultation, and – on the basis of cost-benefit analyses\n– be considered eligible to apply for financing under EU\nfunds, as well as other EU-funded financial engineering\ninstruments within the new programming framework. The Commission is\nasked to:
\n\n· \ntake into consideration the opportunities\noffered by regional airports as part of the European central\ntransport network;
\n\n· \ntake a balanced approach in future revisions of\naviation guidelines in order to provide for a socially and\neconomically viable development of regional air\nservices,
\n\n· \nin supporting the development of regional\nairports and the construction of new regional airports (especially\nin countries whose national airports are situated in remote areas),\nto pay particular regard to the balanced territorial development of\nregions corresponding to levels I and II of the Nomenclature of\nTerritorial Statistical Units (NUTS).
\nThe report stresses that adequate development of\nregional airports contributes to parallel development of the\ntourist system, which is a vitally important area for many\nEuropean regions. It calls on the Commission to take account of the\nspecific nature and problems of these seasonal regional airports\nwhen adopting new legislation for the sector.
\nRegional airports are becoming more and more important\nfor charter airlines as well as for low-cost carriers.\nMembers expresses concern that certain practices of low-cost\nairlines, which often operate from regional airports, lead to\npoorer quality of service for passengers and a deterioration in\nworking conditions.
\nThey call on the Commission to guarantee the\ncorrect application of European and national legislation on\nairlines’ social conditions and terms of employment, so\nthat staff employed at a regional airport do not become victims of\nsocial dumping and so that fair competition and a level playing\nfield can be ensured in the aviation sector.
\nMembers are also concerned by ‘one-bag’ rule\nand other restrictions to the cabin baggage allowance imposed by\ncertain airlines. They take the view that these practices represent\na breach of competition law, and believe that these restrictions\nmay constitute an abuse of a carrier’s position. They call,\ntherefore, on Member States to set common upper limits to be\nimposed on airlines with regard to such restrictions and consider\nthat any checks relating to luggage weight restrictions and size\nshould be made before arrival at the departure gate.
\nThe report also considers that goods transport\nis a positive factor for regional airports which can further\ndevelopment and jobs, not least through the establishment of\nrelated ground services and of businesses linked to regional\nairports. It calls on the Commission to draw up a strategy that\nwill promote goods transport and facilitate cooperation between\nneighbouring regional airports. Members urge Member State\nauthorities to propose plans to develop existing regional airports\nand make them more efficient.
\nEnvironment and innovation: Members are of the opinion that there is plenty of\nspare capacity to be utilised at many regional airports and that,\nby using that spare capacity, congestion and stacking at major\nairports can be reduced and the environmental impact limited. They\nalso highlight the role of regional airports in acting as a\nmainspring for the development of innovation clusters by\ndiminishing location costs for start-ups, especially in\ngeographically remote regions.
\nThe report calls on Member States and regional and\nlocal authorities to take account of, in addition to economic and\nfinancial considerations, environmental, territorial, geological\nand meteorological factors, and of other rational criteria when\ndeciding where to locate airports and whenever regional airport\nfacilities need to be renovated or expanded. It underlines, at the\nsame time, the importance of using and modernising existing\nstructures before building new ones.
\nThe Commission and Member States are urged to speed up\nthe development of the Joint Undertaking to develop the new\ngeneration European air traffic management system (SESAR), the\nClean Sky initiative and the enforcement of Single European Sky\nlegislation as a matter of urgency.
\nCongestion and multimodality:\nnoting that recent studies state that European\nregions are losing direct links to some of the most congested\nairports, the report suggests that the scope of any future studies\nbe extended to regional airports. In the interim, it encourages the\nMember States and the Commission to promote connections between\nregional airports and main airports in the Member States,\nhelping to boost the economy in the areas around regional airports\nwhiles also offering one solution to the problem of air-traffic\ncongestion in Europe.
\nMembers urge all parties and institutions involved in\nthe revision of Regulation (EEC) No 95/93 (as amended\nby Regulation (EC) No 793/2004) to focus on delivering new\ncapacity at airports rather than pricing regional air services out\nof the market. They consider it essential for regional airports to\nhave access to hubs, and take the view that this must be considered\nduring the revision of Regulation (EEC) No 95/93.
\nRegional airports situated away from urban centres are\noften not adequately connected to the transport network on the\nground. Members call for Member States to develop their\nintermodal policies and to invest in these strategically\nimportant intermodal connections, for example connections with the\nrail network. They believe that the network development plans of\nthe rail and road sector should take the location of airports\ninto account, with the aim of including airports in the ground\ntransport networks being built. They note the need to develop\nregional airport networks based on integrated connections with\nthe major airports in order to improve the mobility of people and\nto streamline goods transport.
\nThe trans-European transport network\n(TEN-T): Members believe that, as\npart of the TEN-T, regional airports could play a leading role in\nthe creation of a wider European Common Aviation Area covering\n1 billion people in the EU and neighbouring countries, in line\nwith the Commission communication.\nStressing that the role played by regional airports is vital for\nterritorial cohesion and social and economic development in the\nregions, they call for regional airports to be taken into account\nin the future trans-European transport network policy. The report\nalso emphasises that regional airports in trans-border regions,\nwhich are located in close proximity to each other, should\ndemonstrate cooperation and coordination in the use of existing\ncapacities as a precondition for EU co-financing by TEN-T, cohesion\nand regional funds.
\nThe committee goes on to make a series of\nrecommendations aiming to improve security, transparency and\naccessibility with regard to regional airports. With regard to\nthe latter, Members call on the companies responsible for the\nmanagement of regional airports to make the necessary structural\nalterations to accommodate disabled people, so as to enable them to\naccess the various airport areas without assistance and to use all\nservices without difficulty.
\nThe Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the\nown-initiative report by Philip BRADBOURN (ECR, UK) on the future\nof regional airports and air services in the EU.
\nThe report notes that regional aviation, like other\nmodes of transport, is a key enabler in citizens’ mobility. It\nstresses that improved connectivity and efficient inter-modal\nmobility can contribute considerably to better access to the\nregions, to business, tourism and the development of related\nservices, and to the spread of economic prosperity.
\nThe committee makes the following\nrecommendations:
\nEconomics of regional air\nservices: the report underlines the\nneed for a public service obligation for air services of\neconomic and public interest, especially those connecting\nremote regions, islands and the outermost regions, in order to\nensure their full accessibility and territorial integration.\nMembers believe that such services would not be economically viable\nwithout public money.
\nThey believe that it is desirable to avoid a\nproliferation of regional airports, and note that the\ndevelopment of regional airports should be targeted in order to\navoid the creation of unused or not efficiently used airport\ninfrastructures which would result in an economic burden for the\nauthorities responsible. They maintain, on the contrary, that\nexisting links should be strengthened, especially in areas\n(islands, for example) suffering from geographical\nhandicaps.
\nThe Commission is asked to review\nDecision 2012/21/EU on the application of Article 106(2),\nby means of which the threshold for which an airport can receive\nstate aid without having to notify the Commission was decreased to\n200 000 passengers per year, bearing in mind the\nCommunity Guidelines (2005/C312/01) which state that an airport can\nbecome cost-efficient with a traffic of over\n500 000 passengers per year.
\nThe committee takes the view that national and\nregional authorities should properly support regional airports, on\naccount of the latter’s environmental and economic impact.\nRegional airports should also be subject to local and regional\nconsultation, and – on the basis of cost-benefit analyses\n– be considered eligible to apply for financing under EU\nfunds, as well as other EU-funded financial engineering\ninstruments within the new programming framework. The Commission is\nasked to:
\n\n· \ntake into consideration the opportunities\noffered by regional airports as part of the European central\ntransport network;
\n\n· \ntake a balanced approach in future revisions of\naviation guidelines in order to provide for a socially and\neconomically viable development of regional air\nservices,
\n\n· \nin supporting the development of regional\nairports and the construction of new regional airports (especially\nin countries whose national airports are situated in remote areas),\nto pay particular regard to the balanced territorial development of\nregions corresponding to levels I and II of the Nomenclature of\nTerritorial Statistical Units (NUTS).
\nThe report stresses that adequate development of\nregional airports contributes to parallel development of the\ntourist system, which is a vitally important area for many\nEuropean regions. It calls on the Commission to take account of the\nspecific nature and problems of these seasonal regional airports\nwhen adopting new legislation for the sector.
\nRegional airports are becoming more and more important\nfor charter airlines as well as for low-cost carriers.\nMembers expresses concern that certain practices of low-cost\nairlines, which often operate from regional airports, lead to\npoorer quality of service for passengers and a deterioration in\nworking conditions.
\nThey call on the Commission to guarantee the\ncorrect application of European and national legislation on\nairlines’ social conditions and terms of employment, so\nthat staff employed at a regional airport do not become victims of\nsocial dumping and so that fair competition and a level playing\nfield can be ensured in the aviation sector.
\nMembers are also concerned by ‘one-bag’ rule\nand other restrictions to the cabin baggage allowance imposed by\ncertain airlines. They take the view that these practices represent\na breach of competition law, and believe that these restrictions\nmay constitute an abuse of a carrier’s position. They call,\ntherefore, on Member States to set common upper limits to be\nimposed on airlines with regard to such restrictions and consider\nthat any checks relating to luggage weight restrictions and size\nshould be made before arrival at the departure gate.
\nThe report also considers that goods transport\nis a positive factor for regional airports which can further\ndevelopment and jobs, not least through the establishment of\nrelated ground services and of businesses linked to regional\nairports. It calls on the Commission to draw up a strategy that\nwill promote goods transport and facilitate cooperation between\nneighbouring regional airports. Members urge Member State\nauthorities to propose plans to develop existing regional airports\nand make them more efficient.
\nEnvironment and innovation: Members are of the opinion that there is plenty of\nspare capacity to be utilised at many regional airports and that,\nby using that spare capacity, congestion and stacking at major\nairports can be reduced and the environmental impact limited. They\nalso highlight the role of regional airports in acting as a\nmainspring for the development of innovation clusters by\ndiminishing location costs for start-ups, especially in\ngeographically remote regions.
\nThe report calls on Member States and regional and\nlocal authorities to take account of, in addition to economic and\nfinancial considerations, environmental, territorial, geological\nand meteorological factors, and of other rational criteria when\ndeciding where to locate airports and whenever regional airport\nfacilities need to be renovated or expanded. It underlines, at the\nsame time, the importance of using and modernising existing\nstructures before building new ones.
\nThe Commission and Member States are urged to speed up\nthe development of the Joint Undertaking to develop the new\ngeneration European air traffic management system (SESAR), the\nClean Sky initiative and the enforcement of Single European Sky\nlegislation as a matter of urgency.
\nCongestion and multimodality:\nnoting that recent studies state that European\nregions are losing direct links to some of the most congested\nairports, the report suggests that the scope of any future studies\nbe extended to regional airports. In the interim, it encourages the\nMember States and the Commission to promote connections between\nregional airports and main airports in the Member States,\nhelping to boost the economy in the areas around regional airports\nwhiles also offering one solution to the problem of air-traffic\ncongestion in Europe.
\nMembers urge all parties and institutions involved in\nthe revision of Regulation (EEC) No 95/93 (as amended\nby Regulation (EC) No 793/2004) to focus on delivering new\ncapacity at airports rather than pricing regional air services out\nof the market. They consider it essential for regional airports to\nhave access to hubs, and take the view that this must be considered\nduring the revision of Regulation (EEC) No 95/93.
\nRegional airports situated away from urban centres are\noften not adequately connected to the transport network on the\nground. Members call for Member States to develop their\nintermodal policies and to invest in these strategically\nimportant intermodal connections, for example connections with the\nrail network. They believe that the network development plans of\nthe rail and road sector should take the location of airports\ninto account, with the aim of including airports in the ground\ntransport networks being built. They note the need to develop\nregional airport networks based on integrated connections with\nthe major airports in order to improve the mobility of people and\nto streamline goods transport.
\nThe trans-European transport network\n(TEN-T): Members believe that, as\npart of the TEN-T, regional airports could play a leading role in\nthe creation of a wider European Common Aviation Area covering\n1 billion people in the EU and neighbouring countries, in line\nwith the Commission communication.\nStressing that the role played by regional airports is vital for\nterritorial cohesion and social and economic development in the\nregions, they call for regional airports to be taken into account\nin the future trans-European transport network policy. The report\nalso emphasises that regional airports in trans-border regions,\nwhich are located in close proximity to each other, should\ndemonstrate cooperation and coordination in the use of existing\ncapacities as a precondition for EU co-financing by TEN-T, cohesion\nand regional funds.
\nThe committee goes on to make a series of\nrecommendations aiming to improve security, transparency and\naccessibility with regard to regional airports. With regard to\nthe latter, Members call on the companies responsible for the\nmanagement of regional airports to make the necessary structural\nalterations to accommodate disabled people, so as to enable them to\naccess the various airport areas without assistance and to use all\nservices without difficulty.
\nPURPOSE: to reform the Common\nAgricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013 (horizontal\nRegulation).
\nPROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European\nParliament and of the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: the\nCommission presents a set of regulations laying down the\nlegislative framework for the CAP in the period 2014-2020.\nThe current reform proposals are based on the Communication on the CAP towards\n2020 that outlined broad policy options in order\nto respond to the future challenges for agriculture and rural areas\nand to meet the objectives set for the CAP, namely (1) viable\nfood production; (2) sustainable management of natural\nresources and climate action; and (3) balanced territorial\ndevelopment.
\nA common theme that has\nemerged throughout this process is the need to promote resource\nefficiency with a view to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth\nfor EU agriculture and rural areas in line with the Europe 2020\nstrategy, keeping the structure of the CAP around two\npillars that use complementary instruments in pursuit of the\nsame objectives.
\nThe framework set out in\nthe Commission proposal for the multiannual\nfinancial framework for the years 2014-2020 (MFF)\nproposal foresees that the CAP should maintain its two-pillar\nstructure with the budget for each pillar maintained in nominal\nterms at its 2013 level and with a clear focus on delivering\nresults on the key EU priorities.
\nOn this\nbasis, the main elements of the legislative framework for the CAP\nduring the period 2014-2020 are set out in the following\nregulations:
\nThe rural development\nregulation builds on the proposal presented by the Commission on 6 October 2011\nthat sets out common rules for all funds operating under a Common\nStrategic Framework. A regulation will follow on the scheme for\nmost deprived persons, for which funding is now placed under a\ndifferent heading of the MFF.
\nIn addition, new rules on\nthe publication of information on beneficiaries taking account of\nthe objections expressed by the Court of Justice of the European\nUnion are also under preparation with a view to finding the most\nappropriate way to reconcile beneficiaries' right to protection of\npersonal data with the principle of transparency.
\nIMPACT\nASSESSMENT: the three\nscenarios elaborated in the impact\nassessment are:
\nThe impact assessment\nconcludes that the integration scenario is the most balanced\nin progressively aligning the CAP with the EU's strategic\nobjectives. It will also be essential to develop an evaluation\nframework to measure the performance of the CAP with a common set\nof indicators linked to policy objectives.
\nLEGAL\nBASIS: Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the\nEuropean Union (TFEU).
\nCONTENT: in the light of the importance of future challenges for food security,\nthe environment and territorial balance, the CAP remains a\npolicy of strategic importance to ensure the most effective\nresponse to the policy challenges and the most efficient use of\nbudgetary resources.
\nThe main elements of the\nproposal are as follows:
\nIt is proposed to\nmaintain the current structure of instruments in two pillars\nwhere Member States have more leeway to tailor solutions to their\nlocal specificities and also co-finance Pillar II.
\nThe new European\nInnovation Partnership and risk management toolkit are also\nplaced within Pillar II. At the same time the policy will be\nbetter aligned with the Europe 2020 strategy (including a\ncommon framework with other EU funds) and a number of improvements\nand simplification elements introduced.
\nIn addition to financing\nprovisions, the horizontal regulation brings together relevant\nrules for all instruments, such as provisions on cross\ncompliance, checks and penalties. As a result, the regulation now\nlays down rules on financing, the farm advisory system, management\nand control systems, cross compliance and clearance of\naccounts.
\nCross\ncompliance: the current rules were\nreviewed with a view to simplification, strengthening the climate\nchange dimension within GAEC and ensuring consistency with the\nprovisions of greening and of relevant environmental measures\noffered under rural development.
\nPaying\nagencies: the proposal foresees\nreducing the number of paying agencies and reinforcing the role of\nthe coordinating body. This will render the system more transparent\nand less burdensome for both national administrations and the\nCommission services. There will be fewer accreditations and\ndeclarations of assurance required at Member State level and the\nnumber of Commission audits can be reduced.
\nManagement and\ncontrols: the rules on management and\ncontrols will be aligned, as far as possible, for the two pillars\nof the CAP so as to bring legal clarity and harmonised procedures.\nMoreover, the regulation foresees empowering the Commission to\nallow for a reduction of the number of on-the-spot checks for\nMember States with properly functioning control systems and low\nerror rates.
\nLastly, the regulation\nprovides the basis for a common monitoring and evaluation\nframework to measure the performance of the CAP during the next\nperiod.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATION: in current prices, it is\nproposed that the CAP should focus on its core activities with\nEUR 317.2 billion allocated to Pillar I and EUR 101.2 billion to\nPillar II over the 2014-2020 period.
\nThe Pillar I and Pillar II\nfunding is complemented by additional funding of EUR 17.1\nbillion consisting of:
\nThe total budget to EUR\n435.6 billion over the 2014-2020 period.
\nDistribution of support\namong Member States: it is proposed\nthat all Member States with direct payments below 90% of the EU\naverage will see one third of this gap closed. The national\nceilings in the direct payments regulation are calculated on this\nbasis.
\nRural development\naid: this is based on objective\ncriteria linked to the policy objectives taking into account the\ncurrent distribution. As is the case today, less developed regions\nshould continue to benefit from higher co-financing rates, which\nwill also apply to certain measures such as knowledge transfer,\nproducer groups, cooperation and Leader.
\nLastly, some\nflexibility for transfers between pillars is introduced (up\nto 5% of direct payments): from Pillar I to Pillar II to allow\nMember States to reinforce their rural development policy, and from\nPillar II to Pillar I for those Member States where the level of\ndirect payments remains below 90% of the EU average.
\nDELEGATED ACTS: the\nproposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt\ndelegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union.
\nPURPOSE: to reform the Common\nAgricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013 (horizontal\nRegulation).
\nPROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European\nParliament and of the Council.
\nBACKGROUND: the\nCommission presents a set of regulations laying down the\nlegislative framework for the CAP in the period 2014-2020.\nThe current reform proposals are based on the Communication on the CAP towards\n2020 that outlined broad policy options in order\nto respond to the future challenges for agriculture and rural areas\nand to meet the objectives set for the CAP, namely (1) viable\nfood production; (2) sustainable management of natural\nresources and climate action; and (3) balanced territorial\ndevelopment.
\nA common theme that has\nemerged throughout this process is the need to promote resource\nefficiency with a view to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth\nfor EU agriculture and rural areas in line with the Europe 2020\nstrategy, keeping the structure of the CAP around two\npillars that use complementary instruments in pursuit of the\nsame objectives.
\nThe framework set out in\nthe Commission proposal for the multiannual\nfinancial framework for the years 2014-2020 (MFF)\nproposal foresees that the CAP should maintain its two-pillar\nstructure with the budget for each pillar maintained in nominal\nterms at its 2013 level and with a clear focus on delivering\nresults on the key EU priorities.
\nOn this\nbasis, the main elements of the legislative framework for the CAP\nduring the period 2014-2020 are set out in the following\nregulations:
\nThe rural development\nregulation builds on the proposal presented by the Commission on 6 October 2011\nthat sets out common rules for all funds operating under a Common\nStrategic Framework. A regulation will follow on the scheme for\nmost deprived persons, for which funding is now placed under a\ndifferent heading of the MFF.
\nIn addition, new rules on\nthe publication of information on beneficiaries taking account of\nthe objections expressed by the Court of Justice of the European\nUnion are also under preparation with a view to finding the most\nappropriate way to reconcile beneficiaries' right to protection of\npersonal data with the principle of transparency.
\nIMPACT\nASSESSMENT: the three\nscenarios elaborated in the impact\nassessment are:
\nThe impact assessment\nconcludes that the integration scenario is the most balanced\nin progressively aligning the CAP with the EU's strategic\nobjectives. It will also be essential to develop an evaluation\nframework to measure the performance of the CAP with a common set\nof indicators linked to policy objectives.
\nLEGAL\nBASIS: Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the\nEuropean Union (TFEU).
\nCONTENT: in the light of the importance of future challenges for food security,\nthe environment and territorial balance, the CAP remains a\npolicy of strategic importance to ensure the most effective\nresponse to the policy challenges and the most efficient use of\nbudgetary resources.
\nThe main elements of the\nproposal are as follows:
\nIt is proposed to\nmaintain the current structure of instruments in two pillars\nwhere Member States have more leeway to tailor solutions to their\nlocal specificities and also co-finance Pillar II.
\nThe new European\nInnovation Partnership and risk management toolkit are also\nplaced within Pillar II. At the same time the policy will be\nbetter aligned with the Europe 2020 strategy (including a\ncommon framework with other EU funds) and a number of improvements\nand simplification elements introduced.
\nIn addition to financing\nprovisions, the horizontal regulation brings together relevant\nrules for all instruments, such as provisions on cross\ncompliance, checks and penalties. As a result, the regulation now\nlays down rules on financing, the farm advisory system, management\nand control systems, cross compliance and clearance of\naccounts.
\nCross\ncompliance: the current rules were\nreviewed with a view to simplification, strengthening the climate\nchange dimension within GAEC and ensuring consistency with the\nprovisions of greening and of relevant environmental measures\noffered under rural development.
\nPaying\nagencies: the proposal foresees\nreducing the number of paying agencies and reinforcing the role of\nthe coordinating body. This will render the system more transparent\nand less burdensome for both national administrations and the\nCommission services. There will be fewer accreditations and\ndeclarations of assurance required at Member State level and the\nnumber of Commission audits can be reduced.
\nManagement and\ncontrols: the rules on management and\ncontrols will be aligned, as far as possible, for the two pillars\nof the CAP so as to bring legal clarity and harmonised procedures.\nMoreover, the regulation foresees empowering the Commission to\nallow for a reduction of the number of on-the-spot checks for\nMember States with properly functioning control systems and low\nerror rates.
\nLastly, the regulation\nprovides the basis for a common monitoring and evaluation\nframework to measure the performance of the CAP during the next\nperiod.
\nBUDGETARY IMPLICATION: in current prices, it is\nproposed that the CAP should focus on its core activities with\nEUR 317.2 billion allocated to Pillar I and EUR 101.2 billion to\nPillar II over the 2014-2020 period.
\nThe Pillar I and Pillar II\nfunding is complemented by additional funding of EUR 17.1\nbillion consisting of:
\nThe total budget to EUR\n435.6 billion over the 2014-2020 period.
\nDistribution of support\namong Member States: it is proposed\nthat all Member States with direct payments below 90% of the EU\naverage will see one third of this gap closed. The national\nceilings in the direct payments regulation are calculated on this\nbasis.
\nRural development\naid: this is based on objective\ncriteria linked to the policy objectives taking into account the\ncurrent distribution. As is the case today, less developed regions\nshould continue to benefit from higher co-financing rates, which\nwill also apply to certain measures such as knowledge transfer,\nproducer groups, cooperation and Leader.
\nLastly, some\nflexibility for transfers between pillars is introduced (up\nto 5% of direct payments): from Pillar I to Pillar II to allow\nMember States to reinforce their rural development policy, and from\nPillar II to Pillar I for those Member States where the level of\ndirect payments remains below 90% of the EU average.
\nDELEGATED ACTS: the\nproposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt\ndelegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the European Union.
\nMinisters held an exchange of views on\nthe common agricultural policy (CAP) reform package thus launching\nwithin the Council the debate on the future of the CAP for the\nmonths ahead:
\nDirect payments: several Member States raised concerns or\nstated their opposition to the proposed redistribution of payments\nbetween Member States.
\nMoreover, a vast majority of delegations raised\nconcerns that the direct payments and rural development\nproposals seemed to run counter to the important objective of\nsimplification of the CAP.
\nMarket management mechanisms: most of the Member States\nacknowledged the measures proposed by the Commission. They noted in\nparticular the importance of extending the existing possibilities\nto allow the Commission to take emergency measures.
\nThe\nCouncil will hold two more policy debates on the CAP reform\nproposals before the end of the year: one on direct payments in\nNovember and another on rural development in December\n2011.
\nIt\nshould be noted that the Commission prepared the CAP reform package\nfollowing the interinstitutional debate initiated by its\ncommunication The CAP towards 2020: Meeting the\nfood, natural resources and territorial challenges of the future\nand on the basis of impact assessments for the various policies.\nThe new rules should enter into force on 1 January 2014.
\nIn March 2011, the Council took note of the\nPresidency conclusions on the Commission communication supported by\na very large number of Member States. These conclusions on the\ncommunication followed an initial exchange of views and three\npolicy debates focusing on the three main objectives of the future\nCAP identified in the Commission communication, namely: (i)\nviable food production; (ii) sustainable management of\nnatural resources and climate action, and (iii) balanced\nterritorial development.
\n\nOpinion of the European Data Protection\nSupervisor on the legal proposals for the common agricultural\npolicy after 2013.
\nOn 12 October 2011, the Commission adopted a package\nof seven proposals on the common agricultural policy (CAP) after\n2013 that were sent to the EDPS for consultation on the same\nday.
\nThe Proposals aim at providing a framework for (1)\nviable food production, (2) sustainable management of natural\nresources and climate action, and (3) balanced territorial\ndevelopment. To this end, they establish several support schemes\nfor farmers as well as other measures to stimulate agricultural and\nrural development.
\nIn the course of these programmes, personal data\n— mainly relating to aid beneficiaries but also to third\nparties — are processed at various stages (processing of aid\napplications, ensuring the transparency of payments, control and\nfight against fraud, etc.) While the bulk of the processing is\ncarried out by and under the responsibility of the Member States,\nthe Commission is able to access most of these data. Beneficiaries\nand in some instances third parties (-e.g. for the purpose of fraud\nchecks — have to provide information to the designated\ncompetent authorities.)
\nThe EDPS welcomes that references to the applicability\nof Directive 95/46/EC and Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 are included\nin the preambles of the proposed\nRegulation on direct payments, the proposed\nRegulation establishing a common organisation of the markets in\nagricultural products, the\nproposed Regulation on rural development and the proposed\n“horizontal” Regulation.
\nThe goal of this Opinion is not to analyse the whole\nset of proposals, but to offer input and guidance for designing the\nprocessing of personal data necessary for the administration of the\nCAP in a way that respects the fundamental rights to privacy and\ndata protection.
\nTo this end, the present Opinion is structured in two\nparts: a first, more general part includes analysis and\nrecommendations relevant for most of the proposals. This mostly\nrefers to comments on delegated and implementing powers for the\nCommission. A second part then discusses specific provisions\ncontained in several of the proposals and gives recommendations to\naddress the issues identified therein.
\nDelegated and implementing acts: in general, it is observed that many questions\ncentral to data protection are not included in the present\nproposals, but will be regulated by implementing or delegated acts.\nThis applies, for example, to measures to be adopted regarding the\nmonitoring of aid, the establishment of IT systems, transfers of\ninformation to third countries and on-the-spot checks.
\nHowever, The EDPS considers that the central aspects\nof the processing envisaged in the proposals and the necessary data\nprotection safeguards cannot be regarded as ‘non-essential\nelements’, as required by Article 290 of the Treaty on the\nFunctioning of the EU. Therefore, at least the following\nelements should be regulated in the main legislative texts in\norder to increase legal certainty:
\n\n· \nthe specific purpose of every processing\noperation should be explicitly stated. This is especially relevant\nas regards publication of personal data and transfers to third\ncountries;
\n\n· \nthe categories of data to be processed should be\nspecified;
\n\n· \naccess rights should be clarified, in particular\nas regards access to data by the Commission. In this regard, it\nshould be specified that the Commission may only process personal\ndata where necessary, e.g. for control purposes;
\n\n· \nmaximum retention periods should be laid down,\nas in some cases only minimum retention periods are mentioned in\nthe proposals;
\n\n· \nthe rights of data subjects should be specified,\nespecially as regards the right of information; while beneficiaries\nmight be aware of their data being processed, third parties should\nalso be adequately informed that their data could be used for\ncontrol purposes;
\n\n· \nthe scope and the purpose of transfers to third\ncountries should also be limited to what is necessary end should be\nfixed in an appropriate manner in the proposals.
\nOnce these elements are specified in the main\nlegislative proposals, delegated or implementing acts might be used\nto implement in more detail these specific safeguards. The EDPS\nexpects to be consulted in this regard.
\nRights of data subjects:\nthe rights of data subjects should be specified, especially as\nregards the right of information and the right of access. This is\nespecially relevant as regards the horizontal regulation, according\nto which commercial documents of beneficiaries, but also of\nsuppliers, customers, carriers and other third parties can be\nchecked. While beneficiaries might be aware of their data being\nprocessed, third parties should also be adequately informed that\ntheir data could be used for control purposes (e.g. by a privacy\nnotice to be given at the moment of collection and information\nprovided on all relevant websites and documents). The obligation to\ninform data subjects, including third parties, should be included\nin the proposals.
\nSecurity measures: in\naddition, security measures should be provided at least by\nimplementing or delegated acts, especially as regards computerised\ndatabases and systems. The principles of accountability and Privacy\nby Design should also be taken into account.
\nPrior check: lastly,\ntaking into account that in some cases data relating to (suspected)\noffences may be processed (e.g. related to fraud), a prior check by\nthe competent national DPAs or the EDPS may be needed.
\nMinisters held an orientation debate on the\ngreening of the common agricultural policy (CAP) within the\nframework of the CAP reform. The debate covered provisions\ncontained in three of the main proposals of the CAP reform\npackage:
\n\n· \nRegulation for direct\npayments to\nfarmers;
\n\n· \nRegulation on the financing, management and\nmonitoring of the CAP (the \"horizontal\" regulation);
\n\n· \nRegulation for rural\ndevelopment.
\nWhile broadly supporting the principle of\ngreening the CAP for the period 2014-2020 under the pillar I,\ndelegations nonetheless made clear that, in order to achieve this\nambition, an adjustment of the modalities proposed by the\nCommission was required.
\nMost delegations stressed that any additional greening\nmeasures had to be consistent with their specific objective\ncircumstances be easy to apply and monitor, with the implementation\ncosts remaining proportional and avoiding unnecessary red tape. A\nmore flexible approach would help to take into account the\ndiversity of agricultures in the EU and would avoid a \"one size\nfits all\" approach.
\nMany Member States considered that the scope of\nfarming practices that are \"green by definition\" had to be\nwidened to include pillar II agri-environment practices, as well as\npractices under national or regional environmental certification\nschemes. The Commission expressed openness to consider an\nadjustment of its proposal to take this into account.
\nOn the three mandatory greening measures, a\nnumber of adjustments were suggested by delegations:
\nInstead of the three mandatory greening measures as\nproposed by the Commission (crop diversification, permanent\ngrassland and EFAs), some delegations would prefer a \"menu\"\napproach where member states could choose from a list of\nmeasures.
\nOther Member States would prefer to build greening\nupon existing instruments, especially cross compliance in pillar I\nand agrienvironment schemes in pillar II.
\nLastly, a large majority of delegations estimated that\nthe level of sanctions applicable when the greening\nobjectives are not met should not go beyond the level of the\ngreening payment and therefore should not affect the basic payment\nitself.
\nTimetable:
\nIn June, the Danish Presidency intends to organise an\norientation debate on the proposal on rural development and\nto present a progress report on the CAP reform.
\nThe Presidency\npresented to the ministers its progress report on the reform of the\ncommon agricultural policy (CAP) (8949/12).
\nMember states\nbroadly welcomed the progress report and overall considered it a\nfair and accurate reflection of the debate in the Council, which\nwould it lay a solid foundation for the next steps in the process\nunder the Cypriot and Irish Presidencies. They also noted that the\nnext presidencies had to deepen discussions on the open issues.\nSome delegations commented on issues of importance to them,\nparticularly in relation to capping, convergence of direct\npayments and greening.
\nThis progress\nreport highlights the progress achieved during the first half of\n2012 on the CAP reform proposals. It has been drawn up under the\nresponsibility of the Presidency on the basis of the positions\nexpressed within the Council and its preparatory bodies during this\nsemester. It makes clear that nothing is agreed until everything is\nagreed.
\nThe report\nhighlights the efforts made by the Presidency, especially on\nincreased flexibility, simplification and greening. It indicates\nthe main amendments suggested to the Commission proposals and on\nwhich the Presidency has noted broad support from delegations.
\nThe Presidency's\nsuggested amendments aim to resolve a number of issues raised by\ndelegations, particularly with a view to ensuring that future CAP\nlegislation is workable in practice and can be implemented in a\ncost-effective manner.
\nThis report also\nidentifies for each of the proposals the key issues which remain\noutstanding as at June 2012, including issues contained in the\nnegotiating box for heading 2 of the Multiannual financial\nframework (MFF).
\nThe report\ndistinguishes between three categories of issues:
\nAs regards the\nhorizontal regulation : the Presidency has noted almost\nunanimous support to delete the delegated power conferred on the\nCommission to include the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) in\nthe scope of crosscompliance. Instead, the Presidency has suggested\ninviting the Commission to present a legislative proposal with a\nview to including the relevant parts of that Directive once it has\nbeen implemented.
\nA number of\ndelegations have opposed the future inclusion of the Pesticides\nDirective 2009/128/EC in the scope of the cross-compliance by means\nof delegated acts and have taken the view that this should be\ncontained in the basic act, and if not possible the Commission\nshould submit a new legislative proposal to this effect. In the\nlight of the views expressed by a broad majority of delegations,\nthe classification of the Commission powers as delegated or\nimplementing has been amended by the Presidency, except as regards\nadministrative penalties.
\nOther issues\ninclude:
\nPURPOSE: to amend\nthe Commission proposal for a regulation on the financing,\nmanagement and monitoring of the common agricultural\npolicy.
\nBACKGROUND : the\naccession of Croatia to the EU is scheduled for 1 July 2013.\nAlthough the Act of Accession has not yet been ratified by all\nMember States, the Commission has recently updated its Multi-Annual\nFinancial Framework proposals. A similar adjustment exercise is\nprepared for the CAP reform proposals to ensure that once they are\nadopted, Croatia will be fully covered as a new Member\nState.
\nOn 19 October\n2011, the Commission adopted its proposal for a regulation on the\nfinancing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural\npolicy.
\nIn its\njudgment of 9 November 2010 in\nJoined Cases C-92/09 and 93/09 (Volker und Markus Schecke GbR\nand Hartmut Eifert/Land Hessen), the Court of Justice declared\ninvalid point (8b) of Article 42 and Article 44a of Regulation (EC)\nNo1290/2005 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 259/2008 of 18 March\n2008 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council\nRegulation (EC) No 1290/2005 as regards the publication of\ninformation on the beneficiaries of funds deriving from the\nEuropean Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and the European\nAgricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in so far as, with\nregard to natural persons benefiting from the European agricultural\nfunds, those provisions impose an obligation to publish personal\ndata relating to each beneficiary without drawing a distinction\nbased on relevant criteria such as the periods during which those\npersons have received such aid, the frequency of such aid or the\nnature and amount thereof.
\nAccording to\nrecital (70) of that proposal, the adoption of new rules on the\npublication of information on beneficiaries of the European\nagricultural funds which take account of the judgment of the Court\nof Justice should be preceded by an in depth analysis and\nassessment by the Commission in order to find the most appropriate\nway to reconcile the right to protection of personal data of the\nbeneficiaries with the need for transparency. Having carried out\nthe analysis and assessment, the Commission is now ready to propose\nnew provisions on the matter.
\nIMPACT\nASSESSMENT: the Commission organized, in September 2011, a\nconsultation of stakeholders gathering representatives of\nprofessional agricultural or trade organisations, representatives\nof the food industry and workers, as well as of the civil society\nand EU institutions. In that framework different options were put\nforward in relation to the publication of data of natural persons\nbenefiting from EU agricultural funds and respect for the principle\nof proportionality while making public the relevant information.\nThe stakeholders' conference showed that publication of the name of\nthe natural persons is required in order to respond to the\nobjective of better protection of the Union's financial interests,\nto enhance transparency and to highlight the achievements of\nbeneficiaries in providing public goods while ensuring that it does\nnot go beyond what is necessary for achieving these legitimate\naims.
\nCONTENT: the\nadjustment will take the form of an amendment to the Commission\nproposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the\nCouncil on the financing, management and monitoring of the common\nagricultural policy, in order to include in the\nproposal:
\n1) The\nprovisions related to cross-compliance which are already in the\nAccession Treaty for Croatia. The main changes relate to the\ninclusion of provisions on:
\n· \nthe date of application of the penalties in\nCroatia;
\n· \nmaintenance of permanent grassland.
\n2) New rules\non the publication of information on all beneficiaries of the\nEuropean agricultural funds which take account of the\nobjections formulated by the Court of Justice in Joined Cases\nC-92/09 and C-93/09 against the former rules to the extent that\nthey were applicable to natural persons. The new rules will differ\nfrom the ones declared invalid by the Court in the Joined Cases in\nso far as they:
\n· \nare based on a revised detailed justification,\ncentred around the need for public control of the use of European\nagricultural funds in order to protect the Union's financial\ninterests;
\n· \nrequire more detailed information to be given on\nthe nature and description of the measures for which the funds are\ndisbursed;
\n· \ninclude a de minimis threshold below\nwhich the name of the beneficiary will not be published.
\nBUDGETARY\nIMPLICATIONS: the amendment has no budgetary implications, apart\nfrom those already set out in the explanatory memorandum for the\nupdated proposals for the Multiannual Financial\nFramework.
\n\nOpinion of the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS).
\nOn 25 September\n2012, the Commission adopted the Amendment to the Commission\nproposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the\nCouncil on the financing, management and monitoring of the common\nagricultural policy. The Amendment to the Commission proposal was\nsent to the EDPS for consultation. It adds a new chapter on\ntransparency.
\nThe EDPS welcomes\nthe Commission’s effort in striking a balance between the\nprinciple of transparency and the beneficiaries' rights to privacy\nand personal data protection. However, he recommends the\nfollowing:
\nThe Commission briefed the Council on an amendment to\na proposal for a Regulation on the financing, management and\nmonitoring of the common agricultural policy (CAP) or \"Horizontal\nRegulation\" in CAP reform package.
\nWith regard to the amendments on the publication of\nthe names of beneficiaries, some Member States pointed out that\nthe de minimis threshold was not necessary for the sake of\ntransparency; in their view, all beneficiaries of CAP payments\nshould be listed.
\nSome others expressed concerns about the details given\non the beneficiaries, fearing that this process might interfere\nwith data on private life. They questioned whether the proposal\ncomplied with the Court of Justice ruling. An opinion of the\nCouncil Legal Service was requested by some delegations.
\nIn addition to provisions concerning cross-compliance\nfor Croatia with a view to its accession, the new proposal on the\nhorizontal regulation includes other amendments regarding new\nrules on the publication of information on all beneficiaries of the\nEU agricultural funds. This takes account of the objections by\nthe Court of Justice to the former rules to the extent that they\nwere applicable to natural persons. The new rules will differ from\nthe ones declared invalid by the Court in the said Joined Cases in\nso far as they:
\nThe Council is expected to adopt a partial general\napproach on the single CMO and on the other CAP reform proposals\nby the end of the year under the Cypriot\nPresidency.
\nMinisters held two policy debates within the framework\nof the common agricultural policy (CAP) reform. The discussions\nfocused on:
\nThe specific issues examined concerned the\nbasic payment scheme and transparency on CAP payment\nbeneficiaries.
\nTransparency on CAP beneficiaries: it should be recalled that in its judgment of November\n2010, the Court of Justice declared invalid, taking into account\nthe right to privacy and to the protection of personal data\nenshrined in the EU’s Charter for Fundamental Rights, certain\naspects of EU legislation requiring the publication of information\non the beneficiaries of CAP funds.
\nOn 25 September 2012, the Commission presented an\namendment to its proposal in regard to the publication of data\nand payments received by beneficiaries (natural and legal\npersons), the objective of which was to take into account the\nCourt’s ruling. This proposal introduced a new objective in\nrespect of the publication requirement – the need for public\ncontrol of the use of European agricultural funds.
\nAt the Council session of 22 October 2012, while the\nmajority of Member States supported the Commission’s amended\nproposal, some delegations called on the Council’s Legal\nService to prepare an opinion on this proposal. In these\ncircumstances, the Presidency drew up another document clarifying\nthe Council’s position on this issue.
\nWith regard to the amendments on the publication of\nbeneficiaries' names proposed by the Commission, the President\nconcluded that the Council accepted the objectives and\nconsidered that the means proposed by the Commission to achieve\nthat objective are appropriate and proportionate.\nHowever,
\nLes ministres ont procédé à un\néchange de vues sur l'ensemble de mesures visant\nà réformer la politique agricole commune (PAC),\nlançant ainsi, au sein du Conseil, le débat sur\nl'avenir de la PAC pour les mois à venir.
\nPaiements directs :\nplusieurs États membres ont exprimé leurs\npréoccupations.
\nPour ce qui est des paiements directs et du\ndéveloppement rural, la grande majorité des\ndélégations a exprimé des inquiétudes\nconcernant le fait que les mesures proposées semblaient\naller à l'encontre de la simplification de la PAC, qui est\nconsidérée comme un des objectifs principaux de cette\nréforme.
\nMécanismes de gestion du\nmarché : la plupart des\nÉtats membres ont salué les mesures proposées\npar la Commission. Ils ont noté en particulier qu'il est\nintéressant d'introduire, pour tous les secteurs, une clause\nde sauvegarde permettant de prendre des mesures\nd'urgence.
\nLa présidence organisera deux autres\ndébats d'orientation sur les paiements directs et le\ndéveloppement rural respectivement en novembre et\ndécembre 2011.
\nIl faut rappeler qu'à la suite du débat\ninstitutionnel auquel a donné lieu sa communication\nintitulée « La PAC à l'horizon 2020:\nalimentation, ressources naturelles et territoire - relever les\ndéfis de l'avenir » et compte tenu des analyses\nd'impact effectuées pour les différents domaines\nd'action, la Commission a élaboré un ensemble de\nmesures de réforme de la PAC. Les nouvelles règles\ndevraient entrer en vigueur le 1er janvier\n2014.
\nEn mars 2011, le Conseil a pris acte des conclusions\nde la présidence relatives à la communication de la\nCommission, soutenues par un très grand nombre\nd'États membres. Ces conclusions ont fait suite à un\npremier échange de vues et à trois débats\nd'orientation consacrés essentiellement aux trois principaux\nobjectifs de la future PAC définis dans la communication de\nla Commission, à savoir: 1) une production alimentaire\nviable, 2) une gestion durable des ressources naturelles\net des mesures en faveur du climat, et 3) un\ndéveloppement territorial\néquilibré.
\nOBJECTIF : réforme de la Politique agricole\ncommune (PAC) pour l'après 2013 (règlement\nhorizontal).
\nACTE PROPOSÉ : Règlement du Parlement\neuropéen et du Conseil.
\nCONTEXTE : la Commission présente un ensemble\nde règlements qui définissent le cadre\nlégislatif de la PAC pour la période 2014-2020.\nLes propositions de réforme se fondent sur la communication\nconcernant la PAC à l'horizon 2020, qui décrit\nles grandes options politiques en vue de faire face aux\ndéfis à venir pour l'agriculture et les zones rurales\net d'atteindre les objectifs fixés pour la PAC, à\nsavoir : 1) une production alimentaire viable; 2) une\ngestion durable des ressources naturelles et la lutte contre\nle changement climatique, 3) un développement territorial\néquilibré.
\nUn thème commun s'est dégagé tout\nau long du débat interinstitutionnel et du processus de\nconsultation des parties prenantes, à savoir la\nnécessité de promouvoir l'utilisation efficace des\nressources en vue d'une croissance intelligente, durable et\ninclusive pour l'agriculture et les zones rurales de l'UE,\nconformément à la stratégie Europe 2020, en\nconservant la structure de la PAC autour de deux piliers qui\nutilisent des instruments complémentaires pour poursuivre\nles mêmes objectifs.
\n\n· \nLe pilier I couvre les paiements directs et les mesures de\nmarché fournissant un soutien au revenu annuel de base des\nagriculteurs de l'Union européenne et un soutien en cas de\nperturbations spécifiques du marché.
\n\n· \nLe pilier II couvre le développement rural dans le cas\noù les États membres établissent des\nprogrammes pluriannuels et les cofinancent dans un cadre\ncommun.
\nLe schéma défini dans la proposition\nde la Commission pour le cadre financier pluriannuel (CFP)\n2014-2020 prévoit que la politique agricole commune\n(PAC) devrait maintenir sa structure à deux piliers, en\nconservant pour chaque pilier un budget à sa valeur nominale\nde 2013 et en mettant clairement l'accent sur l'obtention de\nrésultats pour les priorités clés de\nl'UE.
\n\n· \nLes paiements directs devraient promouvoir une\nproduction durable en affectant 30 % de l'enveloppe\nbudgétaire aux mesures obligatoires, qui sont\nbénéfiques pour le climat et\nl'environnement.
\n\n· \nLes niveaux de paiement devraient peu à\npeu converger et les paiements aux grands\nbénéficiaires, être progressivement\nplafonnés.
\n\n· \nLe développement rural devrait être\nintégré dans un cadre stratégique commun avec\nd'autres fonds de l'UE en gestion partagée, qui soit plus\norienté sur les résultats et soumis à des\nconditions ex ante plus claires et\naméliorées.
\n\n· \nEnfin, pour ce qui concerne les mesures de\nmarché, le financement de la PAC devrait être\nrenforcé par deux instruments en dehors du CFP: 1) une\nréserve d'urgence pour réagir aux situations de\ncrise, et 2) l'extension du champ d'application du Fonds\neuropéen d'ajustement à la mondialisation.
\nSur cette base, les principaux éléments\ndu cadre législatif de la PAC pour la période\n2014-2020 sont énoncés dans les règlements\nsuivants:
\n\n· \nproposition\nde règlement établissant les règles\nrelatives aux paiements directs en faveur des agriculteurs au titre\ndes régimes de soutien relevant de la politique agricole\ncommune (règlement «paiements\ndirects») ;
\n\n· \nproposition\nde règlement portant organisation commune des\nmarchés des produits agricoles (règlement «OCM\nunique») ;
\n\n· \nproposition\nde règlement relatif au soutien au développement\nrural par le Fonds européen agricole pour le\ndéveloppement rural (Feader) (règlement\n«développement rural») ;
\n\n· \nproposition de règlement concernant le\nfinancement, la gestion et le suivi de la politique agricole\ncommune («règlement horizontal») ;
\n\n· \nproposition\nde règlement établissant les mesures relatives\nà la fixation de certaines aides et restitutions\nliées à l'organisation commune des marchés des\nproduits agricoles ;
\n\n· \nproposition\nde règlement modifiant le règlement (CE) n°\n73/2009 du Conseil en ce qui concerne l'application des paiements\ndirects aux agriculteurs pour l'année 2013 ;
\n\n· \nproposition\nde règlement modifiant le règlement (CE) n°\n1234/2007 du Conseil en ce qui concerne le régime de\npaiement unique et le soutien aux viticulteurs.
\nLe règlement «développement\nrural» s'appuie sur la proposition\nde la Commission du 6 octobre 2011, qui établit des\nrègles communes pour tous les fonds gérés dans\nun cadre stratégique commun. En outre, de nouvelles\nrègles relatives à la publication d'informations sur\nles bénéficiaires tenant compte des objections\némises par la Cour de justice de l'Union européenne\nsont également en cours de préparation.
\nANALYSE D'IMPACT : les trois scénarios\nélaborés dans l'analyse d'impact sont les\nsuivants:
\n\n· \nun scénario\nd'adaptation, qui maintient le cadre\nactuel, tout en remédiant à ses lacunes les plus\nimportantes, telles que la répartition des paiements\ndirects;
\n\n· \nun scénario\nd'intégration, qui suppose des\nchangements politiques majeurs sous la forme d'un ciblage plus\nprécis, de l'écologisation des paiements directs et\nd'un ciblage stratégique renforcé de la politique de\ndéveloppement rural dans le cadre d'une meilleure\ncoordination avec les autres politiques de l'UE, ainsi qu'une\nextension de la base juridique permettant une coopération\naccrue entre producteurs;
\n\n· \nun scénario de\nrecentrage, qui réoriente la\npolitique exclusivement en faveur de l'environnement, avec une\nsuppression progressive des paiements directs, en partant du\nprincipe que la capacité de production peut être\nmaintenue sans soutien et que les besoins socio-économiques\ndes zones rurales peuvent être satisfaits par d'autres\npolitiques.
\nL'analyse d'impact conclut que le scénario\nd'intégration est le plus équilibré pour\naligner progressivement la PAC sur les objectifs\nstratégiques de l'UE. Il sera également essentiel de\nmettre au point un cadre d'évaluation afin de mesurer les\nperformances de la PAC à l'aide d'un ensemble commun\nd'indicateurs liés aux objectifs\nstratégiques.
\nBASE JURIDIQUE : article 43, paragraphe 2 du\ntraité sur le fonctionnement de l'Union européenne\n(TFUE).
\nCONTENU : compte tenu de l'ampleur des défis\nà venir en matière de sécurité\nalimentaire, d'environnement et d'équilibre territorial, la\nPAC reste une politique commune d'importance\nstratégique pour garantir la réponse la plus\nefficace aux défis politiques et l'utilisation la plus\nefficace des ressources budgétaires.
\nLes principaux éléments de la\nproposition sont les suivants.
\n1) Il est proposé de maintenir la structure\nactuelle de la PAC en deux piliers, avec des mesures\nobligatoires annuelles d'application générale dans le\npilier I, complétées par des mesures volontaires\nmieux adaptées aux spécificités nationales et\nrégionales, au titre d'une approche de programmation\npluriannuelle dans le pilier II. Cela permettra aux États\nmembres de disposer d'une plus grande marge de manœuvre pour\ntrouver des solutions adaptées à leurs\nspécificités locales et, également, cofinancer\naussi le deuxième pilier.
\n2) Le nouveau partenariat européen\nd'innovation et le nouvel ensemble d'instruments de gestion des\nrisques sont aussi intégrés dans le deuxième\npilier. Dans le même temps, la politique sera mieux\nalignée sur la stratégie Europe 2020 (y compris\npar l'établissement d'un cadre commun avec les autres fonds\nde l'UE) et un certain nombre d'améliorations et\nd'éléments de simplification seront\nintroduits.
\n3) En sus des dispositions financières, le\nrèglement horizontal regroupe des règles applicables\nà tous les instruments, telles que des dispositions\nrelatives à la conditionnalité, aux contrôles\net aux sanctions. De ce fait, le règlement proposé\ndéfinit à présent des règles relatives\nau financement, au système de conseil agricole, aux\nsystèmes de gestion et de contrôle, à la\nconditionnalité et à l'apurement des\ncomptes :
\nConditionnalité :\nles règles actuelles ont été\nrévisées afin de les simplifier, de renforcer la\ndimension du changement climatique et d'assurer la cohérence\navec les dispositions relatives à l'écologisation et\naux mesures environnementales prévues dans le cadre du\ndéveloppement rural.
\nOrganismes payeurs :\nleur nombre sera réduit et le rôle de l'organisme de\ncoordination sera renforcé, ce qui rendra le système\nplus transparent et allègera la charge pesant sur les\nadministrations nationales et sur les services de la Commission. Le\nnombre d'agréments et de déclarations d'assurance\nrequis au niveau de l'État membre sera moindre et le nombre\nd'audits de la Commission pourra être\nréduit.
\nGestion et contrôles : les règles seront alignées, dans la\nmesure du possible, pour les deux piliers de la PAC. Le\nrèglement prévoit en outre de doter la Commission des\npouvoirs nécessaires pour permettre de diminuer le nombre de\ncontrôles sur place dans les États membres ayant des\nsystèmes de contrôle pleinement opérationnels\net de faibles taux d'erreur.
\nEnfin, le règlement proposé jette les\nbases d'un cadre commun de suivi et d'évaluation,\ndestiné à mesurer l'efficacité de la PAC au\ncours de la prochaine période.
\nINCIDENCE BUDGÉTAIRE : en prix courants, il est\nproposé que la PAC se concentre sur ses activités\nessentielles, avec 317,2 milliards d'EUR alloués au\npilier I et 101,2 milliards d'EUR alloués au pilier II\nau cours de la période 2014-2020.
\nLe financement du pilier I et du pilier II est\ncomplété par un financement supplémentaire\nde 17,1 milliards d'EUR, consistant en un montant de\n:
\n\n· \n5,1 milliards d'EUR pour la recherche et\nl'innovation,
\n\n· \n2,5 milliards d'EUR pour la\nsécurité alimentaire,
\n\n· \n2,8 milliards d'EUR pour l'aide alimentaire en\nfaveur des personnes les plus démunies sous d'autres\nrubriques du CFP,
\n\n· \n3,9 milliards d'EUR dans une nouvelle\nréserve pour les crises dans le secteur agricole,
\n\n· \njusqu'à 2,8 milliards d'EUR dans le Fonds\neuropéen d'ajustement à la mondialisation en dehors\ndu CFP.
\nLe budget total serait ainsi porté à\n435,6 milliards d'EUR pour la période\n2014-2020.
\nRépartition des aides entre les États\nmembres : il est proposé que\npour tous les États membres dans lesquels les paiements\ndirects sont inférieurs à 90 % de la moyenne de l'UE,\nun tiers de cet écart soit comblé. Les plafonds\nnationaux figurant dans le règlement relatif aux paiements\ndirects sont calculés sur cette base.
\nAide au développement rural : celle-ci est répartie selon des\ncritères objectifs liés aux objectifs politiques en\ntenant compte de la répartition actuelle. Les régions\nmoins développées devraient continuer à\nbénéficier de taux de cofinancement plus\nélevés, ce qui concerne également certaines\nmesures telles que le transfert de connaissances, les groupements\nde producteurs, la coopération et le programme\nLeader.
\nEnfin, une certaine flexibilité est\nintroduite pour les transferts entre piliers (à concurrence\nde 5 % des paiements directs): du pilier I vers le pilier II pour\npermettre aux États membres de renforcer leur politique de\ndéveloppement rural et du pilier II vers le pilier I pour\nles États membres dans lesquels le niveau des paiements\ndirects reste inférieur à 90 % de la moyenne de\nl'UE.
\nACTES DÉLÉGUÉS : la proposition\ncontient des dispositions habilitant la Commission à adopter\ndes actes délégués conformément\nà l'article 290 du traité sur le fonctionnement de\nl'Union européenne.
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