European community for mobility management

We are facing new and formidable challenges: science is urging us to drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, growing demand and declining production are pushing oil prices to unprecedented heights, and congestion is approaching intolerable levels in many cities, airports and ports. The scope of these challenges is such that a profound transformation in the transport system will be required in the coming decades. Yet resources available to meet these challenges are limited by the economic crisis in the short run and in the longer term by the ageing of our population.

In 2006, the Commission issued a White Paper setting an agenda for the European transport policy throughout 2010. This programme was updated in the mid-term review of 2006. Approaching the end of the 10-year period, it is time to look further ahead and prepare the ground for later policy developments.

The Commission has launched such a reflection: an evaluation study on the European transport policy (ETP). 

The ideas put forward in this communication are meant to stimulate further debate aimed at identifying policy options, without prejudging the formulation of concrete proposals in the next White Paper of 2010.