The European Parliament has adopted a Report on the priorities for EU transport policy for the next ten years by Mathieu Grosch MEP, EPP Group Coordinator in the Transport and Tourism Committee.

The European Parliament wants the number of deaths and severe injuries to be halved by 2020. EU-wide safety and security standards applicable to all carriers have to be introduced.

In addition, the EP has set individual CO2 targets for each transport mode. "Environmentally-friendly public transport must be promoted to double the number of users in the next 10 years,” said Mr Grosch. “Efficiency has to be seen in terms of economic, environmental, safety and social aspects, instead of systematically shifting freight transport to rail or shipping for distances greater than 300km, as proposed by the Commission."

To better connect the different regions in Europe, the Trans-European Transport Networks have to become a Single European Transport Area. "Bottlenecks have to be eliminated and cross-border connections improved. European funding has to go to a limited number of projects. Revenues from the internalisation of external costs of all transport modes can strengthen that funding but only if they are reinvested into the creation of the transport network,” Mr Grosch explained.

The administrative burden of all cross-border transport must be reduced by harmonising transport documents. "It should be possible to make a trip including bus, train and airplane transport with just one ticket," continued Mr Grosch. Finally, he warned against national protectionism: "Opening up transport markets is of the utmost importance but only if this results in better quality services that do not affect safety and security."