COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 14 February 2000

on the promotion of intermodality and intermodal freight transport in the European Union

(2000/C 56/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EURPEAN UNION,

(1) WELCOMES the Commission Communication on Intermodality and Intermodal Freight Transport in the European Union of October 1999 and the Communication on the Progress of the Implementation of the Action Programme of June 1997 contained therein.

(2) NOTES with satisfaction that most projects in the action programme have been lauchned and encourages the Commission to continue its implementation.

(3) IS OF THE OPINION that functional and logistically efficient freight transport systems contribute to the development of economic activity within the Community for the benefit of its citizens and enterprises.

(4) ENDORSES the objective set by the Commission to develop Intermodal Freight Transport, i.e. an optimal integration of different transport modes enabling an efficient and cost-effective use of the transport system through seamless, customer-oriented door-to-door services, whilst favouring competition between transport operators.

(5) RECALLS that the Council strategy of 6 October 1999 on the integration of environment and sustainable development into the transport policy "underlines that further progress is required, notably in the . . promotion of . . intermodal and combined transport ... the standardisation and harmonisation of intermodal transport units . . the competitiveness and the quality of services of ports and other intermodal terminals and railways, e.g. by the increased use of telematics . . (and the study of) the different liability regimes".

(6) EMPHASISES, the need determined by the same strategy "to continue to analyse the relationship between transport (demand) and ... the organisation of industrial production and services (globalisation, market deregulation, just-in-time logistics, electronic commerce)" with a view to developing actions consistent with the general goal of sustainable mobility.

(7) REAFFIRMS its determination to promote transport modes contributing to sustainable transport, in particular rail transport, short sea shipping and inland navigations; RECALLS, in this context, its conlcusions of 6 October 1999 on the revitalisation of the European railways referring, in particular, to the establsihment of a Trans-European Rail Freight Network (TERFN) and its Resolution of 11 March 1996 on short sea shipping(1), Conclusions of 18 June 1997 and Resolution of 14 February 2000 on the promotion of short sea shipping(2).

(8) RECALLS the importance of the revision of the relevant legal framework of the Community as well as the importance of research, development and demonstration on intermodal transport and notes with satisfaction the role of studies in this field in key actions of the Fifth RTD Framework Programme established by Decision No 182/1999/EC(3).

(9) INVITES all parties concerned to work actively towards a sound operational market environment for intermodal transport, so as to make intermodality, where feasible, a viable and environmentally friendly alternative to single mode road transport.

(10) NOTES that further work must be concentrated on identifying obstacles to intermodal transport in competing successfully in the market.

(11) INVITES the Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, to continue and intensify its work for the promotion of intermodal transport including combined transport, in particular, by:

(a) including intermodality in its revision of the TEN-T through reference to concrete actions with a view to achieving sustainable mobility, such as:

- setting up new tools for assessing the ability of planned infrastructures and actions to transfer some road transport demand towards more environmentally friedly modes,

- alleviating the bottlenecks for intermodalism, including those in the context of TERFN,

- developing and optimising terminals for intermodal transport;

(b) taking account of intermodalism with a view to creating a level playing field in the transport market when submitting, during the year 2000, a proposal for a revision of Regulation (EEC) No 1107/70 of the Council of 4 June 1970 on the granting of aids for transport by rail, road and inland waterway(4) with regard to aid to combined transport;

(c) integrating the information society into the European transport system, e.g. by submitting proposals for establishing an open architecture for data transfer and transport telematics;

(d) contributing to the realisation of an open and efficient real-time information and transaction systems, as a tool for shippers and intermodal transport operators;

(e) continuing, together with the Member States, the industry and relevant international organisations, its efforts to promote an appropriate liability regime in that area, inter alia, by exploring the aspects of a liability regime for intermodal transport and by presenting a report on the economic analysis of the consequences of the absence of a generally accepted intermodal liability regime and on the work being undertaken with the industry on the legal and economic advantages of the different solutions for a liability regime for intermodal transport;

(f) presenting a communication on "Benchmarking in Transport" and developing key performance indicators for freight intermodalism; in this context, demonstrating the potential cost-effectiveness of intermodal transport projects and publishing examples and information on best practices, particularly taking into account the experience gained from the Pilot Actions for Combined Transport (PACT)-programme and the different projects under the Fifth RTD Framework Programme,

(g) directing, when proposing measures in the field of transport, the measures to the logistic and transport system as a whole and not solely to the individual modes of transport, focusing, inter alia, on harmonising the standards related to transport units and on technologies for cheaper, more efficient and environmentally friendly freight handling; to this end, presenting a communication on Supply Chain Management, logistics and intermodal transport by the end of year 2001;

(h) planning for an appropriate follow-up to the PACT programme, focussing on innovative projects;

(i) extending the action programme on intermodality to more integrated Intelligent Transport System applications, electronic commerce applications and demonstration projects and

(j) bolstering the role of research and development projects on intermodal transport in the RTD framework programmes.

(12) INVITES the applicant countries to follow the above objectives and actions when formulating national and local strategies.

(13) INTENDS to follow regularly the development in intermodality and intermodal freight transport in the European Union.

(14) INVITES the Commission to transmit to the Council, in 2001, its next progress progress report on intermodality and intermodal freight transport in the European Union, with possible proposals.

(1) OJ C 99, 2.4.1996, p. 1.

(2) See page 1 of this Official Journal

(3) OJ L 26, 1.2.1999, p. 1.

(4) OJ L 130, 15.6.1970, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 543/97 (OJ L 84, 26.3.1997, p. 6).