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46th Annual Report - 1999
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46th Annual Report - 1999
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ISBN 92-821-1268-3
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT
46th Annual Report
ACTIVITIES OF THE CONFERENCE
RESOLUTIONS OF THE COUNCIL
OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT
AND REPORTS APPROVED IN 1999
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT (ECMT)
The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) is an inter-governmental organisation
established by a Protocol signed in Brussels on 17 October 1953. It is a forum in which Ministers
responsible for transport, and more specifically the inland transport sector, can co-operate on policy.
Within this forum, Ministers can openly discuss current problems and agree upon joint approaches aimed
at improving the utilisation and at ensuring the rational development of European transport systems
of international importance.
At present, the ECMT’s role primarily consists of:
– helping to create an integrated transport system throughout the enlarged Europe that is economically
and technically efficient, meets the highest possible safety and environmental standards and
takes full account of the social dimension;
– helping also to build a bridge between the European Union and the rest of the continent at a
political level.
The Council of the Conference comprises the Ministers of Transport of 40 full Member countries:
Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, FYR Macedonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. There are six Associate member countries (Australia, Canada,
Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea and the United States) and two Observer countries (Armenia
and Morocco).
A Committee of Deputies, composed of senior civil servants representing Ministers, prepares
proposals for consideration by the Council of Ministers. The Committee is assisted by working groups,
each of which has a specific mandate.
The issues currently being studied – on which policy decisions by Ministers will be required –
include the development and implementation of a pan-European transport policy; the integration of
Central and Eastern European Countries into the European transport market; specific issues relating to
transport by rail, road and waterway; combined transport; transport and the environment; the social costs
of transport; trends in international transport and infrastructure needs; transport for people with mobility
handicaps; road safety; traffic management; road traffic information and new communications technologies.
Statistical analyses of trends in traffic and investment are published regularly by the ECMT and
provide a clear indication of the situation, on a trimestrial or annual basis, in the transport sector in
different European countries.
As part of its research activities, the ECMT holds regular Symposia, Seminars and Round Tables on
transport economics issues. Their conclusions are considered by the competent organs of the Conference
under the authority of the Committee of Deputies and serve as a basis for formulating proposals for
policy decisions to be submitted to Ministers.
The ECMT’s Documentation Service has extensive information available concerning the transport
sector. This information is accessible on the ECMT Internet site.
For administrative purposes the ECMT’s Secretariat is attached to the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Publié en français sous le titre :
46e Rapport Annuel
ACTIVITÉS DE LA CONFÉRENCE
Résolutions du Conseil des Ministres des Transports et rapports approuvés en 1999
Further information about the ECMT is available on Internet at the following address:
http://www.oecd.org/cem/
© ECMT 2000 – ECMT Publications are distributed by: OECD Publications Service,
2, rue André Pascal, 75775 PARIS CEDEX 16, France.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Outline of the Structure and Proceedings of the Conference.......................................................................... 7
Part One
ECMT ACTIVITIES
Chapter I. ACTIVITIES IN PARTICULAR FIELDS............................................................................. 11
A. Integration of New Member countries........................................................................................... 11
B. Railways.......................................................................................................................................... 12
C. Road Transport............................................................................................................................... 13
D. Combined Transport....................................................................................................................... 14
E. Fiscal and Financial Aspects of Transport Markets...................................................................... 14
F. Transport and the Environment...................................................................................................... 15
G. Road Safety..................................................................................................................................... 17
H. Transport for People with Mobility Handicaps............................................................................. 18
Chapter II. ECONOMIC RESEARCH, STATISTICS AND DOCUMENTATION.............................. 20
A. Economic Research........................................................................................................................ 20
B. Statistics.......................................................................................................................................... 47
C. Documentation and Information.................................................................................................... 49
Chapter III. EXTERNAL RELATIONS..................................................................................................... 51
3
Part Two
TRENDS IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR 1970-1998
TRENDS IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR IN WESTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES........................ 56
Economic Environment........................................................................................................................... 56
Overall Trends in Transport..................................................................................................................... 58
Freight Transport...................................................................................................................................... 59
Passenger Transport................................................................................................................................. 66
Road Accidents........................................................................................................................................ 67
TRENDS IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR IN ECMT COUNTRIES IN TRANSITION ....................... 70
General Situation...................................................................................................................................... 70
Freight Transport...................................................................................................................................... 82
Passenger Transport................................................................................................................................. 89
Road Accidents........................................................................................................................................ 91
Part Three
RESOLUTIONS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL OF
MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT IN 1999
Resolution No. 99/1 The integration of European Inland Transport Markets................................. 97
Resolution No. 99/2 The Removal of Obstacles at Border Crossings
for International Goods Transport............................................................. 99
Resolution No. 99/3 Crime in Transport....................................................................................... 103
Resolution No. 99/4 Communication in Road Safety................................................................... 106
Resolution No. 99/5 Vulnerable Road Users: Moped Riders and Motorcyclists.......................... 110
Resolution No. 99/6 Phasing Out Lead in Petrol........................................................................... 113
RECOMMENDATIONS AND DECISIONS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL OF
MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT IN 1999
Recommendations on the Pan-European Process of Legal Harmonisation
and Adjustment of Transport Systems................................................................................................. 119
Decision Concerning the Development of the Multilateral Quota.............................................................. 123
Decision Concerning the Special Quota for Albania and FYR Macedonia.......................................... 128
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Decision Concerning the Social Aspects of Road Transport
Mandate and Guidelines for Future Action................................................................................... 133
Decision Concerning Fiscal Aspects of Road Transport
Mandate and Guidelines for Future Action................................................................................... 135
Conclusions and Recommendations on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
in Transport Infrastructure Financing.................................................................................................. 136
Decision Concerning the Multilateral Quota for New Member Countries:
Cases of Albania and Azerbaijan........................................................................................................ 138
Decision on the Millennium Bug: Declaration...................................................................................... 140
Decision Concerning Transport for People with Mobility Handicaps:
Charter on Access to Transport Services and Infrastructure.............................................................. 142
REPORTS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
OF TRANSPORT IN 1999
Fiscal Aspects of Goods Transport by Road:
Charges in International Haulage....................................................................................................... 147
Recent trends in Road Accidents in ECMT Countries.............................................................................. 164
Conclusions and Recommendations on Scrappage Schemes and their Role
in Improving the Environmental Performance of the Car Fleet....................................................... 174
Monitoring of CO Emissions from New Cars........................................................................................... 178
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Scrappage Schemes and their Role in Improving
the Environmental Performance of the Car Fleet.......................................................................... 187
ANNEXES
I. ECMT Organisation Chart................................................................................................................. 191
II. Press Release after 83rd Session of the Council of Ministers in Warsaw........................................ 192
III. List of ECMT Member Countries Showing the Year of Accession................................................. 202
IV. List of Officers of the ECMT............................................................................................................ 204
V. List of Delegates at the Warsaw Conference.................................................................................... 205
VI. List of International Organisations with Consultative Status in ECMT........................................... 218
VII. Resolution No 1186 of the Council of Europe on European Transport Policies.......................... 223
VIII. Report to the Governments’ Parties to Eurofima’s Convention....................................................... 226
5
INTRODUCTION
OUTLINE OF THE STRUCTURE AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE
As the Organisation Chart in Annex I shows, apart from the Council of Ministers itself and its
Committee of Deputies, the Conference has two types of working unit, and the following were active
in 1999:
Permanent Groups
− Economic Research
− Group of Expert Statisticians
Ad Hoc Groups
− Integration of New Member States
− Transport and Environment
− Trends in International Traffic
− Railways
− Combined Transport
− Road Transport
− Road Safety
− Transport for People with Mobility Handicaps
− Fiscal and Financial Distortions in Transport Markets
The reports produced by these Groups are considered by the Committee of Deputies and, once
approved, are submitted to the Council of Ministers.
In accordance with the new system introduced in 1997, the chairmanship of the ECMT is no
longer rotated at the beginning of each calendar year but in the middle of the year. Thus, during the
first half of 1999, the Conference was chaired by the Polish Minister of Transport and Maritime
Economy, assisted in the context of the Bureau of the Council of Ministers by the Czech Minister of
Transport and Communications (First Vice-Chairman) and the Portuguese Minister of Infrastructure,
Planning and Territorial Administration (Second Vice-Chairman). In the second half of the year, the
Bureau of the Council of Ministers comprised the Czech Minister (Chairman) and the Portuguese
Minister (First Vice-Chairman), together with the Romanian Minister of Transport (new Second Vice-
Chairman). The purpose of this new arrangement is to enable the Chairmen to prepare the spring
session of the Council of Ministers more efficiently and to ensure greater continuity in their work over
time.
The Council of Ministers held its 83rd Session in Warsaw (Poland) in 1999.
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The Committee of Deputies met three times: on 7-8 April, 19 May and 7-8 October 1999. A
meeting of the Enlarged Bureau of the Committee of Deputies was held on 29 June 1999.
It should also mentioned that the Conference organised in 1999, as part of its research activities,
three Round Tables on the following themes:
− “Interurban Coach Services in Europe”
− “Road Transport for Own Account in Europe”
− “Transport of Waste Products”
The conclusions of the Round Tables are given in Chapter III, Section A.
In 1999, the ECMT also organised a Workshop on "Public-Private Partnerships", a Seminar on
"Crime in Transport" and another Seminar on "Transport Economics Research and Policymaking".
Lastly, the ECMT has also organised several international events, in conjunction with other
international organisations, such as:
− in conjunction with the International Union of Public Transport (UITP), a Seminar on
"Urban Public Transport Funding" (Paris, 13 and 14 October 1999),
− in conjunction with the OECD, a Conference on "Strategic Environmental Impact
Assessment for Transport" (Warsaw, 14 and 15 October 1999),
− in conjunction with the European Commission, a Conference on "Transport Benchmarking:
Methodologies, Applications and Data Needs" (Paris, 22 and 23 November 1999),
− in conjunction with the OECD, a Workshop on "Managing Car Use for Sustainable Urban
Travel" (Dublin, 1 and 2 December 1999).
An overview of the Conference’s activities is presented hereafter.
8
Part One
ECMT ACTIVITIES
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