IRU speech
59th IAA
International Motor Show Commercial Vehicles
Hannover 2003
joint IRU/VDA symposium
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Speech by
Hubert Linssen
Head - IRU Delegation to the EU - Brussels
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Hannover, 18 September 2002
Dear Member of the European Parliament, dear Minister, dear President, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have both the honour and the pleasure to extend, on behalf of the
International Road Transport Union, a warm welcome to the speakers, to
participants at the Round Table and to the audience of this symposium.
I also would like to thank the VDA for inviting us to its International
Motor Show for Commercial Vehicles and which seems to me the perfect
venue for our joint IRU/VDA symposium.
The Enlargement of the European Union will bring about many positive
developments for all its Member States, both old and new. Within the
new, larger, European Union, which will become the largest single
market in the world, information, technology and goods will be
exchanged more freely and more frequently than ever before, providing
huge opportunities for everyone.
While all economic sectors and all transport modes play an important
role in the enlargement process, it is the road transport sector that
provides the main physical link between Europe’s national economies,
carrying more people and goods than any other transport mode.
Therefore, adequate road infrastructure across the entire Union is a
conditio sine qua non for a flourishing economy and the closer economic
integration of the European Union.
Ladies and Gentlemen, only four and half months ago, IRU held its 28th
World Congress in Bucharest. The theme we adopted was: “Emerging
Markets – Challenges and Opportunities”, and of course a large part of
the participants and of the speakers came from European Union Candidate
Countries, among them, to list just a few, high-level representatives
of Romania, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic.
“Challenges and opportunities” – this could also be a motto for road
transport with regard to European Union Enlargement. The word
“challenge” implies that there remain difficulties and obstacles that
need to be overcome, and the provision of adequate road infrastructure
is probably one of the most important of these. However, if EU
Enlargement presents challenges, there are also immense opportunities
and benefits to be gained. How can we ensure sufficient mobility for
both people and goods, while simultaneously protecting the environment
in an enlarged Union? Part of the answer is that sustainable
development can only be attained cost-effectively if transport policy
is based on what IRU calls the 3 “i”-s: Innovation, Incentives, and
Infrastructure.
- Innovation:
to develop ever-more effective “at-source” measures and practices to
reduce the environmental impact of road transport
- Incentives:
to accelerate introduction by transport operators of best available
technology and practices, and, last but not least
- Infrastructure: Free-flowing traffic is a pre-requisite to permit innovation and incentives to deliver the expected benefits.
Years
ago, the IRU and its Member Associations proposed a step-by-step
opening of the road transport market before enlargement, hand-in-hand
with the verified adoption and implementation of the EU acquis by
Candidate Countries. This strategy has not been adopted by the European
Commission and yet it now seems virtually certain, that a first
significant enlargement will happen in 2004,. In this situation, the
IRU and the international road transport community therefore request
now the competent European authorities and national Governments to
introduce a market monitoring mechanism which will allow them and the
industry to follow developments in the transport market and adopt
appropriate preventive policy measure should significant disruption
occur as a result of the integration of very diverse markets. For your
information, the EC has agreed to set up a market monitoring system for
the rail sector.
To end my intervention I would like to
quote Mr. John Flora of the WTO : “Road transport was, is and will be
the backbone of any transport system”. We transport specialists –
whether we are politicians, NGOs, transport operators or vehicle
manufacturers – must not miss the chance to do everything in our power
to shape Europe’s future transport system in a positive way whereby we
ensure the quality and professionalism of the road transport sector.
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