The European Parliament,

- having regard to its resolutions of 6 April 1987 on a medium-term programme on transport infrastructure, of 18 December 1987 on financial support for transport infrastructure projects, of 16 November 1988 on an action programme in the field of transport infrastructure with a view to the internal market in 1992, of 23 May 1989 on the charging of transport infrastructure costs to heavy goods vehicles, of 15 June 1990 on an action programme in the field of transport infrastructure with a view to the completion of the internal market,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A3-0161/91),

A. whereas economic growth forecasts linked to the completion of the internal market and the corresponding rise in transport of persons and goods between now and the year 2000 indicate a growth in land transport of 34% over the 1988 level,

B. having regard to the incompatible air traffic control systems operated by national authorities, which do not propose to relinquish any powers to a European air traffic control body, such as Eurocontrol, in spite of ever-increasing incongruities resulting from the procurement of expensive but heterogeneous hardware and software, and air space congestion which has not been brought under control, making delays and accident situations increasingly common occurrences,

C. whereas the liberalization of air transport services in the European Community (once the present crisis due to the Gulf War is past) will bring about a substantial rise in the volume of air traffic, which will further aggravate the current problems of congested air space and the saturation point already reached by certain European airports; and whereas the European Community is the world's largest single exporting and importing economic bloc, and 90% of its trade with the rest of the world and 30% of intra-Community trade pass through its ports, which thus play a role of overwhelming importance in the Community transport system,

D. whereas, at present, the absence of European transport infrastructure networks commensurate with users' requirements results in major costs to the European economy, as is revealed by the study carried out on behalf of Parliament, which puts the annual cost to the Community of inadequate transport infrastructure at ECU 3.75 bn (109), a figure that could rise to ECU 13.6 bn per annum by 2010, particularly if the European high-speed rail network fails to be constructed; whereas, if this situation continues, the objective of completing a genuine internal market may be jeopardized because of the saturation of the infrastructure, the collapse of the different modal transport systems, and the inadequate degree of multimodal integration hitherto achieved; and whereas, however, available capacity could be utilized more efficiently at lower cost by creating multimodal transport networks and using new technologies;

E. whereas the opening up of the new markets in the countries of Eastern Europe and the forecast growth in commercial relations with these countries between now and the year 2000 indicate a 4.7% p.a. growth in Community exports to and a 3.8% p.a. growth in Community imports from Eastern Europe, which represent a growth in two-way traffic of more than 50% over the next decade,

F. whereas, with each new accession to the EEC, new specific problems in the field of infrastructure have arisen, in connection with both the geographical location of the new Member States, and the deficiencies already present in certain national transport infrastructure networks,

G. whereas the unacceptable concept of a 'single two-speed' Europe and the distortions of the single market itself will not be combated unless, through intensive and innovative efforts with regard to infrastructure, the so-called 'periphery' of the Community is fully integrated into trans-European networks and a sufficient number of appropriate links, offering a commensurate level of services, are established in each peripheral State and/or region, these routes to be integrated into the networks referred to or to have direct access to them, and whereas, in order to complete the integrated market, profitability or economic viability is not the only valid criterion if the objective is to establish a single and homogeneous network structure at European level,

H. whereas infrastructure inadequacy is disruptive to economic, social and territorial cohesion, with a view to establishing the internal market in a balanced Europe, and whereas transport-related measures must facilitate integration and provide evidence of greater collaboration with a view to optimum network operation in the future,

I. whereas overall investment by the countries of Western Europe in land transport infrastructure fell between 1974 and 1984 by around 22% in real terms, and whereas investment, expressed as a percentage of GDP, fell from 1.5% in 1975 to 0.9% in 1984; convinced that a reversal of this trend is essential for the normal running of the Community's internal market, requiring an infrastructure network capable of coping with the increases in Community traffic in persons and goods,

J. whereas the present situation, where transport infrastructure is conceived as being a national issue, means that there are no true European networks, and whereas it is therefore essential that the problems of continuity and compatibility between these national networks as well as the serious problems that already exist in connection with the transit countries, which are worsening day by day, be resolved at Community level,

K. whereas the number of traffic accidents is directly related to the infrastructure network, the poor state of which (black spots, bottlenecks, urban transit, road signs, etc.) is the direct cause, together with speed and alcohol, of a large proportion of the 50 000 deaths that occur on European roads alone every year,

L. whereas a high price is being paid in terms of ecological damage for the fact that there is no European programme to conserve and protect the environment with regard to transport infrastructure by stepping up pollution controls and encouraging the use of alternative energy sources,

M. whereas the budgetary restrictions to which all governments are subject mean that recourse should be had to the financial markets; certain necessary conditions, therefore, have to be met in order to attract available private capital to finance infrastructure projects which would be of intrinsic interest to the private sector,

N. whereas, in view of the need to implement infrastructure projects enabling a coordinated European network to be put in place, Community involvement as regards the funding of projects of Community interest must complement that of the Member States,

O. whereas in those areas where the Community is already active (in implementation of structural policies) funding for major networks must be additional to existing Community funding,

P. whereas it is fitting for the Community to play a central role in drawing up global infrastructure programmes of Community interest and in researching, establishing and financing those specific projects which present the greatest difficulties,

Q. whereas the Community, moreover, must be responsible for establishing clear priorities in the field of infrastructure and coordinating the implementation of the projects selected by the different political authorities involved, particularly in view of the fact that the internal market will set new standards for transport structures, which, however, as in the case of airport expansion, must be publicized in good time,

R. whereas the Community does not yet possess either the legal or the financial instruments which would allow it to guarantee the consistency and continuity of the various types of specific, aid granted in the transport infrastructure sector; whereas there is a need for sufficient transparency and coherence concerning the various European financing methods (EIB, regional fund, infrastructure priorities, etc.) in respect of each project;

S. whereas all decisions concerning infrastructure projects must be backed up by combined-transport research setting out in detail the economic, ecological and social criteria for opting for the project concerned,

The definition of a Community policy on transport infrastructure

1. Believes that the Community urgently requires a coherent policy on transport infrastructure and that it has a central role to play in establishing what exactly Europe's specific needs in this sector are, since it enjoys a global perspective denied to the individual Member States; and considers it desirable that such an infrastructure policy should correspond to the mobility requirements of both Community citizens and undertakings;

2. Welcomes the Council's adoption in October 1990 of an action programme in the field of transport infrastructure with a view to the completion of the internal market; while fully aware of the budgetary and time limits of this new legal instrument, considers that it constitutes a very positive step forward, and therefore calls on the Council to continue to adopt more far-reaching decisions on questions of infrastructure;

3. Expresses its firm support for the proposals submitted by the Commission within the framework of the intergovernmental conference, namely that amongst the Community's new powers should be the power of decision with regard to establishing the major European transport infrastructure networks;

4. Urges the Commission, in collaboration with representatives of the Member States, the transport sector and with the other institutions concerned, to research and draw up overall plans for the infrastructure networks for the various forms of transport, including air, sea and combined transport, to be submitted to Parliament for its opinion and to the Council for adoption;

5. Calls for the periodic updating of these overall plans, which must contain fixed timetables for the implementation of the different projects and establish the powers and duties of each of the political authorities involved; these plans shall define the European networks of Community interest which are to be completed or to be built with a view to meeting foreseeable needs, from the standpoint both of traffic and of economic and social cohesion, taking account of the position of a number of peripheral, cross-frontier and transit regions which merit special European support with regard to public or combined transport;

6. Calls on the Commission, as a matter of urgency, to establish an overall plan concerning transport safety and environmental protection; with regard to safety, the guideline plan should include programmes for the elimination of black spots and bottlenecks, transit through urban areas, reduction of the speed and volume of traffic in such areas, rules on road signs and controls, and on transport of dangerous goods; with regard to the environment, it should lay down rules governing the construction of the infrastructure and the way in which it is to be used, with a view to controlling and reducing pollution and to encouraging wider use of alternative energy sources, together with preference for non-polluting forms of transport, on the basis of qualitative and quantitative ecological impact assessment, and the creation of more environment-friendly transport networks;

7. Calls on the Commission to found a European Road Safety Council, which, in collaboration with public and non-state organizations, would set up preventive programmes for road safety education in schools, higher education centres and at the workplace, with a view to instilling greater traffic awareness in both young and old, and, in addition to this, would identify shortcomings in the current transport environment from a road safety perspective;

8. Urges the Commission to make the necessary structural adjustments within its own services to allow it to perform its new duties in the definition of the overall plans for the different forms of transport and to allow it to coordinate the Community's financial intervention on behalf of transport infrastructure;

Financing Community action

9. Believes that the mechanisms for financial aid for reducing regional imbalances are utterly inadequate; further believes that the subsidies granted under the budgetary headings so far assigned to transport are derisory and utterly deprived of any long- or medium-term vision; welcomes, therefore, the prospect of a 'programme' and the multiannual thinking set out in the recently approved Regulation No. 3359/90 of 20 November 1990, but believes that the financial amounts concerned are purely symbolic;

10. Calls once again for the establishment of a specific European Infrastructure Fund (EIF) for transport and welcomes the fact that the experts whom the Commission entrusted with analysing transport developments between now and the year 2000 reached the same conclusion and proposed the same solution;

11. Considers that this fund, whose purpose would be to finance infrastructure projects of Community interest, as outlined in paragraphs 1 to 7 above, should be financed by a Community tax on energy consumption; believes that this tax would enable the cost of the fund to be shared equitably by everyone, have positive effects from an ecological point of view and enjoy the advantage of contributing to the development of environment-friendly, energy-efficient forms of transport;

12. Takes the view that the Member States must place the additional proceeds resulting from the harmonization of motor fuel excise duties and of motor vehicle taxes in national infrastructure funds primarily geared to promoting environmentally benign and low-energy forms of transport;

13. Proposes that for each type of project, a maximum percentage of Community finance should be established; and calls for infrastructure financing to be made more transparent by providing a precise statement of all European funding available to each project and project component;

14. Considers that, in allocating funds from the proposed European Infrastructure Fund, special provision should be made for the needs of the Community's peripheral regions and for those regions which are not situated on trans-European transport routes, regions for which adequate access to transport infrastructure and services are essential to support Community objectives of economic and social cohesion;

Use of financial engineering mechanisms to attract private capital

15. Believes that only a very limited number of Community infrastructure projects will be financially attractive to private capital, but that the Community should carry out technical and financial studies to resolve some of the doubts surrounding certain specific projects, thus helping the private sector to come to a positive decision;

16. Believes that the specific purpose of the 'declaration of Community interest' of a given project should be to make available funds from the EIF for preparatory studies and to state that its implementation is a Community priority, which would allow the concentration of available private capital in the project concerned;

Setting up a European Infrastructure Agency

17. Believes that the same criteria that led industry to submit a proposal for the setting up of a European Agency have led Parliament to call for the Community to be clearly empowered to develop coordinated planning and implementation policy for a European transport infrastructure network, since the need to find a global, transnational response to current problems is no less evident to users than to forward-thinking political circles;

18. Expresses its conviction that if the Community equips itself with the legal and financial instruments set out above and restructures the Commission services responsible for using them, it will not be necessary to set up a new body whose political status and responsibilities would still have to be defined; states once again, however, that it is convinced that close collaboration between the Community bodies and users' organizations is of the greatest importance;

19. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council and to the governments of the Member States.