The future development of the Common Transport Policy: a global approach to the construction of a Community framework for sustainable mobility

Summary:

Communication published by the Commission of the European Communities on 2 December 1992, setting out a revised Common Transport Policy (CTP) which is able to respond to the reality following the implementation of the Treaty on European Union (also known as Treaty of Maastricht).

Further information:

For many years progress towards the realisation of the CTP was slow. Indeed, the Court of Justice had to intervene several times on different issues of interpretation of the transport provisions of the Treaty of Rome (TFEU) in order to make progress possible. The process reached its climax when in 1985 the Court declared that the inland transport of goods and passengers should be open to all Community firms, without discrimination as to nationality or place of establishment.

This landmark judgment coincided with the Commission's White Paper on the completing of the internal market. The Commission then placed transport in the forefront of the moves towards the completion of the internal market recognizing that the abolition of restrictions on the provision of transport services was essential for the full removal of barriers. The Single European Act accelerated the decision-making process by introducing majority voting on questions of shipping and air transport policy. Since then, the CTP has developed rapidly, encompassing a wide range of measures, actions and initiatives aiming at bringing about the single market for transport services. The implementation of the Treaty of Maastricht was set to provide a further impulsion to the evolution of the CTP, given the importance and challenges facing to the sector in titles relating to cohesion, environment and industry.

This is a White Paper that aims to provide a global approach to a number of issues relating to the Common Transport Policy, before particular initiatives are launched from the following year.

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