| Author (Person) | Schwartz, Ari |
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| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.11, No.29, 28.7.05 |
| Publication Date | 28/07/2005 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Ari Schwartz Date: 28/07/05 The European Parliament's transport committee will return after the summer break for a crucial vote on a multi-million euro transport project which aims to move freight traffic off Europe's roads. Based on the perceived success of the predecessor project, Marco Polo, which was allocated €100 million, the Marco Polo II project is set to receive €740m. But Ari Vatanen, the Finnish-born French MEP and former rally driver, has launched a personal crusade to try to get the proposed legislation dropped. In his opinion, the proposed scheme will cost taxpayers too much and be a wasteful extravagance. He said: "The existing road and rail system could easily carry three times as much freight," adding that, "CO2 emission from cars and trucks in Europe contribute to only 2% of world greenhouse gas emissions". Vatanen argued that even doubling rail transport, with massive subsidies to the railways, would reduce road transport by only about 5% in two or three years. Stefaan de Rynck, spokesman for Jacques Barrot, the commissioner for transport, said that numerous EU studies had shown that switching transport from road to rail provided a plethora of social and environmental benefits. He said: "For every €1 that is invested in the Marco Polo II project, €6 will return in environmental and social benefits." De Rynck noted that in some areas progress had already been made in shifting transport off the road. "Inland waterways traffic has increased by 10% and in some countries, not all, rail has managed to increase its market share of freight," he said. MEPs on the transport committee will vote on the Commission's proposal on 12 September. Anticipation of a vote at the European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism on the Marco Polo II project which aims to move freight traffic off Europe's roads. Based on the perceived success of the predecessor project, Marco Polo, which was allocated €100 million, the Marco Polo II project was set to receive €740m. Its potential impact on the reduction of greenhouse gases remained contested among Parliamentarians. |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Mobility and Transport |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
