European environmental and transport policies need to go hand-in-hand

Press release Rli - 16 october 2012

Janez Potočnik calls on member states to create integrated European system for sustainable transport

12 October 2012 – EU member states can enhance their competitive position by making national mobility policy more sustainable and by creating a single European transport system. This was the message from Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment, at a conference called ‘Keep moving, towards sustainable mobility’. The Dutch Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli) organised this international conference on sustainable mobility in Rotterdam on 11 October, in association with the European Environmental and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC). The Commissioner’s statement was a curtain-raiser for a study entitled ‘Member states in top gear, Opportunities for national policies to reduce GHG emissions in transport’.

Competitive position

The main conclusion of the study is that EU member states are lagging behind when it comes to policies on sustainable mobility. An integrated policy on transport and the environment is crucial to the competitiveness of European countries, and offers opportunities for overcoming the current economic crisis.

A traffic jam with clean cars is still a traffic jam

At the conference, internationally renowned experts explained how mobility policies may be rendered more sustainable. Participants and speakers exchanged ideas and opinions during panel discussions. Participants and Twitterers continued the discussion on Twitter. The conference concluded that sustainable mobility policy must take into account human behaviour and ways of influencing it. Or as one of the Twitterers put it: “A traffic jam with clean cars is still a traffic jam.”

Book of essays

Rli presented a book of essays entitled ‘Keep Moving, Towards Sustainable Mobility’ to coincide with the conference. The book includes contributions from all the conference speakers, a column by author and philosopher Bas Haring, and interviews with the CEOs of three multinational companies.

Note to editors (not for publication)

For more information, please contact Mr f.w.dehaan@rli.nl.

The comparative study of European policy entitled ‘Member states in top gear, Opportunities for national policies to reduce GHG emissions in transport’ (pdf, 1,21 Mb), conducted by CE Delft on behalf of Rli, is available for downloading. The book of essays ‘Keep Moving, Towards Sustainable Mobility’ can be ordered from the Rli website.

Preview of the book (pdf, 94 Kb)

The speech by European Commissioner Janez Potočnik and the presentations given by speakers can be downloaded.

For more information about the book and the study report or to request an interview, please contact the Rli Communications Adviser, Ms Miep Eisner (miep.eisner@rli.nl).

About EEAC

Advisory councils have been established in most European countries to provide independent and evidence-based advice on sustainable development and the environment to their respective governments. In 1993, the various national councils joined forces to create the network of European Environmental and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC).

About Rli

The Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Raad voor de leefomgeving en infrastructuur, Rli) is an independent advisory body to the Dutch government and Parliament. The Council offers solicited and unsolicited advice on infrastructure and the sustainable development of the environment.