The paper was presented at the Polish Logistics Congress “Logistics 2004 – Logistics networks in an integrated European market”. Poznań, May 19-21, 2004.
1. Goals and tasks of the European Union
1.1. Kyoto and Gulliver
Transport and energy policy in the “EU-15” countries is shaped by the Kyoto Protocol. The second factor determining it is the so-called Gulliver effect – a forecast for the European Union, which has become a giant dependent on imported energy. It is estimated that without remedial measures, by 2030, energy consumption from outside the Union will rise to 71% [1]. These two main factors have shaped transport policy, also finding their reflection in regulations concerning urban transport. In May 2004, the EU was expanded to 25 members, incorporating a large part of Eastern Europe. Together with all the new members, the EU constitutes an economic and political confederation of the majority of continental Europe. Energy and transport policy lies in the hands of the Directorate-General for Energy and Transport (DGTREN), which is already considering Europe as a “group of thirty”.
1.2. Energy and CO2
The European Union has been committed to reducing six greenhouse gases between 2008 and 2012 to reach the 1990 baseline level, i.e., slightly below 8% [1]. Without taking any remedial action, the European Union will not be able to meet its Kyoto commitment, especially in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, the same sources show that emissions of this gas will increase by 22% in 2030 relative to the 1990 baseline level. Relevant documents have already been developed – some are still under debate, while others are already being verified. For transport, the most urgent regulations concern decoupling transport growth from economic growth and arrangements for promoting energy from renewable sources, the share of which in total energy consumption is to increase from 6% to 12%, and the consumption of fuels from renewable sources up to 20% [2].
1.3. Ecological Urban Transport
The European Commission is conducting a long-term process of developing and promoting a hydrogen economy, the goal of which would be the widespread use of clean hydrogen fuel in transport. The short-term task is to promote clean urban transport, aiming for a 20% share of renewable fuels in total fuel consumption in transport by 2010.
The CIVITAS initiative [2] of DGTREN promotes actions concerning the efficiency of urban transport, which is strictly focused on passenger transport. Recently, this organization presented another task – New methods of goods distribution using modern logistics services utilizing an ecological and energy-efficient fleet, dedicated infrastructure, and modern information services.
The CIVITAS initiative focuses on energy, but related issues are also involved here, such as demand management, i.e., congestion charges for entering cities, promotion of public transport, and new forms of transport – other than road. Recently, there has been more support for activities related to renewable energy, such as biogas, biodiesel, and natural gas. Projects related to electric vehicles, however, have little chance of implementation.
1.4. Economic growth vs. transport growth – decoupling
28% of carbon dioxide emissions in the European Union originate from transport, with 84% produced by road transport. Despite the fact that heavy goods vehicles account for only 10% of all traffic in cities, they emit over 40% of pollution and noise. According to available forecasts, if no regulations are introduced, by 2010, heavy goods vehicle (HGV) transport in the former “EU-15” countries will increase by 50%. In the newly admitted EU countries, despite plans to increase the use of rail transport, transport by this means decreased by 43.5% between 1990 and 1998, while road transport increased by 19.4%.
The common European market and competition policy have gradually, over more than ten years, liberalized and deregulated road transport, but the growth of transport, rising along with economic growth, has significantly exceeded it. As soon as the transformation from an inventory-based economy to a flow-based economy took place in Europe and concepts such as Just in Time, kanban, lean manufacturing, and the ever-increasing centralization of distribution began to be used, the growth of freight transport began to exceed economic growth. Effective development is a priority for the European Union and as such is also included in the activities of DGTREN, which is tasked with decoupling GDP growth from transport growth. An interesting and complex area of actions and legal regulations is associated with this task.
1.5. Economic importance of transport and road congestion
Transport is one of the strongest stimulators of industry, trade, and integration in the European Union – it generates 1,000 trillion EUR annually, which accounts for 10% of the Union’s gross domestic product, employing 10 million workers [3]. The transition to a common Union economy was not uniform for all branches of transport. Road transport has even distanced rail transport. In EU countries, rail transport has only an 8% market share, while in the USA, rail transport accounts for about 40%. The growth of transport, particularly by road, has a huge impact on the economy. As much as 10% of the road network is permanently congested, while 20% of the rail network has been classified as bottlenecks. It is estimated that 6% of fuel is consumed excessively due to road congestion. In the European Union, 0.5% of GDP losses are related to this phenomenon, and by 2010 this share will rise to 1% [3]. All this, combined with a lack of investment in new infrastructure (public investment in infrastructure fell from 1.5% in the eighties to 1% in the nineties), has led to the development of new fundamental strategies:
– Infrastructure usage charges are intended to discourage entry into city centers, thereby allowing for investment in infrastructure.
– Intermodality and the use of various means of transport, and in particular rail, are intended to create a more efficient and ecological economy.
Full article in PDF format.