Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-06-13-Speech-3-266"

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". Mr President, I should like to congratulate Mr Linkohr on his report, even if, as rapporteur for the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism, I am not totally happy about the fact – although this will depend on the outcome of the vote – that scant attention has been paid to one fundamental factor, namely the utilisation of oil in the transport sector. Mr Linkohr has described the circumstances in which oil prices fluctuated abruptly and erratically and has pointed out that a whole series of countries took measures which were out of kilter both with the rules and principles of the European Union and with what we are debating today from the point of view of sustainable development, because we must not forget that the debate is not just about this report, it is about the huge task of the Swedish presidency and the Gothenburg summit as regards sustainable development. Even if the topical subject of Ireland is taking centre stage, we should not forget this fundamental approach. I particularly welcome the fact that the President of the Commission said quite clearly today that sustainable development is one of the cornerstones of development in the European Union, including a transport policy geared towards sustainable development. This also includes, as Mr Linkohr said, a price policy which prevents erratic fluctuations but which does not follow the populist line of: the lower the price of transport, the better. No, what we need is a pricing system and structure in the transport sector which is keeping with transport policy objectives, especially where oil is used. And the transport policy objectives, as the Commissioner also sees them, consist of shifting more traffic from the roads to the railways wherever it is possible and makes sense to do so. When we have adopted a railways package, when the Commissioner has proposed the additional measures which we are waiting for, then it will make sense overall to boost sustainable development by shifting traffic, especially freight traffic and passenger and local traffic, on to the railways. The last point I want to mention here is planning policy. We know it cannot happen overnight but I think – and this too is contained in the Linkohr report – that we must urge individual Member States to think in their future planning policy about providing public transport which is as efficient and environmentally-friendly as possible wherever land is developed and houses, factories etc. are built. This too is important if we want to ensure that sustainability is not just dead letter."@en1

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