Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-04-22-Speech-3-498"
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"en.20090422.61.3-498"2
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"Madam President, I am not sure whether I can speak with the same enthusiasm as Mr Savary, but intelligent transport systems are a very exciting topic. So, what are intelligent transport systems? Well, it is not that simple to answer that question, because we are talking about a whole host of different systems: systems which enable safer, more effective and environmentally sound transport, by taking advantage of modern information and communication technology. ITS, as intelligent transport is also known, is therefore a generic term covering many different things. Under the umbrella of ITS can be found things as diverse as eCall, which generates an automatic call to an emergency call centre in the case of an accident, road toll systems, which are systems designed to collect road charges, and the already widely known GPS systems, which many of us have in our cars to help us navigate through unknown terrain.
However, ITS has many other untapped potentials: potentials for communication between vehicles, between vehicle and road and between vehicle and information centre. So, why are we not simply starting to use this technology on a larger scale, if it is so good? Well, what we face here is the question of which comes first, the chicken or the egg. Should the technology installed in the car which is capable of communicating with a roadside transmitter come first? Car manufacturers are aware of the possibilities, but they will not be able to attract investment in such technologies if there are no roadside transmitters in place first. The authorities, on the other hand, do not want to invest in transmitters before cars are equipped to receive the signals. Something will have to happen, however, and we will need to get things moving.
In this context, the Commission has produced the Intelligent Transport Systems Action Plan and submitted a proposal for a directive which should promote ITS use by kick-starting standardisation. We should compliment the Commission on this. There is need for this initiative. The two reports on intelligent transport systems which we will be discussing today, the action plan and the directive are inextricably interlinked. That is how it should be because an action plan without a directive would not give us anything very new. Many of the things included in the action plan are projects which are already underway. What is crucial, however, is the directive, because it will boost the development of important standards in the EU. The action plan, on the other hand, is intended to delimit the scope of the directive and ensure that we channel the experience which we have gained from common projects into standardisation.
The adoption of common standards, through a European ITS Committee, applies to four specific areas: firstly, optimal use of road, traffic and travel data, secondly, continuity of ITS services on transport corridors and in conurbations, thirdly, road safety and security and, fourthly, integration of the vehicle into the transport infrastructure. In addition, we are also dealing with the very important question of data security. We do not want a big-brother society, so data security and the rights of the individual must be incorporated into the standards from the very outset. Another issue of the utmost importance is responsibilities and division of responsibilities. If something goes wrong, we should be able to identify where the problem lies, with the motorist, the satellite navigation system or the technology in the vehicle. Otherwise, we will make no further progress. And, as a result, we will not secure the necessary investment.
I would like to thank the shadow rapporteurs from the other groups for their close cooperation. We have experienced some difference of opinion as to what extent we should focus on modal alternatives to road transport, but I think that we have struck a balance between ensuring use of ITS technology in road transport and its interface with other modes of transport. There is a possibility of using information technology to make easy comparisons between the different ways of getting from A to B and to get an overview of the fastest, cheapest and most environmentally sound options. I would have liked us to have reached speedy agreement on this with the Council, but that has not been possible. The Czech Presidency has done a very good job, but I hope that the way we have tightened up the Commission’s proposal will make the directive more palatable to the Council, because it is a directive that we are seeking."@en1
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