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Green Machines: Clean Cars Get EU Boost |
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| Scheme aims to spur electric vehicles – but work needed to improve common technical standards |
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The European Union could become the heartbeat for the world’s clean, energy-efficient vehicles, if plans to foster a high-tech electric car industry are fulfilled.
At a meeting in Brussels on May 25, EU industry ministers agreed on the need to develop a standardised system for recharging electric cars throughout Europe by next year as part of efforts to convince sceptical consumers. It was a priority to develop "a harmonised solution for the interoperability between electric vehicles and the charging infrastructure,” the ministers said, echoing calls from car firms and environmental campaigners to speed up work on common technical standards.
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How the Lisbon Treaty changes EU Transport Policy |
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The Lisbon Treaty transforms the European Union massive reform of its institutions. But how does it affect transport policy?
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When it finally came into effect on December 1, 2009, the Lisbon Treaty represented a historic overhaul of the European Union’s rulebook and streamlining EU institutions. Among other things, it changes the voting structure, creates two new posts in the EU Council President and High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, and boosts the powers of the European Parliament.
For transport policy, the Lisbon represents some subtle but significant shifts in competence. Until now, most transport legislation has been adopted under the co-decision procedure and by qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers (Article 74 of the Treaty of Rome already envisaged the creation of a common transport policy).
But Articles 70 to 80 of the Lisbon Treaty introduce new wording: the changes offer a derogation from the co-decision procedure for measures that could, if applied, have an adverse effect on living conditions and employment in certain areas as well as on the use of transport equipment. The Lisbon Treaty’s Article 72, removes this derogation: it says that the impact of these measures on living conditions, employment and the use of transport equipment should be taken into account. However, unanimity is not required to adopt these measures. And other provisions concerning state aid in transports, non-discrimination, taxes and duties, etc. (currently under Articles 70-80) remain unchanged, and the same goes for provisions about the Trans-European Networks.
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We must address energy efficiency |
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Energy efficiency will be the transport challenge for future generations, the European Commission’s Deputy Director General for Energy and Transport, Zoltan Kazatsay, has told the European Transport Forum.
“How can we find the proper balance between the efficient output of the transport sector and at the same time the proper use of energy resources which will be available 15 to 20 years later?” he said.
Kazatsay said it was crucial not to forget “the human factor” in transport policy. “It is very important to see the interest of human beings in the long run and how transport is having an impact on it,” he said. “This is addressed by a single word: sustainability.”
He also emphasized transport’s function to protect. “It should protect those who are involved in transport activities like users, operators and drivers,” he said. “But at the same time it should protect other things, like the environment: transport is considered to be one of the most harmful contributors to environmental pollution, so we have to put a strong emphasis on this in the future.”
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Zoltàn Kazatsay, European Commission, Deputy Director General for Transport | |
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