European Community (Hansard, 30 November 1989)

§ Mr. Portillo

During the United Kingdom's year of holding the Presidency of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) which ended on 23 November, I chaired two regular meetings of the Council of Ministers at which we discussed a wide range of inland transport issues. We also decided to give Hungary and Poland observer status at ECMT Council meetings.

In June, as President of the ECMT, I invited all Transport Ministers of eastern and western Europe to a meeting in London to discuss the possibilities of closer co-operation on transport matters. This meeting was followed by a similar meeting in Budapest in September at the invitation of the Hungarian Transport Minister, at which we concentrated on road safety issues.

The final event of the United Kingdom's Presidency was a special session in Paris on 23 November on transport and the environment, in which Transport Ministers and representatives from Environment Ministries from ECMT member states met for the first time and reached a broad agreement on co-ordinated international action to back national initiatives. Ministers agreed that mobility is essential to economic development, but that a balance needs to be struck between transport and environmental needs. Considerable scope exists for further technological advances towards environmentally friendly cars and lorries; fiscal measures also have an important contribution to make, as is demonstrated by the actions taken by several member states, including the United Kingdom, to encourage the use of unleaded petrol. Ministers accepted that transport users should bear the costs which they impose on the infrastructure and the environment.

Ministers agreed to set up a working group to promote and monitor follow-up action, and to hold a hearing with vehicle manufacturers and the fuel industry. The Swedish Transport Minister, as incoming President of the ECMT, has invited Transport Ministers from eastern and western Europe to a conference on transport and the environment in Stockholm in September 1990.

The substantial progress made on international, political, transport and environmental protection matters has made this last year one of great importance for the ECMT.