POLICIES FOR A MULTIMODAL PAN-EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK: WIDER AND STRONGER?

This paper summarises the main conclusions of the Third Pan-European Transport Conference in Helsinki, Finland, from 23-25 June 1997, and emphasises the European Commission's proposals for a multimodal infrastructure network. The conference brought together over 1000 representatives of European Union (EU) institutions, European governments, the transport industry, and various financial institutions. Its main themes were the development of Trans-European and Pan-European transport networks, and the use of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). The Conference ended with a Declaration Towards a European Wide Transport Policy - A Set of Common Principles, and supported the further development of ten Pan-European Transport Corridors and the establishment of four Pan-European Transport Areas (PETRAS) covering important sea links. The Commission is currently considering an amendment of the Trans-European Network (TEN) guidelines for development, which would identify seaports, inland ports, and intermodal terminals in the TEN outline plans. The plans specify various transport links, and provide general criteria for developing products of common interest, but do not include specific criteria for developing and locating main transport nodes, or interconnection points in the TEN, except for about 250 airports. For the covering abstract, see IRRD 898117.