This book challenges conventional approaches to transport by moving away from trend based analysis towards the use of scenarios to identify alternative sustainable transport futures.

Long overlooked, transport is emerging as an important policy area for the European Union and is a growing source of political tension. This broad-based analysis of the European transport industry includes an in-depth examination of the four major modes: rail, road, air, and shipping, also the EU's growing cross-border transport links. Ross frames this discussion with a look at the role of transport in the overall European political economy—past, present, and future.

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject Transportation Science & Technology, grade: 1,3, University of Duisburg-Essen (Institut für Geographie (Wirtschaftsgeographie, insb. Verkehr und Logistik)), course: Verkehr und Nachhaltigkeit, language: English, abstract: All over the history, mobility has been an integral part of life. Europe features a high level of its unmatched infrastructure, allowing that mobility very well. Not only mobility of people, also the conveyance of goods profits from it. It has become a part of the European lifestyle since the citizens of the continent make use of transport services as a matter of course. Although the term 'Europe' is used, the essay mainly contains remarks about the transport sector of the European Union with its 27 member states by now. Transportation is termed as "the totality of all translocations of persons [...] and goods [...] as well as news [...]", "which is to be geared to the needs for activity of men and to the environment." The transport sector comprehends the extent of passenger use, the frequency of the lanes, the usage of the different means of transportation and the covered distances. As the title of this essay indicates, it is to deal with the concepts and objectives of a common transport policy throughout the European Union. The central and decisive element in this matter is the White Paper 'European transport policy for 2010 - Time to decide', published at the Gothenburg European Council in 2001. This document contains the essential abstract objectives and concrete measures or concepts for a more sustainable transport policy across the Union territory. These goals and measures can roughly be assigned to the two main categories of performance-enhancement and climate protection. By having referred to the 2006 Mid-term review during the presentation of current situation in the European transport sector, most interim results have already been presented earlier. Generally, it becomes obvious that progr

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject Transportation Science & Technology, grade: 1,3, University of Duisburg-Essen (Institut für Geographie (Wirtschaftsgeographie, insb. Verkehr und Logistik)), course: Verkehr und Nachhaltigkeit, language: English, abstract: All over the history, mobility has been an integral part of life. Europe features a high level of its unmatched infrastructure, allowing that mobility very well. Not only mobility of people, also the conveyance of goods profits from it. It has become a part of the European lifestyle since the citizens of the continent make use of transport services as a matter of course. Although the term ‘Europe’ is used, the essay mainly contains remarks about the transport sector of the European Union with its 27 member states by now. Transportation is termed as “the totality of all translocations of persons [...] and goods [...] as well as news [...]” , “which is to be geared to the needs for activity of men and to the environment.” The transport sector comprehends the extent of passenger use, the frequency of the lanes, the usage of the different means of transportation and the covered distances. As the title of this essay indicates, it is to deal with the concepts and objectives of a common transport policy throughout the European Union. The central and decisive element in this matter is the White Paper ‘European transport policy for 2010 – Time to decide’, published at the Gothenburg European Council in 2001. This document contains the essential abstract objectives and concrete measures or concepts for a more sustainable transport policy across the Union territory. These goals and measures can roughly be assigned to the two main categories of performance-enhancement and climate protection. By having referred to the 2006 Mid-term review during the presentation of current situation in the European transport sector, most interim results have already been presented earlier. Generally, it becomes obvious that progresses are made only sluggishly. In addition, the modal split balance is expected to remain stable. So, apart from certain exceptions, many premises do not change for the following action fields. After having considered the different sections of the transport policy in Europe, one can draw several conclusions. Sustained economic growth, which will continue to belong to the top priorities of the European Union, should be uncoupled from the rise in traffic volume. Therefore, efficiency and utilization rates have to be improved. At the same time though, environmental and social consequences of further growth has to be scanned carefully.

Recoge: 1. Shifting the balance between modes of transport - 2. Eliminating bottlenecks - 3. Placing users at the heart of transport policy - 4. Managing the globalization of transport - 5. Time to decide.

"Four years after the European Commission adopted its Transport White Paper, CEPS formed a Task Force of experienced practitioners to review European transport policy. The members of this Task Force are now publishing their findings and conclude that numerous challenges remain in the European transport arena. The release of this report is timed to coincide with the forthcoming mid-term review by the Commission of EU progress towards a single market for transport. Until recently, EU transport policy has been firmly wedded to the twin ideas of "decoupling' transport from economic growth and encouraging a 'modal shift' from road to rail, especially for freight transport. With economic growth in the doldrums and an urgent need to reinvigorate the Lisbon strategy, however, many now believe that transport policy should play a central role in the process of enhancing European competitiveness. While progress has been made towards a coherent, EU-wide road transport policy, less has been achieved for rail, air and sea in recent years. The CEPS transport group sees future transport demand set to grow more strongly than anticipated due to internal market reforms and globalisation. If this growth materialises, rather than favouring rail, all transport modes and technological options must be allowed to play their appropriate part in meeting Europe's escalating transport needs. The good news is that this time there are hopeful signs that these ideas are gaining ground in both the Commission and the Parliament" -- back cover.