The Parliament adopted its report on the pan-European conference on transport, drafted by Mr. Günter LÜTTGE (PES, Germany), without debate.
The Parliament stresses the role of a pan-European transport policy as a unique opportunity to seek Europe-wide solutions to the transport problems of the continent and draws attention to the fact that the accession negotiations must not neglect the fact that the Newly Independent States and the countries around the Mediterranean Basin must also be integrated into the objectives of a pan-European strategy for sustainable mobility.
It considers that the 10 pan-European transport corridors and the 4 pan-European Transport Areas (PETRAS) endorsed by the Helsinki Declaration should be regarded as the basis for the development of a pan-European transport infrastructure; it considers, nevertheless, that the time has come to bring forward proposals for an integrated multimodal pan-European transport network and, in this connection, calls on the Commission to bring the Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment (TINA) process to a swift conclusion and to present such proposals.
It calls on both the Commission and the Council to act as a catalyst to create the political will required to establish pan-European partnerships for the development and co-ordination of transport networks at pan-European level.
It calls on the countries in the pan-European area to review procedures and arrangements for the customs clearance of passengers and goods at frontiers and, where necessary, to take the measures required to ensure that customs clearance at frontiers is carried out rapidly, smoothly and efficiently.
The Parliament considers that an active partnership among the main actors in transport policy and the creation of proper structures is the best way to further develop pan-European transport policy.�