Sustainable Urban Transport Plans in the Thematic Strategy

on the Urban EnvironmentCOM(2004)60

ACCESS, Genoa

2 March 2004

Preparatory Stages

2001 - 6th Environment Action Programme: mandate

- Stakeholder consultation: priority themes

2002 - Development of priority themes

- Establishment of working groups

2003 - Working groups produce recommendations

- Stakeholder consultation (written, events)- Studies

2004 - Adoption of interim Communication (11/2/04)

The 4 Priority Themes

Environmental management

Sustainable urban transport

Sustainable Construction

Urban Design

Air Quality

Energy use

Environmental risk

Greenhouse gas emissions

Green space

Health effects

Nature and biodiversity

Noise

Traffic levels

Quality of life

Urban sprawl

Water quality

Water use

Waste

Working groups 2002/3

Working Groups

Commission

EU Expert Group

What is best practice?

What are the barriers?

What can be done to overcome

these?

Recommendations for action

Also input from stakeholders, bilaterals, Commission services

Messages from Consultation

Time to focus on action – issues have been discussed for long enough: solutions are known but not implemented

Action can be taken at European level to achieve this - a framework

Make ‘islands of excellence’ become day to day norm

Specific targets can be set for urban areas in certain cases (e.g. air quality). It is much more difficult for transport issues for instance as towns and cities are diverse.

Need to support MS and local authorities meet existing environmental obligations

The Framework Proposed

European

National

Regional

City

Coherence

Policy

Communication COM(2004)60

“To improve the environmental performance and quality of urban areas and secure a healthy living

environment “

Communication:

Theme by theme analysis of the problem

What is being done

What more needs to be done

Priority Theme:Sustainable Urban Management

• Possible requirement for capital cities and cities over 100,000 inhabitants to prepare and adopt an environmental management plan

• Possible requirement to adopt an environmental management system to manage and deliver plan

• Commission to develop guidelines for management systems

• MS encouraged to provide necessary support to local authorities

• Commission to explore training, research, exchange of experience

Priority Theme:Sustainable Urban Transport

• Possible requirement for capital cities and other cities over 100,000 inhabitants to develop, adopt and implement (and regularly revise) a sustainable urban transport plan

- Targets and actions decided locally

- Framework requirements (eg on issues to be addressed, to have targets and monitoring, stakeholder consultation)

Sustainable Urban Transport II• Member States encouraged to:

• Set out framework policy on sustainable urban transport

• Evaluate impacts of urban transport infrastructure on sustainability of transport system

• Follow guidelines on use of structural funds• Proposed Directive on purchase of cleaner and more

efficient vehicles• Commission Action plan for alternative fuels• Expand CIVITAS, research and exchange initiatives• Commission to develop the transport related

capacities of 250 local energy agencies – promote best practice

• Commission will identify transport indicators• Commission continue promotional activities

(European Car Free Day and Mobility Week)• Commission explore need for guidance and training

Priority Theme: Sustainable Construction

Ideas in Communication:• Commission to develop common methodology to evaluate

sustainability of buildings and built environment. Encourage MS to use it. Possibility of future requirements to complement Directive on energy performance of buildings

• Examine ways to apply Directive 2002/91 to smaller buildings

• Encourage MS to develop a national programme for sustainable construction with high performance requirements

• Encourage local authorities to promote sustainable construction

Sustainable Construction II

• Encourage MS and local authorities to introduce sustainability requirements into tendering procedures, develop fiscal incentives for sustainable buildings

• Commission to develop training, research, guidance, exchange of experience

• Tackle growing levels of construction and demolition waste – Thematic Strategy on Waste

• Commission to develop the environmental labelling of construction materials, buildings / building services (eco-label / EPD)

Priority Theme: Sustainable Urban Design

Ideas in Communication:• Encourage MS to:

- ensure land use planning systems achieve sustainable land use patterns, undertake a review

- Develop incentives for reuse of brownfield land (databases, targets, reuse of empty properties)

- Set minimum residential land use densities- Evaluate consequences of climate change

• Commission to prepare guidelines on ‘high density, mixed use’, definitions of ‘greenfield and brownfield’ land

• Commission to explore training, research, exchange of experience

• European Environment Agency to monitor land use – special report on urban sprawl

Integration

Ideas in Communication:• Encourage MS to adopt national/regional strategies

for urban environment, nominate national/regional focal points to assist local authorities and undertake awareness raising activities

• Reconsider distribution of competencies, develop coordination between authorities

• The Commission will consider sustainable urban development in future cohesion policy (Urban+, rehabilitation of derelict industrial sites, urban sustainable public transport, cleaner transport)

• Further research on urban environment issues is needed

• Commission consider how training and education policy assists achievement of sustainable urban environment

Supporting the local level

• Commission to propose a revised funding mechanism to promote sustainable urban development

• Commission to disseminate better research results

• Commission to support the Aalborg+10 initiative

Consultation Process

• Internet based consultation – until 15 April

• Discussions in Council/ Parliament

• Consultation Panel (EU Expert Group + other stakeholders)

• Independent Expert Working Groups

• Bilaterals with stakeholders

Plus Additional StakeholdersEU

Expert Group

Additional experts in urban environment issues (50 in total):-cities/cities networks (40%)-NGOs (20%)-business (20%)-academics (20%)

7th April

12 July

25 October

Consultation Panel

Possible Working Group:Sustainable Urban Transport Plans

What is the scope of a sustainable urban transport plan (which issues?)?

Process for preparation? Consultations? How does it link with other plans and

strategies? How should the plan specify targets and

actions? How should it be evaluated and monitored? What supporting measures?

Possible Working Group:Urban Environment Research and Training Needs

Certain research and training needs have been identified during 2003

What additional research is needed? How should it be orientated and what are

the priorities? How should research be better

disseminated? How should Community support for

training and education develop?

Possible Working Group:Urban Environment Data Needs

Need to monitor quality of urban environment at local level (city level data)

Need to monitor impact of towns and cities on wider environment (European/National/Local level data)

Need to monitor effect of Thematic Strategy (European/National level data)

How to achieve what is needed, making best use of what exists, without imposing additional burdens on MS and local authorities (DG ENV review//EPRG)

Aalborg +10 www.aalborgplus10.dk

Initiative by towns and cities, Denmark 9-11 June Supported by Commission – Margot Wallström will attend

• 10 years of Aalborg Charter, focus on move from Local Agenda21 to Local Actions 21)

• Quantified commitments in 10 fields (natural common goods, responsible consumption and lifestyle choices, less traffic - more mobility, urban planning & design - increasing liveability, viable local economy, social equity and justice, healthy living, good governance, sustainability management and evaluation, local to global)

• Pre-cursor of Urban Environmental Management Plans• Support role of MS, regions, other stakeholders

Projects for Sustainable Urban Development (Decision 1411/2001/EC)

• 4million € available for projects in 2004• Priorities - environmental management

plans - environmental management systems - sustainable urban transport plan

- sustainable construction

• Call closes on 31 March 2004• Advisory Committee in May

Next steps

• Submit comments by 15 April• Discussion in Council?• Send experts to the ‘consultation

panel’ meeting on 7 April (EU Expert Group plus other stakeholders)

• Nominate to host working groups, nominations for consultation panel and for expert working groups

Health and Urban Unit

Simon Goss / Mark BaconDG Environment B4

Simon.goss@cec.eu.int

http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/thematic_strategy.htm