First European Energy Strategy for Transport adopted

Publication date: 13 June 2007

EU transport ministers, at a meeting chaired by the German Council President, Wolfgang Tiefensee, today unanimously adopted the Council Conclusions on a "European Energy Strategy for Transport". They had discussed climate change, energy and transport for the first time at the March Council meeting, under the German Presidency, and laid the groundwork for today's decision.

"These conclusions are the first ever road map for a European energy strategy for transport. It clearly identifies where we intend to establish our priorities in the near future. First and foremost, of course, in the sphere of passenger car fuel consumption. Here, we have formulated the most ambitious requirements worldwide. What is important is that every manufacturer makes a contribution, in every market segment and with every model. This applies not just to the manufacturers of large vehicles, but also to the manufacturers of small and medium-sized cars, which make up the majority of the vehicle population and thus have the greatest environmental impact", said the Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs, Wolfgang Tiefensee in Luxembourg today.

He said, however, that this had to be accompanied by good infrastructure, by an appropriate regulatory framework for the increasing use of alternative and renewable fuels and by the creation of appropriate incentives in order to make climate-conscious behaviour attractive among road users, too. In the future, the transport ministers want to jointly establish new priorities that will inform the process of opinion-forming in Europe.

"But we are not just talking about the roads. We also can – and must – achieve significant improvements in the energy efficiency and climate change impact of the other modes of transport. Here, too, it is important that we exploit the potential inherent in efficient and, if possible, alternative fuels. In maritime shipping, in particular, we have to ensure that more use is made of environmentally sound marine diesel, and I also consider a speedy improvement in the fuels used in inland waterway transport to be important. This will not only reduce emissions, but will also help to further improve fuel efficiency through the use of modern engines," said Mr Tiefensee.