The European Union is facing a confluence of challenges relating to climate change, digitalisation and globalisation, which are complicated by the negative consequences of the COVID-19. While these challenges can be found in Europe everywhere, they show differences in the form and severity of their impact in different territories.
Sustainable and smart mobility is the main topic in the draft opinion on the Challenges of public transport in cities and metropolitan regions by rapporteur Adam Struzik (PL/EPP) who stresses that a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU are caused by transport. The rapporteur highlights the importance of finding ways of meeting citizen's transport needs while minimising the need for travel through limiting suburbanisation, rationalising the travel through an appropriate modal split and internalising the external costs of different transport modes to better reflect the real costs for society.
"With the growth of aspirations and needs of citizens living in villages, cities and regions across Europe, their mobility increases. This generates the need of effective, sustainable and integrated transport systems that allow different traveling options – for business as well as private purposes and with the aim of using wide range of services. Hence, I call on European, national, regional and local authorities for cooperation to implement coherent and efficient transport system, compliant with rules of sustainable development, in order to achieve the targets of the European Green Deal and sustainable economic growth. Public transport will play crucial role in reducing emissions, including decarbonisation of the transport sector", said Adam Struzik, President of Mazovia Region.
The opinion emphasizes that cities and regions need additional funding to increase the share of alternative solutions to individual motor transport. It also calls for more pedestrian friendly space and spatial preference for public transport which are crucial for sustainable urban mobility and to reduce emissions. Supporting these proposals, Trnka Rastislav, President of the Košice Self-Governing Region said that regions need sufficient and direct funding to increase the share of alternative solutions to car transport which were leaving devastating impact on bridges in his region.
The COTER members also exchanged their views on the current state of play of the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 in presence of Jan Koopman, Director General from DG BUDG of the European Commission and on the future of cross-border cooperation in the EU, including the cross-border public services. Adam Struzik expressed satisfaction that the allocations of MFF 2021-2027 funds were adopted at the July summit. He said "We expect a quick conclusion of the arrangements concerning the final shape of the EU regulations in order to efficiently complete the programming process in individual Member States. In view of the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the upcoming financial perspective 2021-2027 should be mobilized as soon as possible. I expect close cooperation between the Committee and the European Commission on this matter."
Nikola Dobroslavić, Prefect of Dubrovnik-Neretva County said that the adoption of the new MFF and the Next Generation EU plan prior to the beginning of the new financial period is of the utmost importance for the EU as well as its regions and cities. The essential Cohesion Policy and the Common Agriculture Policy deserve utmost attention.
During the COTER virtual meeting members also discussed the REACT EU package, of rapporteur Mieczysław Struk, which will allow regions and cities to use structural funds to mitigate the bad consequences of the pandemic. Struk said "Cities and regions welcome the targeted REACT-EU proposals aimed at addressing the direct negative socio-economic effects of the current pandemic and other major future crises, including additional financial resources to foster crisis repair and facilitate a green, digital and resilient recovery. We want to make sure that this mechanism is used efficiently." The opinion will be adopted during the CoR October plenary session