Annex 9: Letter from Mrs Louise Ellman, Chair
of the Transport Committee
"Thank you for your letter of 17 December inviting
the Transport Committee to comment on the European Commission's
work programme. The Transport Committee considered my response
to your letter at its meeting on Monday 12 January.
"I think it is fair to say transport has a lower
profile than some other areas in the 10 policy priority areas
set out in the 2015 work package. The one significant transport
item is the aviation package but work on climate change and decarbonisation
will have implications for transport.
"The aviation package will include a communication
identifying challenges and measures for improving the competitiveness
of the EU Aviation sector and the revision of the EASA Regulation
216/2008. It is not possible at this stage to understand exactly
what this will mean but a revision could mean a shift of more
regulatory responsibility from the CAA to EASA. The Committee
would want a reassurance it could rely on about EASA's competence
before any such shift of responsibilities.
"There are three things in the REFIT programme
that are of interest.
· The proposed 'fitness check' of the directives
making up the Safety Rules and Standards for Passenger Ships intends
to look at the potential for simplifying and streamlining the
existing framework. I believe that this will provide is a good
opportunity to look at how and whether safety requirements are
properly enforced.
· There is also a proposal to simplify the
rules on "access to the occupation of road transport operator
and common rules for access to the international road haulage
market". This is likely to be controversial. I would like
to see the Government take a robust approach and ensure continental
markets are fully opened up to UK haulage companies.
· There will also be an evaluation of the
environmental noise directive 2002/49/EC. This is the measure
that introduced noise mapping for airports, urban areas, major
roads and rail etc. This could become controversial depending
on timing (for example, if it coincided with decisions on a third
runway in the South-East).
"There are two things I was surprised were not
mentioned in the work programme:
· Port Services Regulation. The Minister's
statement following the October Transport Council indicated that
this would be a priority for the incoming Latvian Presidency.
There is considerable opposition to this proposal and it is very
unclear what will happen. I am well aware of the interest your
Committee has taken in this issue.
· There is no mention of vehicle safety
or steps to make roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists. The
Committee produced a report on cycling safety which highlighted
the fact that heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are disproportionately
involved in fatal collisions with cyclists. The proposal amending
the maximum authorised dimensions in national and international
traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international traffic
would amend the design of HGV cabs to reduce drivers' blind spots.
We have called for ratification of this measure to make the roads
safer for cyclists. It is vital that this work is taken forward
notwithstanding the lobbying by some for it to be slowed down;
it has taken too long already.
"Finally, it is important that the EU-US free
trade negotiations ensure the best deal for the UK and the UK
transport sector in particular. It will be important that open
access to markets means just that especially when it comes to
agreements on air and maritime transport."
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