본 연설문은 유럽연합집행기관의 유럽 도시교통 및 대규모 프로젝트 투자와 관련한 내용을 일부 편집한 자료입니다.
*원문: Urban mobility and large infrastructure projects co-financed by Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 - Keynote speech at EPP's Cohesion Monitoring Group event
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_22_7725
Glossary
1 | European Environment Agency | 유럽환경청 |
2 | REACT-EU | EU 결속·통합 강화 |
3 | Cohesion Policy | 유럽결속정책(경제적, 사회적, 지역적 격차를 줄이기 위한 EU의 주요 투자정책) |
4 | Trans European Network – Transport (TEN-T) | 범유럽운송네트워크/티이엔티(음차) |
Script
Urban transport is the lifeblood and circulation system, not just for the city itself, but for the surrounding area, and for those places, which are physically away from urban centres, but thanks to good transport and connectivity, need not be socially and economically detached, such as rural areas.
But as you know, many of our urban arteries and veins need unblocking: on account of congestion which in turn exacerbate carbon emissions and pollution and lack of accessibility.
The European Environment Agency found that road traffic congestion increased in the years before Covid, with 254 hours lost in congestion annually in Rome, 246 in Dublin and 237 in Paris.
And air pollution from transport and heating is still the single largest environmental health risk in Europe.
Cities across Europe struggle, and often fail, to meet EU air quality standards.
These are all examples of what we as economists call “negative externalities”.
And they must be tackled for 3 key reasons: first, for quality of life; second, for the development of the local economy; and third, as a key part of our European goal to become the world's first carbon neutral continent.
Urban mobility is key for sustainable city growth and for an inclusive society.
Investments in transport infrastructure are drivers for regional development, and for a well-connected, competitive EU single market.
Now, as you know, Covid disrupted urban mobility.
It brought a drastic decline in public transport passengers, because people were concerned for their health or worked from home.
And lay-offs have led to a shortage of staff needed for operating public transport.
On the other hand, lockdown gave us a vision, of what cleaner cities might look like.
There has been a surge in bicycle production, up 11% from 2020 and a record 13.5 million bike sales in 2021.
REACT-EU has introduced unprecedented flexibility under Cohesion Policy and fresh resources to address these issues.
It has supported investments in clean and soft urban mobility such as bicycle paths, corresponding to today's higher demand for this mode of transport.
We must continue on this path to shape our recovery towards a new normal: cleaner air, greener cities, which feed a more prosperous local economy.
Investment of Cohesion Policy have more than doubled in urban transport: from 8 billion euros in the 2007-13 programmes to 17 billion euros in the 2014-20 programmes.
Overall Cohesion Policy funding for transport infrastructure remains strong, with 62 billion euros of investment in 2014-2020, addressing both connectivity, the core Trans European Network – Transport (TEN-T) as well as local needs, and covering all modes of transportation.
I would like to close with two key challenges.
First, despite the successes, the picture is uneven. Some cities are front-runners, while others lag in terms of their ambition.
Europe's towns and cities are the make-or-break places for the green transition.
We have many good examples from the 2014-2020 programmes: pedestrian facilities and cycle paths; electro-mobility, including smart solar charging for cars; trams and metros, including the local tram. We have many examples, but we need to see many more.
I count on your influence to ensure that all cities take these steps towards the urban transport systems of the future and that transport infrastructure investments effectively connect urban and rural regions, those most remote and the core, to ensure balanced economic growth and social inclusion.