Transport

Modern mobility requires well developed infrastructure networks and an effective transport management system.

For a major logistic and transport hub such as Germany modern infrastructure networks, intelligent transport management systems and functioning intermodal mobility play a key role. Facilitating cross-border transport is also becoming an increasingly important issue in Europe. The EU is currently working on new guidelines for a trans-European transport network (TEN-T) to accelerate the development of priority infrastructure networks and to pave the ground for a seamless functioning of the European internal market. The BDI stresses the importance of high-quality transport corridors and focuses particularly on freight transport.

As well as the construction of physical infrastructure, efficient traffic management based on modern information and communication technologies is crucial to the transport and logistic sector. The BDI calls for accelerated deployment of intelligent traffic systems (ITS) and for the interoperability of ITS appliances within the EU. The optimisation of air traffic management within the framework of a ‘Single European Sky’ is also essential to enhance air transport efficiency and safety as well as to reduce its environmental impact.

One of the main challenges is to find the right balance between mobility and environment protection. The EU recently issued a number of significant climate and environmental requirements for the transport sector, including CO2 emission caps for passenger cars and the inclusion of aviation in the EU emissions trading system. The European Commission has proposed further measures within the ‘Greening transport package’. German industry is committed to the objective of mitigating the negative impact of modern mobility and can already list remarkable achievements. New policy measures must bring a real value added in terms of effectiveness and also be cost-effective to avoid unnecessary burdens on the transport sector. Non-regulatory instruments need to be strengthened, e.g. the initiatives for better coordination of national infrastructure networks.