Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

1. About the 'DG Transport Guide to the transport acquis'
The 'DG Transport Guide to the Transport Acquis' is intended to facilitate, for the candidate countries and other interested parties, the understanding of Community transport legislation. After a short introduction into each transport sector, it provides detailed information on the objectives, scope and contents of the main legal acts, following more or less the structure of the analytical examination of the acquis. Two annexes are attached, a list of legislative acts appearing in this guide and some informative transport statistics. This informal paper supplements the official written documentation (legal texts) and the oral presentations used in the screening sessions.

This document has been elaborated by DG Transport/A.1 in close cooperation with and substantial assistance from the other DG Transport Directorates. Further information can be obtained from Mr D. Boeing (tel. 2968366, detlev.boeing@cec.eu.int) or Mr. J. Ferreira (2969570, joao.ferreira@cec.eu.int). Any comments which may contribute to the improvement of the present text are very welcome. Copies can be requested from Mr M. Vermyle (tel. 2994883, marc.vermyle@cec.eu.int).

2. Approximation of transport legislation
In order to become a Member State of the European Union, acceding countries must align their national laws, rules and procedures to the entire body of Community legislation ('acquis communautaire') in such a way that the relevant EU law is fully incorporated in their national legal system. This obligation continues after accession.

The transport acquis includes all the Directives, Regulations and Decisions adopted on the basis of the relevant provisions in the Treaty. It furthermore includes all the principles of law and interpretations of the European Court of Justice, all international transport agreements to which the European Community is a party, as well as the relevant declarations and Resolutions of the Council of Ministers.

The approximation process consists of three major stages:

• the transposition of the acquis communautaire in the transport sector into the national legal system by using the appropriate national procedures and mechanisms (often laws passed by the Parliament, sometimes Presidential, Governmental or Ministerial Decrees);
• its implementation, by providing the institutions and budgets necessary to carry out the laws and regulations;
• its enforcement, by providing the necessary controls and penalties to ensure that the law is being complied with fully and properly.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION : EU TRANSPORT POLICY

1. The Common Transport Policy

1.1 Economic importance of transport

Commercial transport services account for approximately 4% of the Community's gross domestic product (GDP). If own-account operations and private transport are included, this figure rises to 7% of GDP - which is more than the agriculture or steel sectors. 6 million workers are employed in the transport services sector, more than 4% of all persons employed.

In addition, more than 2 million are employed in the transport equipment industry, and another 6 million in transport related industries. Investments in transport infrastructure in 1996 amounted to around 70 billion ECU, or more than 1% of total GDP. Demand for freight transport, particularly in intra-Community traffic, has grown more or less constantly over the last 25 years, by 2% a year (over 75% cumulatively). Strong growth in freight transport is expected for 1998 as a result of the increased industrial production and of exports. For the first time in decades, rail transport is currently experiencing rapid growth - 10% (tonne-km), whereas the rate of growth of road transport has slowed to 5%. In passenger transport growth has gradually decreased, from almost 4% in the '70s to 2% in the '90s (but in total 110% since 1970). Air traffic growth, which slowed from about 8% to 6% in the first half of the '90s, accelerated to over 10% in 1997....

   (1.47 Mb)