European conference of ministers of transport : eighth annual report.

88 Pages·1962·3.516 MB·English

by  OECD

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EUROPEAN
CONFERENCE
OF MINISTERS
OF TRANSPORT
EIGHTH
ANNUAL
REPORT
s MARCH 1962

EUROPEAN
CONFERENCE
OF MINISTERS
OF TRANSPORT
EIGHTH
ANNUAL
REPORT
MARCH 1962
SECRETARIAT OF THE E.C.M.T; \.J
3, rue Andre-Pascal r v >
Paris-16e
CONTENTS
> ' ' . f
,'' ' ' '
, . Chapter I
General review of the'working of the conference and its external
relations (cid:9) (cid:9) 7
. I .i i-
,v
Chapter II
General review of the transport situation (cid:9) 11
a) Overall results for the period 1956-61(cid:9) 11
b) Results for 1961 (cid:9) 11
c) Prospects for 1962 V. .'..'. .;(cid:9) .'(cid:9) .'(cid:9) 22
d) Long-term prospects (cid:9) .'(cid:9) : (cid:9) 22
Chapter III
Improvement and development of European main lines of communi¬
cation. Co-ordination and financing of investment (cid:9) 25
a) General outline (cid:9) 25
b) Railways (cid:9) 26
c) Roads (cid:9) 28
d) Inland waterways(cid:9) 32
e) Pipeline transport (cid:9) 36
f) Cross-Channel link (cid:9) 37
g) Transport investments and their financing (cid:9) 37
Chapter IV
General policy problems (cid:9) 39
Chapter V
Railway problems(cid:9) 45
a) Economic problems confronting the railways(cid:9) 45
b) Standardization of railway rolling stock(cid:9) 53
c) Activities of the Eurofima Company(cid:9) 56
d) Introduction of automatic coupling (cid:9) 56
Chapter VI
Rqad transport problems (cid:9) 59
a) Road safety (cid:9) 59
b) Co-ordination of road traffic regulations(cid:9) 60
c) Working conditions in international road transport(cid:9) 61
Chapter VII
Inland waterways problems (cid:9) 63
Chapter VIII
Co-operation between surface and air transport (cid:9) 65
ANNEXES
I. Organisation Chart of the E.C.M.T. as at 1st October, 1961(cid:9) 69
II. O.E.E.C.'s comments on the 7th Annual Report of the E.C.M.T(cid:9) 71
III. ResolutionNo. 191 (1961) oftheConsultativeAssemblyofthe Council
ofEurope, in reply to the 7th Annual Report ofthe E.C.M.T(cid:9) 73
IV. Fifth Annual Report submitted by the Eurofima Company in applica
tion ofArticle 6b ofthe Convention(cid:9) 77
V. Extract from a Note by the U.I.C. on the normalization of railway
accounts in 1960 (cid:9) 81
This document has been circulated within the E.C.M.T.
under the symbol CM(62) 1 Final
I
GENERAL REVIEW
OF THE WORKING OF THE CONFERENCE
AND ITS EXTERNAL RELATIONS
1. During 1961, the Council of Ministers of Transport held two
sessions: in Vienna on 30th-31st May and in Paris on 21st November.
Preparations for these sessions had been made at meetings of the
officers held in Vienna on 29th May and in Paris on 20th November.
At its meeting on 21st November, 1961, the Council of Ministers
of Transport elected its officers for the current year, in accordance
with its Rules ofProcedure. The officers are the Ministers ofTransport
of Norway (Chairman), Belgium (1st Vice-Chairman) and France
(2nd Vice-Chairman). .
2. During 1961, the Committee of Deputies held six sessions. It
was assisted by the following subsidiary bodies:
the Committee for the Co-ordination ofInvestment, responsible,
withthehelp ofthree specialised Sub-Committees onInvestment
in Railways, Roads and Inland Waterways, together with
a Committee of Experts on international waterways standards,
for implementing Resolution No. 7 (General Problems) of
the Council of Ministers and for keeping the development of
transport under review, as provided in Resolution No. 11,
so as to draw appropriate conclusions concerning investment
requirements (see Chapter III). In accordance with instructions
.from the Council of Ministers, the Committee is also preparing
an annual report on the financing of investment during the
previous year;
an " ad hoc " Group to follow up the implementation of
Resolution No. 10 on the financial situation of the railways
(see Chapter V);
an "ad hoc"Group to study road safety problems (see Chap¬
ter Via);
a new " adhoc" Group to study the basic elements ofa general
transport policy (see Chapter IV).
3. The Restricted Groups, formed in accordance with Article 8
ofthe Conference Protocol, have continued their activities, as is shown
later in this report. Their aims are as follows:
a) one group, which consists of all Member countries except
one, follows the activities of the Eurofima Company (see
Chapter Vc);
b) the second group, which consists of the member countries
of the European Economic Community (E.E.C), prepares
information for communication to the E.C.M.T. on transport
problems dealt with in the E.E.C. and assembles the views
of E.C.M.T. countries which are members of the E.E.C. on
theseproblems. .During 1961, this Group mettwice at Ministe-
riaMevel; " !T/(*'," .;"" \';," .;;,'.
c) ' the third continues'the studies begun on an " ad hoc" basis
byleleveni Member countries of the E;C.M.T.! to'co-ordinate
road traffic regulations (see Chapter VIA);
d) the other sixteen groups keep under review the development
of the main road links between.adjacent countries, as shown
later in this Report (see Chapter IIIc). ,,
An Organisation Chart of the E.C.M.T. as at'1st October 1961;
is given as Annex I. .
4. As soon as it was constituted, the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (O.E.C.D.), which succeeded the
O.E.E.C.1 on 1st October, 1961,'informed the E.C.M.T. of its decision
to maintain the same relations which formerly existed between the
E.C.M.T. and the O.E.E.C. In its reply, the Council of Ministers of
the E.C.M.T. expressed its satisfaction and hoped that the new relations
would develop in the same atmosphere ofclose and confident co-opera¬
tionwhichhadmarked relations betweentheE.CM.T. andthe O.E.E.C.
In" application of this new agreement,'1 the necessary material
facilities for the-operation of the E.C.M.T.' have'been provided by
the O.E.C.D. since 1st October, 1961, and the Council of Ministers of
Transport takes this opportunity of expressing'its warm appreciation.
5. As in previous years, the 7th Annual Report of the E.C.M.T.
was communicated to the O.E.E.C. The comments contained in the
tetter'sreplyhavebeencloselyexaminedandarereproducedasAnnexII.
6. Relations' between the' E.C.M.Ti 'and ,the Council of Europe
were maintained. On 26th April, 1961^ the Chairman of the Council
of Ministers of Transport presented the' 7th Annual Report of the
E.C.M.T. to the Consultative Assembly. After the ensuing discussion,
the Assembly adopted a Resolution addressed to the Conference (Reso¬
lution No. 191, reproduced as Annex III),' in response'to which the
Ministers have taken positive action on a large number of points, as
shown later;in1-this Report.. In particular, the contacts which had
been established for the study ofthe various aspects of.traffic and road
safety problems included under various. [in the Agenda of
both organisations were continued, .>, '., . r . . .
8
7. The close co-operation which exists with the Transport Division
of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on a large
number of questions has continued to give excellent results. The
Director ofthe Division has taken an active part in the principal studies
undertaken by the Conference, whichhas thus been able to take account
of the work done at Geneva and avoid duplication. Conversely, the
E.C.M.T. was represented at the annual session of the Commission's
Inland Transport Committee. .
8. The contacts with the European Economic Community (E.E.C),
which were established in 1958 on the initiative of the Chairman of
the E.C.M.T., have been continued, particularly through the Restricted
Group referred to above (see paragraph 3 b). Representatives of the
General Transport Directorate of the Commission of the E.E.C. also
attended certain meetings of the E.C.M.T.' Committee for the Co¬
ordination ofInvestment and its three Sub-Committees; since 1stJanua¬
ry, 1962, they have also been invited to make part in the work of the
E.C.M.T. Restricted Group on the co-ordination ofroad traffic regula¬
tions (see paragraph 3 c).
9. In. response to a request in Resolution No. 174 (1960) of the
Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, the E.C.M.T. took
theinitiativein 1960 ofmakingcontactwith the European CivilAviation
Conference (E.C.A.C.); these contacts were continued in 1961. In
particular, representatives of the E.C.M.T. attended a special meeting
ofHeads ofDelegationstothesession oftheE.C.A.C. heldatStrasbourg
in July 1961, when the working relations to be established between
the two organisations were discussed (see Chapter VIII).
10. Relations with the non-governmental international organisations
were continued in a form which was intended to meet the wish theyhad
expressed on several occasions that direct contact be resumed between
them and the Ministers themselves. They were therefore received
by the officers of the Council of Ministers as well as the Committee of
Deputies. These contacts at Ministerial level, which were favoured
by their more intimate setting, have given good results and will be
continued in future. At its November session, the Council ofMinisters
was informed by its officers ofthe comments made by the organisations
and was thus able to take them into account when adopting its
conclusions.
Tomarktheinterestwhichittakesin theactivities oftheseorganisa¬
tions, the E.C.M.T. sent representatives to several of the meetings
organised by them in 1961.