Presidency:Berlin

Vice-presidency:Seoul

Sustainable development and the quality of life in the metropolises will depend increasingly on the comprehensive management of urban mobility. Traffic and transport have to be compatible with urban planning, economic development and the protection of the environment.

Among the aspects to deal with in the 2006-2008 period are mobility and social cohesion: the importance of mobility for guaranteeing all citizens access to and participation in social life; establishing transport systems adapted to the people with the most needs, such as children, the elderly and the handicapped; paying particular attention to gender issues; developing and implementing measures that guarantee equal access to public transport and that increase traffic safety through the use of technology and organisation.

Another aspect is the financing of mobility: mechanisms to fund infrastructures and public transport systems; to promote the exploration and use of innovating funding systems for all types of transport; to follow the principles of efficiency, transparency and modal integration, to prioritise the interest of transport users, and analyse the economic and social impact of public transport and its specific value in the way the city functions.

Finally, the Commission will tackle the management of urban freight transport and the need to create less-polluting distribution systems. To this end, it will prioritise the coordination of freight movements; the strengthening of sea and rail transport, and the establishment, implementation and strategic use of innovative forms of freight transport