The European Parliament adopted by 276 votes to 22, with 6 abstentions, a resolution on the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Action Plan.

The resolution welcomes the Commission Action Plan on ITS and stresses that ITS is a key instrument for using existing infrastructure effectively and for making transport more efficient, safer and secure and environmentally cleaner, thus contributing to the development of sustainable mobility for citizens and the economy.

The Parliament deplores the delay in setting up a common framework for the implementation of ITS in the EU and the lack of coordinated deployment of ITS with specific targets, due mainly to barriers to interoperability, a lack of efficient cooperation among all actors, and unsolved data privacy and liability issues.

MEPs strongly believe that it is necessary to set up an instrument fostering the use of ITS in transport policy and support a legislative instrument for laying down the framework for the deployment of ITS. The Commission is called upon to provide better information on the current situation of actions, funding and programming of the action plan in order to ensure that a clear set of actions with deadlines is established in the Directive laying down the framework for the deployment of ITS.

From a horizontal point of view , the resolution points out that ITS should be deployed across all transport modes and for all travellers in Europe , in a coordinated approach with Galileo applications. MEPs strongly support its immediate deployment in order to enhance intermodality between the public and private sector and within public transport through the improvement of overall information and increased capacity management.

In this context, the Commission and the Member States are called upon to address the issue of liability which constitutes a major barrier to the smooth and coherent development of ITS in Europe.

Given that there is already a significant supply on the European ITS market, MEPs call on the Commission to define specifications for the minimum level of ITS applications and services that is achievable by all Member States and necessary for the efficient deployment, implementation and operation of ITS.

MEPs also consider it important to prepare a market demand assessment evaluating the real need beyond the defined minimum level of ITS applications and services and to strengthen internal market aspects of ITS through standardisation and an appropriate regulatory framework. Lastly, they stress the importance of cross-border cooperation both at the technical and administrative level at the EU external borders, which is crucial for the effective implementation of ITS in the EU.

The Parliament makes a number of recommendations in relation to the following actions:

Optimal use of road, traffic and travel data (action No 1) : the Parliament stresses the need to provide the critical mass of data and information in the following five basic areas as a minimum for effective ITS deployment: real-time traffic and travel information; road network data; public data for digital maps; data for minimum universal traffic information services and multimodal door-to-door journey planners; Continuity of traffic and freight management ITS services on European transport corridors and conurbations (action No 2) : the Commission and the Member States are called upon to coordinate and link ITS with EU urban mobility initiatives for more efficient transport mobility and management fluidity and reducing congestion from roads, TEN-T corridors, freight corridors and conurbations; ITS for urban mobility (action No 2a) : the Parliament advocates the development of user information procedures and systems regarding available urban transport services and the state of the networks, making use of GSM technology; Road safety and security (action No 3) : the resolution calls: (i) for measures to prepare for the harmonised deployment and integration of the eCall application in all EU countries by 2010; (ii) on the Commission to continue the process of reducing communication costs so that the communication and information equipment could be used in a more comprehensive way; (iii) on the Commission and the Member States to avoid discriminating against passenger traffic; (iv) on the Commission to address the issue of vulnerable transport users; (v) on the Commission to use ITS potential to the full for the purposes of preventive action against smog and high ozone concentrations and the reduction of noise levels and particle, NOx and CO2 emissions. Integration of the vehicle into the transport infrastructure (action No 4) : the Commission is called upon to implement a road map on ITS with common platforms on ITS applications and deployment and with the participation of the private and public sector and to establish the appropriate framework for solving ITS liability issues; Data security, protection and liability issues (action No 5) : MEPs stress the need to respect privacy and considers that privacy and data security and protection issues from the early phases of the ITS design development should be considered when defining architecture and implementation measures; European ITS cooperation and coordination (action No 6) : the Parliament calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop strong leadership and genuine governance towards the deployment of ITS in Europe. It urges the Commission to better use the EU capabilities from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) programmes EGNOS and Galileo and enhance multimodal interconnectivity. Lastly, it stresses the importance of inter-regional, cross-border and trans-national cooperation in developing and implementing ITS and urges the Commission to develop a system for exchange of good practice.

The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted an own-initiative report drawn-up by Anne E. JENSEN (ALDE, UK) on the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Action Plan.

The report welcomes the Commission Action Plan on ITS and stresses that ITS is a key instrument for using existing infrastructure effectively and for making transport more efficient, safer and secure and environmentally cleaner, thus contributing to the development of sustainable mobility for citizens and the economy.

MEPs deplore the delay in setting up a common framework for the implementation of ITS in the EU and the lack of coordinated deployment of ITS with specific targets. They strongly believe that it is necessary to set up an instrument fostering the use of ITS in transport policy and support a legislative instrument for laying down the framework for the deployment of ITS. The Commission is called upon to provide better information on the current situation of actions, funding and programming of the action plan in order to ensure that a clear set of actions with deadlines is established in the Directive laying down the framework for the deployment of ITS.

From a horizontal point of view , MEPs point out that ITS should be deployed across all transport modes and for all travellers in Europe, in a coordinated approach with Galileo applications. They strongly support its immediate deployment in order to enhance intermodality between the public and private sector and within public transport through the improvement of overall information and increased capacity management.

In this context, the Commission and the Member States are called upon to address the issue of liability which constitutes a major barrier to the smooth and coherent development of ITS in Europe.

Given that there is already a significant supply on the European ITS market, MEPs call on the Commission to define specifications for the minimum level of ITS applications and services that is achievable by all Member States and necessary for the efficient deployment, implementation and operation of ITS.

MEPs also consider it important to prepare a market demand assessment evaluating the real need beyond the defined minimum level of ITS applications and services and to strengthen internal market aspects of ITS through standardisation and an appropriate regulatory framework. Lastly, they stress the importance of cross-border cooperation both at the technical and administrative level at the EU external borders, which is crucial for the effective implementation of ITS in the EU.

The committee makes a number of recommendations in relation to the following actions:

optimal use of road, traffic and travel data (action No 1); continuity of traffic and freight management ITS services on European transport corridors and conurbations (action No 2); ITS for urban mobility (action No 2a); road safety and security (action No 3); integration of the vehicle into the transport infrastructure (action No 4); data security, protection and liability issues (action No 5); European ITS cooperation and coordination (action No 6).

The Council adopted Conclusions on an Action Plan for the deployment of intelligent transport systems in Europe.

The Council welcomes the Commission Communication, of 16 December 2008, "Action Plan for the Deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems in Europe" and takes note of the accompanying proposal for a Directive laying down the framework for the deployment of ITS in road transport.

The Presidency is invited to convene, in the framework of discussions of the ITS Directive proposal, a special working session to discuss and achieve clarity on all the specific actions mentioned in the ITS Action Plan.

The Commission is invited to facilitate a Europe-wide regulatory framework , comprised of specifications for compatibility, interoperability and continuity of ITS services and cross-border effectiveness as appropriate.

The Council calls on the Commission and the Member States to accelerate their work to identify and remove any obstacles to compatibility, interoperability and continuity of ITS systems and services and to define functional specifications in order to initiate and foster European standardisation, and to facilitate trans-European applications with the following objectives :

optimal use of road, traffic and travel data and information by relevant users; modal shift, co-modality and the optimal use of ITS services for intermodal transport; continuity of traffic and freight management ITS services on European Transport Corridors and in conurbations; enhanced road safety and security; effective integration of the vehicle into the transport infrastructure.

Measures to be taken : the Council considers, in particular, that the following measures should be pursued as a priority, by a better integration and coordination of ITS between all modes of transport based on cooperation between private and public sectors:

(1) The definition of the necessary requirements : (i) to make real-time traffic and travel information accurate and available across borders to ITS users; (ii) for the collection of road and traffic data and for their provisioning to ITS service providers, including appropriate measures for event and crisis management; (iii) where possible, to make accessible existing road and traffic data used for digital maps accurate and available to digital map producers and service providers; (iv) for the provision where possible of "universal traffic messages" free of charge to users, especially related to situations which endanger road safety (e.g. congestion and accidents).

(2) The definition of the minimum/necessary requirements for the continuity of ITS services for freight and passengers along transport corridors and in urban/interurban regions as well as across different transport modes.

(3) The definition of the necessary measures to : (i) use innovative technologies in the realisation of ITS applications for freight transport logistics; (ii) promote the harmonised introduction of an interoperable EU-wide eCall; (iii) develop the European ITS Framework Architecture, addressing specifically ITS-related interoperability, continuity of services and multi-modality aspects; (iv) improve the safety of road users with respect to their on-board Human-Machine-Interface and the use of nomadic devices, as well as the security of the in-vehicle equipment; (v) provide ITS based reservation and information systems for safe and secure parking places for trucks and commercial vehicles; (vi) integrate different ITS applications on an open platform allowing the possibility to equip vehicles with a unique on-board unit; (vii) promote deployment of advanced driver assistance systems; (viii) finalise a standard for open interfaces to facilitate communication within the vehicle, between different vehicles and between vehicles and roadside infrastructure.

The Commission is called upon, inter alia, to:

explore the possibilities to bring forward the action related to safety and quality of travel of vulnerable road users and persons with reduced mobility or orientation; address, by the end of 2011 at the latest, the security and personal data protection aspects related to the handling of data in ITS applications and services, as well as liability issues pertaining to the use of ITS applications and notably in-vehicle safety systems; develop a decision-support toolkit for investment decisions in ITS applications and services and to develop guidelines for public funding of ITS facilities and services; set up a specific ITS collaboration platform with the participation of national/regional/local governments and private sector where appropriate, to prioritise ITS initiatives for sustainable regional and urban mobility; elaborate and issue a standardisation mandate to European standard organisations (ESOs), to accelerate the definition of standards; elaborate a transport policy objectives led methodology for the funding of ITS related infrastructure including an analysis of financial impacts in general and for each action, e.g. through an ITS Impact Assessment; strengthen the existing framework on the safe human machine interface, in consultation with the Member States and industry; foster collaboration at international level on ITS matters and to take appropriate action.