During the 125th Plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions, the PES-led opinion "A European Strategy on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems" was unanimously adopted. The topic is particularly important because, as rapporteur Bouke Arends, Member of the Executive Council of Emmen (Netherlands), explained "We are not only talking about transport, we are also talking about people".
The European strategy on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) is an important step towards a strategy for cooperative, connected and automated driving. There are many positive outcomes that C-ITS will guarantee such as increased safety, a cleaner environment, better accessibility, social inclusion and more job opportunities. Of course, its development will imply necessary changes to physical infrastructures and the development of a new and safe informatics structure that will guarantee the protection of users' data.
Moreover, the opinion calls for the EU to play a central role in the coordination of new transport solutions and for developing a package of measures. Mr. Arends also underlines the important position that local and regional authorities should have in the process. In fact, the C-ITS will be really successful only if it is extended to rural and peripheral areas.
Finally, the opinion points out towards the necessity to make funding available also after 2019 and advocates for longer term goals in order to allow a better development of the new transport system.
