New investment support is part of the Safer Transport Platform, a joint EC and EIB initiative that addresses investment needs in transport safety in Europe
The “Safer Transport Platform – Road Safety Advisory” provides a “one-stop-shop” for technical and financial advice targeting road safety
At the TEN-T and CEF Conference in Bucharest today, the EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc together with Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Vazil Hudák launched the “Safer Transport Platform” to promote safety as a key element for transport investment and to provide easy access to technical and financial advice, in particular for road safety. In order to strengthen and focus existing investment activities in road safety, the EIB and EC have established the "Safer Transport Platform - Road Safety Advisory” - which will be available via a dedicated website.
Safety considerations are paramount for all modes of transport, but particularly urgent in road transport. Even though the EU has made great progress in reducing the number of road fatalities over the last decades, more than 25.000 people are killed and 135.000 seriously injured on European roads every year. Well targeted investment is a key factor in addressing this unacceptable situation, and relatively small amounts can make a big difference. This is why the EIB and the European Commission are joining forces to further support and focus their efforts for safer roads.
Violeta Bulc, EU Commissioner for Transport said: “To save lives on European roads, we need targeted investment in the right measures. The ´Safer Transport Platform` will help ensure that projects receive the necessary technical and financial advice. I encourage interested parties from the public and private sector organisations to make use of the platform as of today! I am very pleased that our good cooperation with the EIB has had another concrete result to the benefit of European citizens.”
Vazil Hudák, EIB Vice-President, added: “The EIB is increasing its attention to safety in all transport modes. However, given the scale of fatalities in the road sector, our efforts are concentrating on road safety. Substantial work is required to meet the EU target of zero fatalities in 2050. We stand ready to assist promotors in developing and implementing safer transport infrastructure.”
The “Safer Transport Platform – Road Safety Advisory” provides a single access point to the full range of existing EIB and EC advisory services and financial products. It guides potential applicants to the appropriate funding and financing instruments. The service is supported by the European Investment Advisory Hub (EIAH) and includes a web site with a contact form, a needs assessment exercise and awareness raising activities.
The advisory support addresses the public and the private sector. Examples of eligible projects include road rehabilitation programmes, traffic calming measures, facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, IT solutions for safer traffic management and – on an exploratory basis – measures to improve the safety of vehicle fleets (e.g. exploring initiatives by groups of fleet owners to roll out new safety equipment in large lorry fleets or pooled procurement of safer buses and trucks) and other road safety related projects.
Background Information
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investments in order to contribute towards EU policy goals. In 2018 alone, the EIB invested EUR 8.4billion (signed operations) in transport projects in the EU. The EIB also supports investments outside the EU.
Within the Investment Plan for Europe, the European Commission (EC) partners with the EIB on removing obstacles to investments, including in transport, providing visibility and technical assistance to investment projects and making smarter use of new and existing financial resources. The EC Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), works with the EU Member States, European industry, citizens and experts to promote efficient, safe and environmentally friendly mobility to generate growth and jobs.
The European investment Advisory Hub (EIAH) is a joint initiative of the EIB and the EC in the context of the Investment Plan for Europe. EIAH provides technical and financial advisory services to potential applicants and project promoters to enhance their institutional capacity and strengthen project preparation. The services are free of charge for public entities and enables promoters to prepare and implement high-quality projects and, where applicable, optimise the use of EU funds.
Details
- Publication date
- 8 May 2019
- Author
- Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport