Welcome

During the opening ceremony of the 4th EasyWay Annual Forum, we had the honour to host a video message from the EU Vice-President and Commissioner for Transports, Mr Siim Kallas. No words could be better, to welcome EasyWay to the Forum and to its future challenges!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to address you at the start of the 4th EasyWay Annual Forum.

One of the primary objectives of European transport policy is to achieve an integrated transport system which underpins EU-wide economic progress and competitiveness. At the same time, this system should provide high-quality mobility services which are also resource-efficient.

Transport has to be safe and efficient - smart, predictable and clean.

While the TEN-T network forms the backbone of our European transport infrastructure, Intelligent Transport Systems are the keys to better interconnection of individual modes of travel, to the improved use of existing capacities and provision of user-oriented services.

We definitely need to continue supporting research and development and address the "innovation" dimension for new transport technologies, covering the full development cycle to market take-up and deployment. But, more than ever, we need an effective roll-out of interoperable and integrated real-time travel information, traffic management and freight logistics services. This must take place across Europe. It will enable the most appropriate transport modes – including public transport – to be selected at any time and for any operation. In addition, deploying novel transport technologies and smart services will further reduce road fatalities, improve operational excellence and contribute to fuel efficiency and an increasingly lower impact on the environment.

This is precisely where the EasyWay project comes into the picture, by addressing the concerted deployment of interoperable services and smart solutions.

EasyWay is unique. It provides a large-scale instrument for the coordinated deployment of ITS-for-Roads, driven by Member States. It builds on sound common principles for deployment and strong governance and contributes effectively to shaping the transport system that we have in mind for the future. The project's visibility is enhanced due to the fact that it concentrates on a set of identified Core European ITS Services.

You, the experts and practitioners actively working together, are the key drivers for realising the potential of ITS and rolling out the services that give added value to our society, businesses and citizens. You ensure that all the interested parties get involved, that all relevant issues and concerns are properly addressed. You also make sure that the project demonstrates its added value by establishing effective partnerships and putting all the pieces together.

We now need, collectively, to build on all the good achievements of the past and expand deployment beyond the road system, encourage interfaces with complementary transport modes and networks.. This will require further coordination and investments. With the Connecting Europe Facility and the revised TEN-T Guidelines, we should be ready to continue supporting the deployment of ITS in Europe - across boundaries, networks, operators and the different transport modes.  In parallel, the Commission will put ITS into practice in its own legislative work, to allow more integration of increasingly intelligent vehicles, smart services and robust infrastructure networks.

Together with my colleagues in the Commission, we look forward to taking stock of the tangible achievements which the EasyWay project has made so far and to our renewed cooperation.

I thank you for your commitment and wish you fruitful and lively exchanges, along with an excellent learning experience on ITS deployment. This is still a challenging environment.

We rely on you!

EU Vice-President and Commissioner for Transports, Mr Siim Kallas