Funding for Road Safety in the EU’s 2014-2020 Budget

In the context of the adoption of the new Multiannual Financial Framework ETSC would like to put forward recommendations about the budget numbers to support the priorities of the EU on road safety. In its recently adopted Transport White Paper the EU set new targets for reducing road traffic deaths in the EU: “By 2050, move close to zero fatalities in road transport. In line with this goal, the EU aims at halving road casualties by 2020.” The White Paper Communication reiterates the main elements of the recent “Road Safety Policy Orientations 2011-20202” published in July 2010. ETSC presented its response to the European Commission’s Policy Orientations and White Paper and applauded the new 2020 goal as ambitious. In order to achieve the 50% reduction target in 2020 the EU will have to go above and beyond current reduction trends.

The European Union’s Road Safety Programme needs to be reinforced and translated urgently into determined action in order to reach its 2020 target. Moreover, for the EU budget to express its “policy in numbers”, funding needs to be identified within the new MFF to support investment in these new road safety measures. Financing road safety would support the principles that underpin the EU budget. Adopting measures to protect EU citizens right to life and mobility delivers a high EU added value and supports transport, one of the EU common policy areas.

Following the EC’s adoption of its new road safety plan the European Transport Council invited “the European Commission to allocate the necessary resources with a view to developing coherent and cost-effective actions to implement the road safety policy orientations 2011-2020”.

The European Parliament has recently reaffirmed its own strong support for EU action on road safety including a matching budget to realise its objectives. In its Resolution on
European Road Safety 2011-2020 MEPs “regret that the EU budget for road safety measures has been cut significantly in recent years and calls on the Commission to reverse this trend”.