United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

 Geneva, 7 May 2001

Europe’s options on transport, environment
and health

"The longer we wait, the more we will suffer the consequences"

A high-level meeting of European countries decided to look into the legal instruments required for drastically reducing the negative impact of transport on environment and health. "During the past decades UNECE member countries have experienced an economic growth which has led to unprecedented levels of prosperity and social welfare but also to serious environmental and health problems. The transport sector has played a key role, both good and bad, in this," stressed Mrs. Danuta Hübner, United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) at the outset of the High Level Meeting on Transport, Environment and Health organized by the UNECE and WHO Regional Office for Europe on 4 May 2001 in Geneva. Mrs. Hübner further mentioned that "by 2010 passenger car use will have doubled compared to 1994 levels; by 2030 it will have increased a further 150%. Road freight transport is expected to increase even more rapidly". Taking into account these trends Mrs Hübner stressed that: "The longer we wait, the more our societies will have to bear the costs of continued environmental damage and suffer the consequences of negative health impacts."

"The economic burden which environmental and health impacts of present transport patterns represent to society is just too large to allow for any further complacency or postponement of action. We see today a major public concern with the health impacts of air pollution. Current levels of air pollutants in European cities are estimated to cause between 40,000 and 130,000 premature deaths a year in adults over 30. Physical inactivity is the second most important risk factor for ill health, after tobacco smoking, in developed countries. Yet, half an hour a day of moderate physical activity such as through walking or cycling, would lead to halving the risk of developing heart disease, adult diabetes and obesity and reducing by one third the risk of developing hypertension. However, the fear of road injuries discourages many people from choosing cycling and walking as transportation means. This fear is unfortunately justified: the severity of accidents is twice higher for pedestrians as compared to car occupants," added Dr Marc Danzon, Director of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.

More than 150 delegates from some 45 UNECE countries attended this High Level Meeting, among them a number of Ministers coming from the three involved sectors, namely transport, environment and health. The need to bring together and fully involve the relevant stakeholders including those from transport, environment and health sectors, in finding solutions to the common concerns was initiated by the UNECE Regional Conference on Transport and the Environment in Vienna 1997 and was further expanded by the London Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health organized by WHO Regional Office for Europe in 1999, which added the health dimension to the work on transport and environment. The High Level Meeting is part of these cooperative efforts to address the main problems which the Ministers of the region have identified in the Vienna Declaration and in the London Charter.

A ministerial panel discussed the issue of transport sustainable for health and the environment: key challenges and future actions. This panel was chaired by Mr. Jan PRONK, Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, Netherlands. Mr. Luybomil IVANOV, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, Bulgaria; Mrs. Ana STAVLJENIC-RUKAVINA, Minister of Health, Croatia; Mr. Michael VIT, Deputy Minister of Health, Czech Republic; Mr. Antoly NASOMOV, First Deputy Minister of Transport, Russian Federation; Mrs. Jozica MAUCEC ZAKOTNIK, State Secretary, Ministry of Health, Slovenia; Mr. Marko SLOKAR, State Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Slovenia; Mr. Ivan ZAYETS, Minister of Environment, Ukraine; Mr. Olesandr MOMOT, Deputy Minister of Transport, Ukraine, participated in the panel.

The High Level Meeting adopted a set of recommendations. Through them, the UNECE and WHO/Euro member States called upon the Contracting Parties to existing international agreements and legal instruments related to transport, environment and health, to further enhance implementation of those instruments and to further develop them with a view to achieving transport sustainable for the environment and health. They also decided to further consider the possible launching of negotiations of a Framework Convention on Transport, Environment and Health which would pave the way for strengthening integration among the three sectors and securing the highest possible level of political commitment. This is an important prerequisite for the achievement of sustainable transport goals at the pan-European level. The matter will be taken up at the forthcoming regional Ministerial Meetings covering these issues and eventually further decisions are expected to be taken at a second High Level Meeting, to be convened before the Rio +10 summit - taking place in Johannesburg in autumn 2002.

For further information please contact:

Mr. Patrice Robineau
Senior Adviser to the Executive Secretary
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Tel: (+41 22) 917 48 58
Fax: (+41 22) 917 00 36
E-mail: patrice.robineau@unece.org
Website: http://www.unece.org/poja/

 

 Ref: ECE/GEN/01/12