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Few words to say about this bookBog'liq THE-BIBLE-OF-IELTS-READING-BOOKC
The strong economic growth expected in countries which are candidates for entry to the EU will
also increase transport flows, in particular road haulage traffic. In 1998, some of these countries already
exported more than twice their 1990 volumes and imported more than five times their 1990 volumes. And
although many candidate countries inherited a transport system which encourages rail, the distribution between
modes has tipped sharply in favour of road transport since the 1990s. Between 1990 and
1998
，
road haulage increased by 19.4%, while during the same period rail haulage decreased by 43.5%,
although – and this could benefit the enlarged EU – it is still on average at a much higher level than in existing
member states.
D
However, a new imperative-sustainable development – offers an opportunity for adapting the EU
，
s
common transport policy. This objective, agreed by the Gothenburg European Council, has to be achieved by
integrating environmental considerations into Community policies, and shifting the balance between modes
of transport lies at the heart of its strategy. The ambitious objective can only be fully achieved by 2020, but
proposed measures are nonetheless a first essential step towards a sustainable transport system which will
ideally be in place in 30 years‟ time, that is by 2040.
E
In 1998, energy consumption in the transport sector was to blame for 28% of emissions of CO2
，
the leading
greenhouse gas. According to the latest estimates, if nothing is done to reverse the traffic growth trend, CO2
emissions from transport can be expected to increase by around 50% to 1,113 billion tonnes by
2020
，
compared with the 739 billion tonnes recorded in 1990. Once again, road transport is the main culprit
since it alone accounts for 84% of the CO2 emissions attributable to transport. Using alternative fuels and
improving energy efficiency is thus both an ecological necessity and a technological challenge.
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