Eriksbergshallen, Göteborg, Sweden
26–27 October 2009
Programme ( )
"Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and putting an end to the tragedies on our roads are the two main challenges that we currently face in the field of road transport", Åsa Torstensson said in her introductory speech. Organised during the Swedish presidency of the European Union, this high-level meeting brought together decision-makers from the European Parliament, the European Commission, EU Member States and industry, to exchange views on how to make road transport safer and more environmentally friendly and the role both new and established technologies to help reduce emissions and accidents.
Cooperation between EU, governments, the business sector and research is essential in order to fulfill this aim. Some 240 delegates from 22 member states attended the meeting. Representatives from the industry (Volvo, Scania, PSA Peugeot Citroën and ERTICO) had the opportunity to respond to Åsa Torstensson and to the European Commission.
Among many things, they emphasized are the importance that functioning infrastructure follows the technological development and also the need of making it easier for the industry to get access to funding in order to develop these products. The industry stated that it is possible to build cars that have less impact on the environment than they have today. A lot of technology is already in place, but the industry needs support, infrastructure, funding and joint venture to put it into everyday use. In an Eco-efficient Economy vehicles and road system are both safe and clean.
Link to presentations (including from round tables)
The programme also offered participants the opportunity to test several new technological solutions at an exhibition in the Göteborg harbour: programme of the demonstrations ()
The participants had the opportunity to learn more about electric bicycles, advanced eco-driving, hybrid bus and a Swedish racing champion running on biofuel. A demonstration of Co-operative System showed applications based on vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure communication and developped in CVIS and SAFESPOT.
In the afternoon the discussions on traffic safety as well as energy and environment continued and the last session focused on the theme “Fossil free car fleet to 2030?”.
 
Source: Gunnar Seijbold/Regeringskansliet (click here to access the full picture gallery)
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