Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 91 in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a)(v), and the first paragraph of Article 218(8) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament^f1,

Whereas:

The Convention on the protection of the Alps (Alpine Convention) was concluded on behalf of the European Community by the Council by Decision 96/191/EC^f2.

The Council decided on the signature, on behalf of the Community, of the Protocol on the implementation of the 1991 Alpine Convention in the field of transport (Transport protocol) by Decision 2007/799/EC^f3.

The Transport protocol is an important step in the implementation of the Alpine Convention and the Union is committed to the achievement of the objectives of that Convention.

The economic, social and ecological cross-border problems of the Alps remain a major challenge to be addressed in this highly sensitive area.

The Transport protocol provides a framework, based on the precautionary principle, the preventive principle and the polluter-pays principle, for ensuring sustainable mobility and protection of the environment, in relation to all modes of transport in the Alpine region in the light of Article 2 of the Alpine Convention.

The provisions of the Transport protocol are in line with the Union's Common Transport Policy and fully support the Commission's "Greening Transport" approach adopted in 2008.

The ratification of the Transport protocol would strengthen trans-border cooperation with those countries which are not members of the Union, namely Liechtenstein, Monaco and Switzerland, which would help to ensure that the goals of the Union are shared by regional partners and that such initiatives cover the whole Alpine region.

The Transport protocol should therefore be approved,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: