Project details

The overall aim of the Concerted Action was to produce a research methodology to allow the identification and assessment of the conflicts and tensions that exist between environmental transport policies and policies for rural development. In pursuing this aim, the partners focused on environmental transport policy as being only those elements of policy related to the environment (either because they have an environmental goal or because they have an environmental outcome). For example, air pollution is clearly an environmental goal and outcome of local, regional, national, international or even global dimensions (CO2 emissions). The partners also focused on environmental transport policies and elements with a clear (potential) impact on rural areas. In addition, many (but not all) of the policies examined are using economic instruments; it is expected that these will receive more attention in the future because they should make environmental policy more efficient and cost-effective. The consequent objectives of the Concerted Action were to use the methodology which was to be developed, to: a) identify policies, particularly new environmental policies that affect the economic costs of transport in vulnerable rural areas and thus the mobility of people and goods; b) identify policies for rural development in which the mobility and access of people and goods is a significant factor; c) assess the implications for rural development policy of conflicts between these policy areas; and d) reflect on policy modifications to allow rural development policies to have maximum effect, while also contributing to environmental sustainability. In short, the analyses carried out should lead to reflections on the directions in which environmental transport policy might be modified to allow rural development policies to have maximum effect.