FUTURE ACTIONS arising from THE SECOND Transportation Ministerial Meeting
(Extract from Joint Ministerial Statement, Victoria 24 June 1997)
Safe and Environment-Friendly Transportation Systems
We reaffirm that transportation safety and security in the Region must remain one of the highest priorities of the Transportation Working Group and also recognise the importance of environmentally sustainable transportation to improving the quality of life for APEC citizens.
We recognise the urgency of addressing urban congestion-related issues and the need to develop more efficient urban transportation systems in the APEC Region, including the development of a ¡§best practices¡¨ manual based on findings arising from Urban Transport Forum meetings (Second Forum in Chinese Taipei, September 1997).
We direct the Transportation Working Group to establish an Experts Group on Maritime Safety to address maritime safety concerns in the Region. We urge member economies to work closely with international organisations having competence in this field, such as the International Maritime Organisation, to develop programs and mechanisms to promote the implementation of, and compliance with, existing international rules and standards adopted by these organisations. Recognising the key role of ship surveyors and inspectors in the elimination of sub-standard shipping and the protection of the marine environment, we support the consideration by the Transportation Working Group of establishing an informal consultative forum of classification societies to improve the effectiveness in promoting compliance with international maritime standards in the Region.
The Experts Group on Maritime Safety is chaired by Canada. Canada should therefore report. The Experts Group has been established. A number of projects are being undertaken. Canada reported to Ministers in March 2000 advising of progress.
Following the completion of an inventory of existing regional cooperation arrangements with respect to oil spill preparedness and response, we encourage member economies to undertake the development and maintenance of sub-regional cooperative quick response contingency plans.
Recognising the significance of road transportation safety to an integrated transportation system, we endorse the establishment of a group of experts as a first step in enhancing road safety programs in the Region.
Conscious of the unprecedented growth in and globalisation of air transportation in the Asia Pacific Region and the associated civil aviation safety issues to which it will undoubtedly give rise, we endorse the objective of developing strong Civil Aviation Authorities within each economy. We accept the Report of the Group of Experts on Aviation Safety and Assistance and its important civil aviation safety recommendations relating to: safety oversight; harmonisation of safety rules; prevention of air traffic conflict; the lease, charter and interchange of aircraft; and, accident and incident reporting. We therefore direct the Transportation Working Group to review and bring forward for Ministers¡¦ consideration, as a matter of priority by year end, appropriate mechanisms to implement these recommendations including a mechanism for advising Civil Aviation Authorities and for administering relevant resources. In our Declaration of Principles made today, we affirmed our commitment to the principle of harmonising Civil Aviation Safety Rules on ICAO standards across the Region. We also support additional training of nationals of APEC developing economies and encourage greater international and regional cooperation including programmes such as the APEC Technical Transportation Exchange Programme.
Trade Facilitation
We recognise the benefits of reducing impediments to trade and investment in the Region and direct the Working Group to further its efforts to improve transportation systems to liberalise trade and investment in the region, and to liberalise trade in services in the transportation sector itself. We direct the Transportation Working Group to work with other international fora to this end. In addition, we support the goal of further facilitation and liberalisation of the multi-lateral trading system.
We urge APEC economies to fully participate in the ongoing work of the Road Transport Harmonisation Project to implement a harmonised system of technical regulations for road vehicle safety and emissions. In that task, we encourage dialogue with the UN/ECE in connection with its proposal to establish a global agreement on road vehicle regulations.
We endorse the Model Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Automotive Product developed by the Transportation Working Group for use as a reference to facilitate trade in the Region and expect and encourage members to pursue opportunities, where appropriate, to enter into arrangements using this model. We note that the Model could have other potential applications in the transportation sector.
We direct the Transportation Working Group to give consideration, across its activities, to measures that would promote transparency in regulations, resolve differences in conformity assessment and facilitate the mobility of transportation personnel by encouraging mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
In June 1997, Transportation Ministers called for the APEC TPT-WG to give consideration to measures that would promote transparency in regulations, resolve differences in conformity assessment and facilitate the mobility of transportation personnel by encouraging mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
In response to the above Ministerial call, in April 1999 Australia developed a project ¡¥Towards Mutual Recognition of Transport Professional Qualifications¡¦ with the objective of ¡¥identifying measures that promote the mutual recognition of qualifications and skills of transport professions between APEC economies, which will in turn facilitate the mobility of qualified transport personnel and promote transparency of transport policies, regulations, procedures and standards.
The project is proceeding to the final stage to establish a framework for recommended practices of mutual recognition, focusing on characteristics of particular professions in demand or with a high degree of mobility; and establishment of a mechanism to facilitate recognition (in relation to transparency; consistency; quality assurances in accreditation and recognition system).
More Competitive Transportation Operating Environment
Recognising the mutually complementary and supportive relationship between liberalisation, facilitation, and economic and technical cooperation, and noting the importance of promoting a more competitive transportation operating environment, on the basis of fair and equitable access to markets and opportunity for all member economies:
* We endorse the Options Paper prepared by the Group on More Competitive Air Services with Fair and Equitable Opportunity (the Air Services Group). Further, we instruct the Transportation Working Group to reconvene the Air Services Group to analyse and prioritise the eight options and prepare on a consensus basis, a recommendation on the options to be developed and how they will be implemented. We direct the Transportation Working Group to submit for our consideration, by mid-1998, a comprehensive final report including recommendations on options to be implemented by each member economy as developed on a consensus basis by the Transportation Working Group.
Following instructions of the second Transportation Ministerial Meeting, the Air Services Group was reconvened and the eight options were analysed and prioritised. A final comprehensive report was provided to Ministers as requested and member economies have reported, on a voluntary basis, progress towards their implementation. In September 1999 the Auckland Leaders directed member economies to implement the eight steps and identify further steps to liberalise air services. Members have reported on the benefits and difficulties of implementing each recommendation and will consider at TPT-WG 18 next steps to liberalise air services in the light of consideration of these reports.
* We direct the Transportation Working Group to develop a maritime initiative aimed at promoting an efficient, safe and competitive operating environment for maritime transport with as a first step the elaboration of a Mission Statement, which is to be finalised by the 13th meeting.
Australia¡¦s Activities in Maritime Initiative Group since the Second Transportation Ministerial Meeting (24 June 1997)
Australia¡¦s activities in Maritime Initiative (MI) concentrated on the following issues:
1. Transparency Exercise Questionnaire (TEQ)
Australia actively participated in the work on TEQ by providing explicit responses to the Questionnaire and encouraged other members to do so.
As a follow up to this activity Australia prepared a paper for the forthcoming MI meeting at the 18th TPT WG listing restrictions to maritime trade in the region. This list reflects our general policy of achieving maximum liberalisation of maritime transport services in the region and world-wide.
2. WTO negotiations on Maritime Transport Services (MTS).
Australia used MI as a forum to attract attention of member economies to the need to resume as early as possible WTO negotiations on maritime transport services (MTS). Australia prepared several papers devoted to various aspects of the mandated MTS negotiations. The latest paper examines an alternative negotiating model for MTS as a possible way of achieving progress.
3. Facilitation of International Shipping Project
Australia has initiated a project ¡§Facilitation of International Shipping¡¨ aimed at identifying maritime policies that promote the development of efficient international shipping. The project was approved by TPT WG and funding was provided by the TILF fund sponsored by Japan. The first stage of the project has been completed. The report will be presented by a consultant to the next meeting of MI at 18th TPT WG.
The second stage of the project will include case studies in participating economies with the intention to develop recommendations on how to improve maritime trading policies in the region.
Infrastructure Development
We encourage economies to utilise and build on the results of the Transportation Congestion Points Study, particularly the ¡§Best Practices Manuals¡¨ and direct the Transportation Working Group to monitor its implementation. We reaffirm our commitment to an efficient, integrated regional transportation system and direct that an Intermodal Task Force be established to provide guidelines, standards, and provisional options associated with an integrated transport system.
The Intermodal Task Force (ITF) was established in August 1997 to facilitate the implementation of an efficient, integrated, intermodal transportation system in the Asia Pacific Region. The ITF has completed work on intermodal skills identification, freight and passenger surveys and a computer model to assess costs and benefits of intermodal transport investments. This work has contributed to addressing intermodal issues raised in the Congestion Points Study. The ITF is currently reevaluating its role by developing a future action programme to be finalised for the Peru APEC Transport Ministers meeting.
In addition, we support the creation of an experts group to identify ¡¨best practices¡¨ and methodologies for privatisation or corporatisation of transportation infrastructure projects. Special attention is to be given to project transparency and the development of opportunities for the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises.
We direct the Transportation Working Group to work in cooperation with other APEC fora, such as the Infrastructure Workshop under the APEC Economic Committee and the Senior Environment Officials, in undertaking priority joint infrastructure-related initiatives.
Indonesia led this work and should respond. An Infrastructure
workshop was established, led by Indonesia. Australia dominated the
work program. A best practice manual on infrastructure, investment and
financing was partially developed by Australia. It received a negative
reception at the October 1997 meeting in Chinese Taipei. The TPT WG
abolishes any projects that are finished or not making progress. At the
early 1998 Mexico meeting, the decision was made to abolish the
Infrastructure workshop.
We support the Port Experts Group in its efforts to identify common issues and formulate actions for the improvement of port capacity and efficiency in the APEC Region.
The Port Experts Group (PEG) was established in 1996. Chaired by Japan, the PEG work program was organised in six themes which mainly focused on the improvement of port infrastructure, and was nearing completion in 2000. These themes included: Port Data Base; Regional Port Development Strategy; Port Administration, Management and Operation; Environmental Considerations; Technical Standards and Technology Development; and, Natural Disasters and Damage Prevention Measures. PEG is currently undertaking a review of the status of the existing six themes and a number of proposed new themes.
We believe that improving and strengthening transportation through a comprehensive approach is key to the successful development of human resources in the transportation sector. We agree that a study be conducted to ascertain the existing standards of training facilities, instructors, examiners and curriculum for seafarers throughout the APEC Region. We also recognise the important role for a network of institutions which together would constitute a virtual centre of transportation research, development and education to access, harness and adopt new technologies for transportation. We ask that the Working Group monitor closely emerging skill needs in the transportation sector, particularly the developing APEC economies, and consider appropriate responses.
We underline our commitment to women and youth by directing the Transportation Working Group to identify training and development initiatives to ensure that these groups are well prepared for career opportunities in the transportation sector and are available for APEC members to draw upon to meet the challenge of maintaining safe, environmentally sustainable, and competitive transportation systems within the APEC Region.
New Transportation Technologies
We recognise that the ability to access and harness new technologies such as Electronic Data Interchange, Intelligent Transportation Systems and Global Positioning Systems, and others as they emerge, will be essential to the improvement of the transportation system of the Region and we urge member economies to cooperage in research and development of new technologies and their application. We also note that congestion can be exacerbated both by delays in applying new technologies as well as the inappropriate use of these technologies. We request that the Transportation Working Group expand its current work to include new developments in infrastructure technology and to develop a framework of standards for the initial application of Intelligent Transportation Systems to vehicle identification, safety, location, and tolling. The Group is to report to us by the end of 1998.
The Chairman of the ITS Expert Group will make a report on the Group's activities.
To date, the Group has done little substantive work other than information sharing.
At the October 2000 meeting it will hopefully agree on a proposal that a Category A Liaison (as defined by ISO Procedures), be established between APEC-TPT Working Group and ISO Technical Committee 204, Transport Information and Control System (TICS). The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Expert's Group of the APEC-TPT is to be the point of contact. The Group should also sort out its priorities regarding those ITS applications where ISO standards are desirable.
This will be a useful step forward.
We note the emerging technologies in cargo, container and small package tracking systems that would enhance the speed and lower the costs of intermodal cargo processing and port clearance, and direct the Transportation Working Group to coordinate closely with the Telecommunications Working Group and the CTI Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures to determine best practices for APEC members as these technologies reach the stage of practical and economical application.
We endorse the Joint Policy Statement on Satellite Navigation and Communications Systems as recommended by the Transportation Working Group which calls for a series of cooperative actions to facilitate implementation of satellite-based navigation and communications systems in the APEC Region consistent with ICAO and IMO guidelines, and the establishment of an Advisory Committee to monitor these cooperative actions.
The Satellite Navigation and Communications (SN&C) Advisory Committee was established and is led by the United States. Australia participated in the drafting of the Statement of Apec Transportation Ministers for the Protection of the GNSS Spectrum for all Modes of Transportation which received Ministerial endorsement.
In response to the SN&C recommendation that APEC economies form national forums for GNSS issues, the Australian Minister for Transport and Regional Services established the Australian GNSS Co-ordination Committee (AGCC). To the best of our knowledge, the United States is the only other economy to have formed a similar forum.
Australia is currently developing an Air Traffic Management (ATM) Strategic Plan. Use of satellite navigation, communication and surveillance systems will be an integral aspect of the plan.
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1 Dec., 2000