13^th Transportation Working Group Meeting

Mexico City, April 20-24, 1998
Agenda Item 7 - TPT/13/PLEN/7/SC/SE
Plenary Session

I. Background Information

1. The Transportation Working Group (TPT-WG) Steering Committee on Safe and Environment-Friendly Transportation Systems held its first meeting on April 22,1998 during the 13^th TPT meeting in Mexico City, Mexico.

2. The Steering Committee was chaired by the United States, and 12 economies participated in the deliberations of the Steering Committee, including Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and the United States.

3. The Steering Committee began by identifying the economy representatives of both core members and other interested economies. The Steering Committee then discussed the Terms of Reference, particularly the responsibilities of the Steering Committee.

4. Special emphasis was placed by the Chairman and other core members on the need to better coordinate all the safety and environment-related work within the TPT as well as with such work taking place in other APEC fora as well as other international organizations. There was also emphasis on possible rationalization of projects, and the need to identify reasonable timeframes by which to terminate projects.

5. The Chair proposed a general guideline of, perhaps, three years for projects and core members agreed that project leads would be requested to indicate at future Steering Committee meetings tentative or proposed termination dates for their respective projects. The Chair suggested that the Steering Committee might consider ending one project before adding a new project, in order to establish a reasonable workload for the Steering Committee and to ensure that projects were not continuously added with no thought given to termination of ongoing projects when appropriate.

6. With regard to rationalization of projects, the Chair proposed that criteria be developed that could be used by the Steering Committee in rationalizing projects. She, for example, suggested that any projects in which survey or data information was collected from fewer than eight economies would be considered as having limited interest for the TPT as a whole and would be terminated. After discussion of this issue, it was agreed that the Chair prepare a list of criteria for review by the Steering Committee at the 14^th TPT-WG meeting for its use in determining projects that might be rationalized.

7. The Steering Committee also discussed and agreed that intersessional reports would be required from each project lead both to encourage greater intersessional work of the various experts groups and to provide the Steering Committee core members with better information on which to base decisions and guidance at future Steering Committee meetings. Canada provided a review of its experience in leading the TPT-WG GEASA project and noted that most of its work was accomplished through intersessional communication. The Steering Committee agreed that it would request those reports by no later than Friday, July 24, 1998 - the halfway point between this TPT meeting and the 14^th TPT-WG meeting scheduled to take place in October 1998 in Seoul, Korea. These reports would be brief (1-2 pages) and prepared in a consistent format.

8. Finally, the Chair reminded project leads that ALL projects must contribute to meeting the overall safety and environment'-related goals agreed upon by APEC Transport Ministers and to the broad APEC goals of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation and economic and technical cooperation. In sum, projects must be developed and executed keeping in mind clear goals, deliverables, and outcomes; and that beyond studies, databases, and surveys, there was a responsibility for each and every TPT project to clearly demonstrate to APEC Transport Ministers at their next meeting and to APEC Senior Officials and Leaders what had actually been accomplished in meeting safety and environment-related goals in the transport sector.

II. Ongoing Projects- Next Steps

Intelligent Transportation Systems (Australia)

9. The Steering Committee reviewed the Australian paper on an APEC ITS strategy and the report of the ITS Experts Group (TPT/13/SC/SE/4.1), and noted that Transportation Ministers requested, in June 1997, the formulation of a strategy to develop a framework of standards for ITS implementation, for report by end of 1998. The ITS Experts Group report identified a range of key ITS applications that will be focused on, and which are based on two criteria. First, that they can assist in solving significant APEC transport problems, and second, that lack of APEC interoperability would severely weaken the effectiveness of these ITS applications. The development of a framework of standards would focus on these ITS applications.

10. The Steering Committee recognized that ITS can contribute substantially to solving significant APEC transportation problems, that interoperability between and within ITS applications is essential to maximizing the benefits ITS can provide, and emphasized that the rapid development of ITS called for urgent work to ensure APEC-wide (and sub-regional) interoperability of key ITS applications.

11. The Steering Committee endorsed the ITS Experts Group report, including: the development of a protocol through which economies will work together to develop and use a framework of standards to ensure interoperabliity; and the development of a Ministerial vision statement on APEC-wide development and deployment of ITS which would form part of the report to Ministers.

Maritime Safety (Canada)

12. The Steering Committee endorsed the report of the Maritime Safety Experts Group (TPT/13/SC/SE/4.2), which highlighted the following:

• A survey questionnaire had been developed and circulated intersessionally to identify safety issues and problems in the region. Responses received to date had been summarized and distributed for preliminary review. A complete summary will be prepared by Canada and circulated to member economies prior to TPT-WG 14.

• As many responding economies have indicated problems in formulating or amending national laws or regulations to reflect international conventions or standards, a project proposal will be developed by Korea, for consideration at TPT-WG 14, to conduct research into how the maritime administration of economies are structured, their legal framework, how they function, and the action necessary to achieve full implementation of those conventions or standards.

• Following review of the report and subsequent discussion in related agenda items, it was agreed that the work program of the experts group would include oversight for the projects on "Safer Shipping in the Asia Pacific Region", the "Consultative Forum of Classification Societies and Maritime Administrations", if approved; and would consider options for encouraging members to develop contingency plans on oil spills response arrangements.

• The Maritime Safety Experts Group will coordinate with the TPT Human Resources and Development (HRD) Steering Committee on relevant issues, in particular the Seafarers Training and STCW projects.

Regional Cooperation on Oil Spills Preparedness and Response Arrangements (Philippines)

13. The Steering Committee discussed the Final Report (TPT/13/SC/SE/4.4) submitted by the Philippines on oil spills preparedness and response arrangements, and in particular the information provided on existing cooperative arrangements in the APEC region, the recommendation to consider the merits of establishing broader cooperative regional arrangements and action on material provided to the Philippines in the course of the project. The Steering Committee agreed that the information in the Final Report on bilateral, trilateral and multilateral arrangements already existing in the APEC region provided an excellent basis for assessing the action required to meet the Ministers?encouragement to member economies to undertake the development and maintenance of sub-regional cooperative quick response contingency plans, assessing economies not party to such cooperative arrangements and the existence of gaps where member economies should be encouraged to develop cooperative arrangements.

14. The Steering Committee further agreed that these assessments should be undertaken by the Maritime Safety Experts Group and that there was, therefore, at this time no need to take action on the material provided to the Philippines, presently held by the APEC Secretariat. The Steering Committee then discussed various projects in other APEC fora, including the recent workshop conducted by the Marine Resources Conservation Working Group in Australia on Ship-Based Pollution in the Asia-Pacific Region.

15. As next steps, the Steering Committee requested that the Philippines: 1) contact the organizers of the workshop to obtain information relevant to the oil spills project, and to determine possible areas of collaboration between the two groups; and 2) to provide this information to the Steering Committee in its intersessional report. The Steering Committee also noted that the $5,000 allotted to complete the oil spills inventory and report had not been used and should remain in reserve until a final decision was made as to whether an actual inventory and report should be printed. The Steering Committee also agreed that the Maritime Safety Experts Group would coordinate with the lead economy on the oil spills project regarding the publication of the inventory.

Road Transportation Safety (Chinese Taipei)

16. The Steering Committee reviewed the report of the Road Safety Experts Group (TPT/13/SC/SE/4.5) which was subsequently endorsed by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee also noted that the questionnaire will be completed by July 10, 1998. The Experts Group will discuss the results from the questionnaire at TPT-WG 14. The Experts Group will also identify important road safety problems and discuss the design of road safety strategies for further study.

Urban Transport Forum (Korea)

17. The Steering Committee reviewed and approved the progress report (TPT/13/SC/SE/4.6) on the development of a best practices manual to address urban transport problems in the APEC region. The Steering Committee did, however, note the overlap with activities in the APEC Energy Working Group, and requested tht Korea obtain relevant information from that group (particularly from the recent meeting on urban transport) for inclusion, as appropriate, in the intersessional report on the Urban Transport Forum and best practices manual. The Steering Committee agreed to inform the APEC Secretariat that the Korea Transport Institute (KOTI) has been selected as project consultant.

Satellite Navigation and Communications (United States)

18. The Satellite Navigation and Communications (SN&C) Advisory Committee report was provided by the Chair of the SN&C committee. The report (TPT/13/SC/SE/4.7) highlighted the intersessional meeting held in Singapore February 18 - 21, 1998. The Committee reviewed action items from its initial task list resulting in a more clearly developed set of Goals and Objectives, relating to the Terms of Reference adopted by the TPT-WG 12 meeting in Chinese Taipei, September 29-30, 1997. In particular the SN&C Committee presented positions regarding (1) the establishment of national, intermodal SN&C forums as a means of integrating, rationalizing, and harmonizing the elements to be used for modal and intermodal purposes, (2) the protection of the GNSS spectrum from frequency interference to ensure continued suitability for transport applications, (3) the coordinated plan to co-host with the Intermodal Task Force a Conference in the early 1999 timeframe on applicablility of SN&C systems in the intermodal environment.

19. The Steering Committee endorsed the report of the SN&C Advisory Committee and as a result of discussion on the Advisory Committee Positions, has presented the following recommendation for adoption by the TPT-WG :

That each economy develop a policy statement at the Ministerial level to protect the Spectrum Band width for the sole use of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) for all transportation modes. The policy statement should be developed and provided to the lead economy prior to September 1, 1998 so that a report can be prepared for TPT-WG 14.

III. Approval of New Projects

Aviation Safety (United States)

20. The worldwide concern about civil aviation safety deficiencies prompted recognition of the need to be proactive regarding aviation safety. The APEC Transport Ministers established a Group of Experts on Aviation Safety and Assistance (GEASA). The Steering Committee recognized that ICAO is developing an action plan for global aviation safety.

21. In June 1997, the APEC Transport Ministers at their meeting held in Victoria, Canada, accepted and endorsed the recommendations contained in the report of GEASA titled "Aviation Safety in the APEC Economies: Report to APEC Transport Ministers, June 12, 1997." These recommendations, and subsequently developed implementing mechanisms, contained in the GEASA "Report to the APEC Transport Ministers on Mechanisms to Implement Recommendations on Aviation Safety in APEC Economies, November 27, 1997," define objectives/actions to be considered by APEC economies to enhance aviation safety throughout the region. With the work of the GEASA complete and the GEASA disbanded, the responsibility for monitoring and reporting to Ministers on the economies' implementation of GEASA recommendations, was assigned to the Steering Committee.

22. The Steering Committee endorsed the proposal (TPT/13/SC/SE/5.1) presented by the United States, and agreed to begin its task of monitoring the status of the GEASA recommendations by asking APEC Economies to complete a survey outlining the implementation status. In that regard, the Steering Committee agreed that the draft survey presented to the Steering Commtittee at the 13^th TPT-WG Meeting be circulated for comments by member economies and comments be sent to the Steering Committee Chairman by June 1, 1998. The United States, as Chair of the Steering Committee, will be responsible for the development of the final survey format, analysis of its results, and preparation of the report to the Steering Committee, and the draft report to Ministers for consideration by the Steering Committee. The United States will be assisted in these tasks by Canada, which served as the Chair of the GEASA.

The delivery schedule of the tasks is as follows:

• comments on draft survey due back to the SC Chair by June 1, 1998, action economies;
• survey finalized and distributed to Economies by June 15, 1998, action: USA;
• surveys completed by APEC Economies and returned to SC Chair by September 1, 1998, action Economies;
• report compiled and circulated to SC by September 15, 1998, action USA;
• discussion of report at 14th TPT-WG, October 19-23, 1998, action SC.
• preparation of draft report to Ministers, date TBD by SC, action USA.
• review of draft report to Ministers, date TBD, action SC.
• presentation of final report to APEC Ministers, date TBD, action TPT-WG.

Year 2000 Problem: Air Traffic Control and Airport System (Singapore)

23. The Steering Committee reviewed the proposal of Singapore (TPT/13/SC/SE/5.2) regarding the development of a survey of action taken by APEC economies to resolve the Year 2000 (Y2K) problem in air traffic control and airport systems. The proposal was strongly supported by a number of economies, including Australia and the United States which offered to co-sponsor the project, if approved. Though there was general support for the proposal, Japan reserved its position subject to further consultations with appropriate officials, and indicated it would provide a response as soon as possible. The Steering Committee then decided that while awaiting the Japanese response, Singapore should proceed with the development of the survey questionnaire.

Safer Shipping in the Asia Pacific Region (Australia)

24. The Australian delegate introduced the proposal (TPT/13/SC/SE/5.3) drawing attention to:

• the substance of the proposal,
• the unanimous recommendation of the Maritime Safety Experts Group that the project go forward as a TPT-WG project to the BAC for consideration for funding, and
• the fact that the project, in addressing competitive advantage gained by shipowners operating sub-standard ships, will not duplicate any other project, existing or proposed.

25. Australia responded to a number of questions and, in particular, stated that the proposed questionnaire was directed principally to various bodies and authorities in the maritime industry rather than to member economies and that the majority of the work of the project related to analysis of the results of the questionnaire rather than to the questionnaire itself. Noting that phase 1 of the project was self-contained and that phase 2 of the project would not proceed unless justified by the results of phase 1, the Steering Committee agreed unanimously to forward the proposal to the TPT-WG for APEC operational account funding. In response to a concern expressed by the Chair about the amount of funding requested relative to the total amount allotted to the TPT-WG, Australia determined that it could reduce the original proposal cost from $99,000 to $77,500. The revised funding proposal was distributed as (TPT/13/SC/SE/5.3/Rev.1).

Consultative Forum of Classification Societies and Maritime Administrations (Indonesia)

26. The Steering Committee reviewed the Indonesian proposal to establish an Informal Consultative Forum of Classification Societies and Maritime Administrations aimed at improving the institutional ability and professionalism of ship classification societies in the APEC region (TPT/13/SC/SE/5.4) The Steering Committee also discussed the Indonesian proposal for APEC TILF account funding. Though a number of Steering Committee members noted the important role of ship classification societies in relation to maritime safety, the Steering Committee agreed that this project should be reviewed at the conclusion of phase 1 of the Safer Shipping project and that in the interim Indonesia would explore the possibility of funding from ship classification societies for their proposed project.

IV. Outstanding Issues

27. There were no significant outstanding issues, though there are a number of follow up actions required by economies with regard to several of the Steering Committee projects. Of particular note, was the need for economies to respond to various questionnaires and surveys that have been circulated or will be circulated in the near future.

V. Management Issues

28,. Several important management decisions were made by the Steering Committee, including decisions to:

• better coordinate all safety and environment-related projects;
• develop criteria which would be used to rationalize projects; and
• prepare intersessional reports on all Steering Committee projects.

VI. Future Directions of Work

29. The Steering Committee noted and endorsed the future direction of the various Steering Committee projects, particularly emphasizing the need to follow up on direction previously given by Transport Ministers, keeping in mind the broad APEC goals of trade liberalization and facilitation as well as economic and technical cooperation.

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