Summary

Common transport policy of the EU strives to achieve more sustainable modal balance; more competition between transport firms, and integrated approach to infrastructure development. In the past, it has always been assumed that there is a close relationship between the growth in freight and passenger transport energy consumption and economic growth, at least as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This raises questions about the underlying rationale for this statistical relationship and, more importantly for sustainable development, whether the relationship will continue into the future. Regarding the shifting the balance between transport modes and eliminating bottlenecks the paper observes "decoupling " transport demand from economic growth and infrastructure charging. The author proposes better cooperation between transport modes and the creation of an economically, enviromentally and socially sustainable transport system