II session of the ASECAP Steering Committee, Italy, Torino 27.05.2012.god.
The Minutes of the I Session of the Steering Committee 2012/1, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, was adopted. ASECAP Secretary General, Mr. K. Dionelis, presented thoroughly implemented and planned activities, along with the work matrices approved by Steering Committee for 2012 Work Program. The innovations in the EU transport world, along with the key points for ASECAP, were presented. Mr. K. Dionelis pointed out that Steering Committee, COMEX, COPERs with task forces, supported by ASECAP pool of experts, should provide basic instruments for the future ASECAP activities. ASECAP Secretary General and 3 COPER chairmen shall be responsible for planning based on which COMEX will elaborate future ASECAP activities that will serve for Steering Committee`s decision making. ASECAP Secretariat (and coordinator: Mr. S. Verwilghen) shall, together with COPERs, define ASECAP necessities regarding collection of statistical information and monitoring their provision. The Secretariat presented the first template of statistical reporting based on information provided by the members for publication in the ASECAP Statistical Bulletin. The priority is to harmonize statistical information provided by members (although they already reflect, on an individual basis, development of each member) so that they could be easily comparable.
COPER I chairman, Mr. Jean Mesqui, presented the work undertaken by COPER I related to recent developments in the EETS domain, new legislative initiatives of the European Commission regarding award of concession contracts and public procurements. When it comes to EETS, there is ASECAP agreement on basic strategies. Toll Chargers have done their jobs, EETS providers have to make a decision about registration model in a state for formal contact with Toll Chargers, and states are defined as crucially important for RETS future development towards a final EETS. ASECAP members will cooperate in protection of their interests, along with additional issue regarding mutual approach that should be formed by Toll Chargers, and related to EETS providers, accompanied by coordinated approach concerning relevant costs.
Regarding concessions and public procurements, COPER I chairman referred to the ongoing discussions in the European Parliament (IMCO Committee) on draft Directives proposed by the European Commission in December 2011. COPER II chairman, Mr. Rotondo, referred to ASECAP Road Safety Event that took place in Copenhagen. Mr. Rotondo emphasized that in the frame of new COMEX and COPER structures the work on internal COPER II priorities will commence. COPER III chairman, Mr. R. Kamolino gave (after leave of absence) an overview of COPER III activities, and the interim COPER III chairman, Mr. Jandrisits, presented the key topics regarding ASECAP’s work on ITS. The following is summarized: 1. Within ITS Directives, the ASECAP has been accepted as one of 25 members of the high-level European ITS Advisory Group; 2. discussions regarding future of the EasyWay at the strategic level evolve in positive direction, and at technical level the review of the Deployment Guidelines will be carried out through direct involvement of at least one ASECAP member in the individual review of each Deployment Guideline; 3. i-Mobility forum (formerly e-Safety forum): It is necessary that ASECAP experts input useful information in forum`s activities, and members will be provided with Working Groups meeting`s agenda. 4. SATIE Project: ASECAP is actively contributing to support action in development of European Large Scale Action (ELSA) for ICT in transport; 5. Amsterdam Group: the progress is being made when it comes to determining the role of Toll Chargers within joint ASECAP-CEDR-C2C-POLIS initiative dedicated to the implementation of priority cooperative systems.
The report on Steering Committee’s activities, development of ASECAP members’ activities, and members presented their priority points. Interested members sent minutes with contentious issues (annex to point 4 in report) to the Secretariat. Some issues can be considered to have been handled in an ASECAP Think Tank. The Secretariat shall investigate the possibilities for submitting the ideas for examination to the COMEX. The President planned to join the Stockholm Group workshop on interoperability in Malmö on June 5th, 2012, but eventually decided to give up due to the concern about ASECAP’s official presence at this workshop. The issue regarding status and membership fees of “Supporting Partners” was also raised, for which the Secretariat will provide its proposal on the next COMEX session, and it will send this proposal in the written form to the Steering Committee in order to expedite determination on this issue.
Administrative and budget issues were also discussed. Proposal of the Steering Committee for amending the By-laws was unanimously adopted, with clarification of altered article 17 regarding auditing. The report of the Steering Committee on activities in 2011 was also unanimously adopted at General Assembly.
The Secretary General, Mr. K. Dionelis, underlined that on the Steering Committee session 2012/1 in Copenhagen it was said that auditing is still open on the CESARE IV project due to complex formalities within EC structures and administrations. The ASECAP Secretariat, the project leader and the project auditor closely monitor this case and duly inform the members. The Steering Committee unanimously adopted Auditor`s Report on 2011 exercise and approval of the accounts for the year 2011, that shall be sent to the General Assembly. Proposal of the General Assembly that the annual dues per member should be kept at 17.000 euro, which constitutes budget part A, was adopted. At the last session this year (in Paris), the Steering Committee shall receive for adoption the final budget proposal for 2013 with members` allocations.
The General Assembly was also held, where new appointments and elections of persons for the ASECAP Governing Bodies were made. On the proposal of COMEX, the members unanimously elected new ASECAP management (annex to the point 6.a) constituted by: First Vice President - Jean Mesqui (ASFA); Second Vice President - Øyvind Halleraker (NORVEGFINANS); Voting COMEX member - Massimo Schintu (AISCAT) and Voting COMEX member - Thomas J. Fanning (MACQUARIE MOTORWAY GROUP).
For chairs the following persons were unanimously appointed: COPER I chair - Bruno de la Fuente (ASETA), COPER II chair - Malika Seddi (ASFA) and COPER III chair - Marko Jandrisits (ASFINAG). On the proposal of COMEX the Steering Committee appointed Vice Chairpersons in the following way: for COPER I the Vice Chairs are Valérie Dumerc (ASFA), Maurizio Rotondo (AISCAT) and Anton Sieber (ASFINAG); for COPER II, the Vice Chairs are Emanuela Stocchi (AISCAT), Leif Vincentsen (Sund & Bælt) and Brankica Bajic (HUKA); for COPER III, the Vice Chairs are Roberto Arditi (AISCAT), Rui Camolino (APCAP) and Annie Canel (ASFA). The new Chairpersons, each one accompanied by 3 personalities/vice-chairs, promised to start working on the basic ASECAP fields, as well as ASECAP COMEX and Steering Committee.
It is agreed that the Steering Committee session 2012/3 shall be held in Paris, on 26-27 November 2012, and the Steering Committee session 2013/1 and annual Road Safety Event in Rome, 4-5 March 2013. For ASECAP Study and Information Days the candidacy for hosting members is as follows: “2013 ASECAP Days” - Dubrovnik, Croatia, 26-29 May 2013, and for “2014 ASECAP Days” - Greece (TEO).
The file of application for associate membership by State Company “Russian Highways” was examined, and the Steering Committee decided unanimously that the candidate fulfills the conditions. The Steering Committee authorized the Secretary General to inform State Company “Russian Highways” according the procedure, and to invite the Company`s delegation to attend the Steering Committee session 2012/3 in Paris in order to present the Company and its candidacy interests.
