As EGNATIA ODOS President Mr. Paraskevas Savaidis was absent, the candidacy was presented by Mr. Konstantinos Koutsoukos. President Jean Mesqui -expressing the view of the members- welcomed the candidacy underlining that, as the ASECAP By-Laws stipulate, ASECAP is a European Association of National Associations and under this condition the Steering Committee accepted provisionally EGNATIA ODOS as Greek representative in ASECAP. The need was underlined to establish Greek association as soon as possible.
The following was presented and discussed: developments in the EU / ASECAP activities and state of play, report of the Secretary General ASECAP actions and related ASECAP actions (COPERs).
The document of the Secretary General focuses on the main fields of ASECAP interest that need to be coordinated for a strong ASECAP presence in the new EU period.
K. Dionelis, in his document, indicated that interoperable tolling/charging in Europe remains the political priority of EU institutions although the market and the member States seem to express a different view noting the existing market concerns.
On the sector of concessions and public procurement the new legal EU framework appears more regulated, leaving however a certain room for maneuver in the involved concessions and states. The states will have to formally transpose the EU law in their national legislations by Spring of 2016. As the concessions model appears as the key instrument to develop ppp schemes, Asecap has undertaken to carry out -with the support of PWC- a detailed study on the role of road concessions to promote a sustainable socioeconomic growth. The results of the study will be presented by Asecap in the new political environment that will appear in EU Institutions during the immediate future.
Additional important point of interest is the road safety domain where ASECAP and its members appear strongly involved in the EU fields of action. The recent EC annual road safety event, organized by EC in Greece, was a proof of the importance that EU institutions attach to Asecap and its members as key factors of high road safety.
The Secretary General touched also on the ITS field where the modern technology domains appear as the most promising but less coordinated sector in EU, in an area of continuous, fierce competition. For this reason ASECAP and its members insist preaching to all directions the need for a slow and prudent procedure in order EU to develop the mentality of a deployment oriented ITS and not a research oriented one.
COPER I Chairman Bruno de la Fuente focused on tolling issues and the EETS decision where "nothing happens" in spite of the clear legal framework. Answering positively to a political request of DGMOVE Director General Matthias Ruete, ASECAP and its members undertook to build a project (REETS project) and lead all the involved stakeholders.
President Jean Mesqui, being also President of the Steering Committee of the REETS, presented in details the last developments of the project, underlining that REETS first period (during which the consortium analyzed the different ETC tolling parameters) is ending. He drew the attention of the members that the second phase of “regional tolling deployment” should follow, provided that the REETS report, to be submitted to the EC/INEA for evaluation by July, will be accepted by the EC administration. The members of the ASECAP Steering Committee asked Jean Mesqui to continue chairing the REETS Steering Committee.
COPER I chair introduced the ASECAP concessions' study and Ch. Boutin presented the latest executive report produced in close cooperation between PWC and COPER I leading team, highlighting the study developed as foreseen and invited ASECAP members that never submitted information to support the study.
COPER I chairman provided also information on the current revision of the “weights and dimensions” directive focusing on the risks posed by mega-trucks for the motorway sector. At this period the stakeholders examine the technical characteristics of aerodynamic longer vehicles.
COPER I, together with COPER II, have also actively worked on the new legislative packages for “electronic transaction” by expressing the concerns of the tolled industry related to some of the new provisions included in the new regulation and directive. COPER I and ASECAP Secretariat work in cooperation with all the members to revise the 2007 Tolled Infrastructure Document by regularly updating and upgrading input from all the 21 ASECAP members.
COPER II chair Ms. Malika Seddi introduced all the major activities of COPER II starting from the recent very successful Road Safety event in Madrid. The great results achieved by ASECAP members in reducing accident fatalities on their network were presented, M. Seddi highlighted. A new leaflet on Road Safety has been produced, together with the revision of the Winter Maintenance Leaflet.
COPER II, in cooperation with the other COPERs, produced a new ASECAP publication on Sustainability which has been presented during the ASECAP Days in Athens. The Brochure includes important key figures gathered among the ASECAP members on their environmental, financial and services’ performances. This document will help the Association to structure a living sustainability document which will be constantly updated and improved.
Ms. Seddi underlined the active role of ASECAP and the important ASECAP contributions in front of the States and stakeholders (result of strong and efficient coordination between ASECAP Secretariat and COPER II) during the European Road Safety Day in Athens. The main publications and material of ASECAP has been presented and distributed in the ASECAP stand. The benchmark work launched in COPER II will be updated.
ASFINAG, hosting the 8th ASECAP Annual Road Safety event in Wien in 2014 sent the preliminary program providing the contour and general title of the conference. The program and the messages will be finalized in cooperation with COPER II.
On COPER III, Mr. Rotondo, on behalf of COPER III Chair Marko Jandrisits, presented the main actions carried out by COPER III, highlighted the fact that experts for the “radio frequency” issues drafted various letters and position papers and sent them to DGMOVE and DGCONNECT expressing the concern of the toll industry. COPER III has also finalized a position paper on the importance to preserve and protect radio frequency 5.8 GHz for toll collection to be circulated to the national contact points which are members of the Radio Spectrum Committee. COPER III is also cooperating with the CEPT and other main stakeholders involved in the issue and the letter of understanding has been signed between the ECC and the ASECAP Secretariat that will allow ASECAP experts to participate to the different meetings of CEPT (SE24, WG FM, ECC). Furthermore a new partnership with ACEA has been started in order to share ideas and projects on the radio frequency issues. COPER III has also been very active in the ITS arena by participating to different working groups in Brussels in particular within EU institutions in cooperation with ACEA, ERTICO, Amsterdam Group, etc.
COPER IV chair Mr. F. Stevanato presented the main work carried out concerning data collection within ASECAP with the focus on the comparison between the data of 2013 and 2014. A short analysis of the future of COPER IV has been presented in order to address the main issue of comparability and harmonization within ASECAP about which the COPERs and the ASECAP Secretariat will have close cooperation to analyze all the folds of this issue to identify the performance indicators and the way to be collected by the members.
Report of the Steering Committee to the General Assembly on the 2013 activities was presented as a phrase was added in the Report (proposed by E. Stocchi, AISCAT) related to the structured cooperation between ASECAP and IBTTA and the common manifesto of the two organizations (Annex 5.a.)
Auditor’s Reports for the exercise 2013 were approved as well as financial situation in 2013 (annexes 5.b, French is the original version). Proposal was given for the members’ fees of the 2015 budget and for Draft budget 2015. The Steering Committee kept for 6th year in a raw the annual fees of the Association members at 17,000 EUR. They represent part A of the budget. Steering Committee received the draft budget for the year 2015 that will be adopted at the end of the year.
ASECAP candidacies for 2nd Vice Presidents & 2 COMEX members were discussed. The Steering Committee elected unanimously Mr. Jose Braga (APCAP) as second ASECAP Vice President. Following the provisions of the ASECAP By Laws, Massimo Schintu was automatically appointed as first Vice President, Oyvind Halleraker as ASECAP President, and Jean Mesqui as Past President.
Concerning the candidacies for COMEX, President Jean Mesqui highlighted that, as TEO ceased to exist, the candidacy of A. Arnaoutis, as TEO representative, could not be formally considered by the Steering Committee. As there were no formally submitted candidacies for the 2 voting COMEX members, ASECAP President took the initiative to invite exceptionally (a) K. Koutsoukos, (EGNATIA ODOS representative) to replace A. Arnaoutis as COMEX candidate, and, (b) Klaus Schierhackl, (leaving Past President) to be also a COMEX candidate who accepted the invitation of the President and the Steering Committee approved it unanimously.
Both Presidents, Jean Mesqui and Oyvind Halleraker expressed their firm commitments to continue working hard for further strengthening the presence of ASECAP and its members in the International fora and Institutions. Expressing the common will of the Steering Committee, President J. Mesqui thanked A. Arnaoutis for his strong and active role in the Association during the last (almost 30) years.
Activity reports to the Steering Committee regarding the developments in ASECAP members were adopted and the interested members presented the developments in their countries (annex 7.a)
Time schedule for two upcoming ASECAP Steering Committee sessions in 2014 and 2015 is approved. Session 2015/1 will be held in Wien together with 8th ASECAP Road Safety Annual event, Session 2015/2 in Lisbon on 27/5/2015 where ASECAP Study and Information Days will also be held (27-29 of May 2015).
The third Session 2015/3 will be held Italy and the place and date remain to be defined and the related cooperation with ASECAP Secretariat will start ASAP. Regarding 2016 ASECAP Study and Information Days, no formal candidacy was presented.
