When it comes to transport and connectivity, we live in exciting times. By 2030, it is expected that 60 percent of us will live in urban areas. Air traffic is projected to grow to 7.2 billion passengers in 2035, a near doubling of last year’s 3.8 billion air travellers. There are estimations that the world needs to invest an average of $3.3 trillion in infrastructure, much of it for transport needs, just to support the currently expected rate of growth. The so-called “disruptive” technologies (e.g. automated vehicles and drones) will revolutionise the way we travel but will also bring many challenges.

To further engage Europe in ASEAN, I will be meeting with ASEAN’s ministers of transport on the margins of the Asia-Europe Meeting in Bali on September 26-27. I look forward to discussing not only what we are doing on the ASEAN-EU agenda to bring our two regions closer together, but also what we are doing on the ASEAN connectivity agenda to bring its members closer together.

The ASEAN-EU agenda is underpinned by ongoing negotiations on an EU-ASEAN Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement, which will be the first such bloc-to-bloc accord and will contribute to substantially deepening our aviation links. We are also working closely together on aviation safety, while showing leadership in international forums on cutting aviation and maritime emissions. But transport goes beyond aviation, so we will launch the first EU-ASEAN high-level dialogue on transport, in Singapore on October 11.

The EU also supports ASEAN’s efforts to connect its people and markets, through a dialogue on the ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity 2025 and an EU-ASEAN cooperation budget of over 200 million euros to make connectivity a reality in the region and beyond.

It is essential that we continue to coordinate our efforts. Our success will depend on respect for three broad principles: “inclusiveness,” to ensure that all countries benefit from these new routes for their economic development;  “reciprocity,” which is key in terms of market access, sharing know-how, respect for rules and a level-playing field; and “sustainability,” which is a must in order to promote economically, socially and environmentally sound projects. Indeed, we must honour the Paris Agreement so that emissions from our transport systems become part of the solution rather than being much of the problem.

The EU is determined to work with ASEAN to find sustainable connectivity solutions, and I very much welcome working with our ASEAN partners on this very strategic agenda.

Violeta Bulc is the European commissioner for transport.

Source: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/asean-and-eu-must-improve-connectivity.html