The 7th COTER commission meeting on the 2nd of March hosted an engaging debate with EP TRAN Committee Vice-chair Dominique Riquet on possible topics of cooperation between the two bodies, including urban mobility, missing links in border regions, multimodal travel services, and mobility in demographically and geographically challenged regions.
Mr Rollandin appreciated the importance of strengthening inter-institutional cooperation in order to bring more visibility to the areas of shared interest. As president of the Valle d'Aosta mountainous region in Italy, the EA coordinator underlined the necessity of having functional and efficient transport networks, despite the difficulties that sometimes arise from maintaining them.
He added: 'In the distribution of instruments and funds towards the modernization of transport infrastructure, we must not discriminate between a first class, urban Europe and a second class, rural Europe. We cannot concentrate our efforts solely on the creation of futuristic central hubs that would otherwise become oasis in the desert. We must provide citizens of rural and isolated areas with sustainable and functional transport services that support local economies and create a truly inclusive Europe.'
