POSSUM: Policy Scenarios for Sustainable Mobility

http://cordis.europa.eu/transport/src/possum.htm

FOURTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME 
PROJECT FUNDED BY THE EC UNDER THE TRANSPORT RTD    PROGRAMME

Duration: 1996-1999

Scientific Responsible: Prof. Maria Giaoutzi (E-mail: giaoutsi@central.ntua.gr)

The Project Objectives

The POSSUM project has successfully developed a new methodology for investigating policy scenario building at the European Level for the period 1995-2020. Innovative methods based on backcasting have been used to establish targets for economic, development and environmental objectives set out in the EU Common Transport Policy. These targets have been used as a framework for the construction of Images of the Future. These Images combine contextual elements (outside the scenario building process) and strategic elements (included in the scenario building process) to present visions of the future (2020). The contextual elements cover the expansion of the EU, the key roles that different decision makers play and levels of cohesiveness or competition within Europe. The two main strategic elements are technological innovation and decoupling (the reduction in the transport intensity of the economy).

Comprehensive lists of policy measures have been classified according to type (market-based, regulation, lifestyle-orientated and public service). These measures have been packaged according to particular themes. The innovative packaging process permits the mixing of different policy measures so that the targets set can be achieved. It moves beyond the expectation that individual policies will achieve sustainable mobility.

The main task of the POSSUM consortium has been to construct scenarios for achieving the objectives of sustainable mobility and to assist the Commission in future decisions about the Common Transport Policy and the development of the Trans-European Networks. The overriding aim of the study is to find ways ‘to facilitate movements of persons and goods in agreement with a strategy of sustainable development. The concept includes mobility levels, but also the technical systems required to enable mobility’.

Partners

1. University College London, (Great Britain) (Project Leader)
2. Free University Amsterdam, (The Netherlands)
3. National Technical University of Athens, (Greece)
4. Institute for Regional Studies in Europe, (EURES), (Germany)
5. Environmental Strategies Research Group (Sweden)
6. Technical Research Centre of Finland, (VTT), (Finland)
7. Warsaw University of Technology (Poland)
8. Tel Aviv University, (Israel)