A clear dichotomy exists between an European economy centred on international trade and the environmental damage to which this focus gives rise. There is a need for a  novel  approach  based on a shift away from the goal of ever-faster travel and ever-greater time savings, and the adoption of  a different concept of accessibility. Will the 2000s see the emergence of  a new way of thinking?

These and other topical issues were the subject of the ECMT’s 15th International Symposium. Are we likely to see a decoupling of economic growth from transport growth?  In designing future transport systems, will the pendulum swing away from the criterion of efficiency towards greater concern for equity and the environment ?

This book reproduces the 17 introductory reports presented at the Symposium, together with a summary of the discussions on the three main topics: scenarios and forecasts; transforming structures and trends in technology; peripherality and pan-European integration.  It highlights the key ideas  to emerge from the final Round Table on "Efficiency,  Equity and the Environment in  Transport:  Experience and  Prospects", reviews the issues facing the transport sector in the coming  years and sets out policy recommendations for meeting the challenges of the 2000s.