Welcome Address

Dominique Bussereau, Secretary of State for Transportation, France

Dominique Bussereau Secretary of State for Transportation, France

Dominique Bussereau Secretary of State for Transportation, France

Dear Ministers,
Dear Madam Deputy Mayor of Paris,
Dear Mr. President of the World Road Association,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It was our hope back in 2003 to pack every seat in this large amphitheater when Mr. Gilles de Robien proposed to the World Road Association to commemorate its one-hundredth anniversary in Paris.

Thanks to all of you here today for having allowed us to fulfill this hope.

The strength of your presence and diversity of your professional and geographic backgrounds attest to the quality of this Congress program assembled by the World Road Association along with, I am given to believe, the interest you feel towards discovering France. We have set our sights on becoming a leader in promoting global sustainable development and this 100-year Congress should be placed within such a context.

My predecessors, going back to the first Congress in 1908, also held here in Paris, have always been keenly attentive to PIARC's action plan and have ensured that France, which hosts and provides support to the association, plays an active role in Congress proceedings.

Why has there been such strong backing for all these years? Because the World Road Association is indeed the only international forum whose scope covers all topics relative to road and road transportation; it offers an unparalleled platform for exchanges and technology transfer while remaining fully independent and impartial.

For this reason, I am very proud that French professionals participate within all PIARC executive bodies and are well represented on each of the 19 technical committees, whose achievements will be summarized over the course of this week.

What an honor for the French roads community that this commitment to sharing and exchanging knowledge with the entire world has culminated in the organization of this Congress.

PIARC has been focusing on these issues for a number of years already. The time has now come to accelerate the process of strategic reflection and usher in the decision-making stage, as our current emphasis shifts towards "the urgency of action".

It was with this inspiration that France created a single Ministry devoted to Ecology and Sustainable Development and Planning, in pursuit of a triple objective:

  • crafting a responsible response to the challenges of the 21st century,
  • sharpening economic competitiveness, and
  • promoting the values of solidarity.

Road activities must from now on lie within this comprehensive and unique scope of sustainable development that encompasses ecology, energy and transportation.

I am therefore extremely pleased to see that the road industry has accepted this extraordinarily difficult challenge of reconciling the often vital needs of passenger and freight travel with environmental protection.

The French road industry has already showcased its innovative capacities. The PIARC 2007 awards ceremony you'll be attending later on will convince you of this.

France's Roads Administration is also embarked upon a mission to transform our good intentions into daily practice through an ambitious reshaping of network development and operating policy, while not overlooking the rate-setting issue, which will be raised as of this afternoon.

When viewed in this light, the Congress that opens today serves as a fantastic tool offered by the World Road Association.

Gathered here at this special forum for sharing and exchanging experiences with professionals from the world over, we are all drawn to the same goal of inventing new approaches and new solutions to provide a service increasingly better adapted to our fellow users while showing concern for our future generations.

It is my hope that upon completion of this week of discussions, meetings and visits, we will all return home more enriched and confident than when we arrived and filled with even greater motivation to integrate the road into a truly sustainable development framework.

I wish all of you an excellent time at this Congress.

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