EU Transport Policy

On 12 September 2001, the European Commission published the White Paper “European transport policy for 2010: time to decide”. The White Paper analyses the existing situation with regard to transport and sets out an ambitious action programme up to 2010. Whilst supporting economic growth and maintaining the right to mobility, it proposes to improve sustainability of transport through restoring the balance between road, rail, waterway and shipping, developing intermodal transport, combating congestion and putting safety and service quality at the heart of the transport policy.

Five years following its launch the commission undertook a mid-term review in order to shift the policy and take into account economic objectives such as globalization, enlargement, environment, energy efficiency, urban transport and the diversification of transport use.  In June 2006 the Commission adopted the mid-term review of the White Paper entitled: Keep Europe Moving: Sustainable Mobility for our continent.  To find out more about EU Transport policy and the white paper please click here.

For Europe, maritime transport has been a catalyst of economic development and prosperity throughout its history. Maritime Transport enables trade and contacts between all the European nations. It ensures the security of supply of energy, food and commodities and provides the main vehicle for European imports and exports to the rest of the world. Almost 90% of the EU external freight trade is seaborne. Short sea shipping represents 40% of intra-EU exchanges in terms of ton-kilometers.

The quality of life on islands and in peripheral maritime regions depends on good maritime transport services. Overall, maritime industries are an important source of employment and income for the European economy.  The Commission has recently updated its strategic goals and recommendations for the EU Maritime Transport Policy until 2018. Action in the area of maritime transport aims at ensuring the long term performance of the European maritime transport system as a whole to the benefit of all other economic sectors and of the final consumer.

Maritime Transport Strategy 2018 - The Strategy identifies key areas where action by the EU will strengthen the competitiveness of the sector while enhancing its environmental performance.  In broad terms, the strategic goals and recommendations of the Commission Communication refer to two main issues:

• The ability of the maritime transport sector to provide cost-efficient maritime transport services adapted to the needs of sustainable economic growth of the EU and world economies and
• The long-term competitiveness of the EU shipping sector, enhancing its capacity to generate value and employment in the EU, both directly and indirectly, through the whole cluster of maritime industries.

This new policy will allow the EU to benefit from the full potential of the seas and oceans, while ensuring their sustainable use. The policy aims to enhance coordination between sectors in order to prevent inter-user conflicts, minimise inconsistencies, avoid duplication and ensure maximum contribution from individual policies to the overall EU goals of growth, jobs and sustainability.

For shipping the Maritime Affairs policy means:

• More prominence may be given to maritime activities and to the environmental advantages of energy-efficient shipping;  
• It can help stress the importance of the global approach to maritime affairs, while ensuring that Europe plays its international leadership role to the full, ready to lead by example where necessary;
• It will help reverse the decline in people ready to take up maritime careers.

In October 2007 the Commission adopted the new Maritime Policy which intends to create a common European maritime transport system, a new ports policy for all member nations, sustainable fisheries, the development of marine tourism and the establishment of regional centres of maritime excellence. 

For further information on the green paper and Maritime policy please click here.

Environment. In November 2002, the European Commission adopted a European Union strategy to reduce atmospheric emissions from seagoing ships for full details of the strategy please click here.

The European Commission are also encouraging all member states to adopt the International Maritime Organisations Marine Pollution Convention, MARPOL 73/78.  The MARPOL convention contains provisions on Sulphur Oxide Emission Control Areas (Baltic Sea, North Sea & English Channel) and nitrogen oxide emissions standards for ships' engines.

The EU strategy seeks to implement the SOx Emission Control Areas set out in Annex VI, and to press for tighter NOx standards.  For full details on the European Commissions policy on the Environment in relation to shipping please click here. 

Since the 2001 Terrorist attacks exposed the vulnerability of the Transport System.  The European Commission proposed to integrate security into transport policy.  For further details on the proposal please click here.

Marco Polo is an EU funded initiative to support the transfer of freight traffic off the roads, onto other methods of transport, i.e. “Modal Shift”.  In Ireland, this essentially means developing our shipping links.

For a project to be eligible, the promoting companies must come from at least two EU member states, the project must quantify the total amount of tonne-kilometres that will be transferred from road, and the proposed project must not distort competition.  Marco Polo funding can grant aid start-up costs, normally to a maximum of 35%, during the initial years. The European Commission calls for tenders from interested companies, normally in March each year.

Marco Polo Policy objectives are:

• Keep Europe Moving – EU transport policy for sustainable mobility
• Co-modality: optimal use and integration of modes
• Logistics: using existing capacities more efficiently, cutting costs, reducing environmental impact
• Modal shift
• Marco Polo is the primary EU programme to support transport services that are alternative to road-only transport.

For full details, contact the IMDO or click here.  

In the 2001 White Paper, the commission introduced the concept of Motorways of the Sea as one of its priority projects in relation to shifting freight off roads and onto more environmentally friendly modes of transport.  In 2006 4 areas were identified as potential Motorways of the Sea

Baltic Sea

Atlantic Arc (Atlantic and North Sea)

East Mediterranean

West Mediterranean

The Motorways of the Sea concept is to support and prioritise infrastructure projects that are submitted under the TEN-T subsidy programme and aims to introduce new intermodal maritime based logistics chains in Europe.  The objective is to make these chains more sustainable, commercially more efficient then road-only transport.  Industry, Member stats and the community act together to implement financially and operationally sound projects to develop new intermodal maritime based transport systems.  Ireland is part of one Motorways of the Sea project “WESTMOS”. 

The WESTMOS project is investigating the future of a roll-on/roll-off link between Ireland, Northern Spain, Western France and the UK.  The objective is to remove trucks off the roads in Spain, France and the UK, to reduce emissions and avoid extra charges and to present a cost-effective, energy efficient and climate friendly alternative to road transport.  For further details on the WESTMOS project click here.

To view full documents on Motorways of the Sea click here.