STRATEGIES, SOLUTIONS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR INTERMODAL FREIGHT TRANSPORT OPERATIONSIN SOUTH EAST EUROPE

Marios MILTIADOU, Surveyor and Transport Engineer MSc – Researcher/ PHD Candidate

Faculty of Rural and Surveying EngineeringPolytechnic School Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Strategic Direction 3: Greener intermodal solutions for accessibility

Workshop: Intermodal Freight Transport

CONTENTS

• A. EU strategy and policy for:▫ Development of Transport Networks in SEE (TEN-T and

connections to neighbouring countries and regions) Facilitation of passenger transport Facilitation of freight transport

• B. Intermodal freight transport in SEE▫ Existing situation▫ Problems▫ Solutions and Perspectives, in line with the EU transport policy

towards an integrated European Transport System▫ On-going SEE Programme projects

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A. EU POLICY FOR THE EUROPEAN NETWORKS – KEY DATES AND ACTIONS• Legal basis on Maastricht Treaty, for economic and social cohesion• TEN-T Guidelines (EC1692/1996)• Pan-European Corridors and Areas (1994-1997)• Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment in accession countries

(TINA) Network (1999)• WHITE PAPER “European Transport Policy for 2010: Time to Decide”

(2001)• TEN-T Guidelines Revision – after Van Miert HLG (EC884/2004)• Communication for the extension of the major TEN-T axes to

neighbouring counties and regions – after de Palacio HLG II (2007)• GREEN PAPER for a better integrated TEN for common transport

policy (2009)• On-going revision of TEN-T guidelines (Public consultation

completed on 15/9/2010)

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TEN-T IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK AND STRUCTURES• Legal framework:

▫ Maastricht Treaty ▫ Decision 884/2004, currently under revision

• Coordination and Means:▫ DG MOVE▫ European Coordinators for selected priority projects▫ Agencies: TEN-T Executive Agency, to provide an efficient and effective service in

realizing the technical and financial implementation of the TEN-T programme

European Railway Agency European Maritime Safety Agency European Aviation Safety Agency Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation European Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Supervisory

Authority (EGNOS, GALILEO) 6

THE CORRIDORS AND AREAS CONCEPT

• Prague Declaration on All-European Transport Policy, 1991▫ Foresaw the indication of the most important transport routes

• Crete Declaration, 1994▫ Set of indicative guidelines covering the main infrastructure

Corridors for the various transport modes▫ Definition of nine Pan-European Corridors

• Helsinki Declaration, 1997▫ Definition of Pan-European Corridor X and Pan-European

Transport Areas▫ Overall objective: Promotion of sustainable, efficient transport

systems

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PAN-EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK

PAN-EUROPEAN NETWORKS IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK AND STRUCTURES• Legal framework:

▫ Memoranda of Understanding (participating countries and EC DG TREN)

• Structures (Coordinators):▫ Steering Committees▫ Technical Secretariats

• Means: ▫ Inventories, Databases, Studies▫ Coordinators Meetings with EC DG TREN

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PROJECTS FINANCING

• National funds/ budgets

• EU funds/ grants: ▫ TEN-T budget for EU members▫ European Regional Development Fund for EU members▫ Cohesion Fund for EU members▫ MARCO POLO II, FP7▫ (PHARE, ISPA, CARDS ->) Instrument for Pre-Accession ▫ (TACIS->) European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument

• International Financial Institutions (active in the region):▫ European Investment Bank▫ European Bank for Reconstruction and Development▫ World Bank

• Private sector (through Public-Private Partnerships) 10

EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORKS IN SEE

• Pan-European Corridors and Areas (1994-1997)

• TINA Network (1999)

• SEE (Western Balkans) Strategic Network/ ISG establishment (2001)

• Regional Studies TIRS (2002) and REBIS (2003)

• SEE (Western Balkans) Core Network/ MoU signing (2004)

• Steering Committee and Transport Observatory establishment (2005)

• SEE Priority Axis (2007)

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WESTERN BALKANS CORE NETWORK

• 4.300km railways

• 6.000km roads

• Major ports and Airports

• Inland waterways Danube and Sava

• Total cost of development: €16 billion

• Short term priority projects by 2009: €2,3 billion15

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MOTORWAYS OF THE SEA (MoS)

• Maritime transport plays a crucial role in freight traffic between the EU and the neighbouring countries, particularly in the Mediterranean

• MoS concept aims at: ▫ the improvement of the organization of intermodal

freight transport▫ introduction of new intermodal, sustainable, maritime-

based logistics chains in Europe

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EU AND NEIGBOURING COUNTRIES

TRADE FLOWS 2020

RAIL FREIGHT FLOWS 202020

EU AND NEIGBOURING COUNTRIES: FREIGHT FLOWS 2020 EXCLUDING OIL

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THE EU TRANSPORT POLICY GUIDELINES

• MoS development priorities: ▫ improvements of ports and hinterland connections

▫ ships improvements

▫ human resources training

▫ improvement of port information systems

▫ vessel traffic management and information services

▫ port systems interfacing with logistics information systems

▫ tracking and tracing systems and services for goods and vehicles

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THE EU TRANSPORT POLICY GUIDELINES

• Inland Waterways Transport development priorities: ▫ improvement of navigability (resolving bottlenecks)

▫ creation of market

▫ modernisation of fleets

▫ technological developments, in terms of barges, engines, fuel and operations

▫ implementation of the multi-annual European Action Programme for Inland Waterway Transport (NAIADES)

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THE NEW EU TRANSPORT POLICY GUIDELINES

• Horizontal measures: ▫ Border crossing procedures facilitation▫ Satellite Radio Navigation Systems promotion▫ Security measures introduction▫ Railways interoperability ensuring

• Establishment of a European Core Transport Networkconnected to the EU neighboring countries and regions

• Examination of potential of shifting part of the cargo flows from/to Asia from North Sea to Mediterranean

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SEE AND NEIGBOURING COUNTRIES: TOTAL FREIGHT FLOWS

Year 2000 Year 2025 (medium economic growth)

Source: EuroMed Transport Project

• Traffic volumes between the EU and the neighbouring countries are expected to grow by 100% between 2000 and 2020

• Isn’t our region a transit one? See the freight flows on the maps (and the previous two).

• What would happen when freight flows from/to Asia are shifted to the Mediterranean and Black Sea Ports instead of the Northern European? 25

B. INTERMODAL FREIGHT TRANSPORT IN SEE: STATE OF PLAY, PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS• Multimodal transport in Western Balkan countries

according to REGIONAL BALKANS INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY (2003)▫ Very limited

▫ Land transport of maritime containers to/ from ports

▫ Would be encouraged by: Development of coherent policies

Development of market strategies

Clarification of the roles and functions of the participants (incl. the combined transport operators)

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Included:

• Analysis of intermodal network and simulation

• Identification of bottlenecks and intermodality obstacles

• Proposal of measures concerning:

▫ Infrastructure development

▫ Organisational aspects

▫ Operational aspects

▫ Technical aspects

EFFICIENT INTEGRATION OF CARGO TRANSPORT MODES AND NODES IN CADSES AREA (2005)

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PROBLEMS SUMMARY FOR INTERMODAL FREIGHT TRANSPORT IN SEE• Inadequate transport network

• Interoperability of rail infrastructures

• Border crossing obstacles (procedures/ delays)

• Inflexibility of transport modes compared to roads

• Poor intermodal freight terminals

• Lack of advanced information systems

• Projects difficulty to secure financing

• If you build them (infrastructures, terminals, facilities), will they (users, flows) come?

• Need for viable and feasible, well documented project proposals, in the framework of coordinated plans with hierarchical priorities

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THE SEE TRANSPORT AXIS COOPERATION

• Cooperation of existing structures of the Corridors and the Ministries responsible for transport of the countries of the SEE region, enhanced by academic and research institutions

• Content: ▫ establishment of unified transport database for the region ▫ elaboration of transport/ environmental scenarios▫ rationalization of the priority projects and investments promoting

pilot, low-cost, but with high added value, projects for immediate financing

▫ contribution to the improvement of transport and spatial planning in SEE

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Project Partners Central European Initiative (CEI)

South East Europe Transport Observatory (SEETO)

Austria (Mo Transport Innovation and Technology)

Albania (Mo Public Works Transport and Telecommunications)

Bulgaria (Mo Transport, Information, Technology and Communications)

Croatia (Mo Sea, Transport and Infrastructure)

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Mo Transport and Communications)

Greece (Mo Infrastructure, Transport and Networks)

Italy (Mo Infrastructure and Transport & Mo Environment Sea and Land Protection)

Montenegro (Mo Maritime Affairs and Transport)

Romania (Mo Transport)

Slovenia (Mo Transport)

Republic of Serbia - Office of the President

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

European Academy of Bozen (EURAC)

INFORMEST

ObserversHungary (Mo Transport, Telecommunication and Energy)

Bosnia and Herzegovina, (Mo Communications and Transport)

Slovakia (Mo Transport, Posts and Telecommunications)

Ukraine (Mo Transport and Communications)

Period of implementation 2009 – 2012

Funded by

European Regional Development Fund

& Instrument for Pre-Accession

IV

V

VII

VIII

IX

X

Pan European Corridors

Integration of the Pan-European Transport Corridors in the South East Europe Transport Axis as an essential part of the TEN-T Network.

Transnational cooperation between Ministries of Transport, Pan European Corridors Steering Committees and Secretariats belonging to the SEE Transport Axis, in order to accelerate the completion of the TEN-T and to improve the accessibility and cohesion of the SEE region.

Identification of common problems of Pan-European Corridors and solutions in order to attain the common mobility standards (for goods and people) for the entire European territory.

Identification of scenarios and interventions needed by the infrastructure and the transport policies in the area.

Project Aims

Establishment of a permanent institutional framework in SEE countries by strengthening the existing structures, supporting the joint cooperation through regular meetings of Ministers of Transport, Corridors Steering Committees and Secretariats with the EU Coordinators;

Common assessment of SEE by analysis of existing databases, traffic analysis and modelling, evaluation of social, environmental and economic impacts;

Development of sustainable, multi-modal traffic scenarios, identification of good practices and recommendations for common guidelines;

Identification of priority projects & pilot actions and specification of the financial instruments to support their implementation (IPA programme/ EC TEN-T budget/ EIB Funds/ National Budgets/ CBC Programmes); and

Development of a common Spatial Plan compatible with the SEETO Action Plan.

Project Anticipated Results

TRANSNATIONAL NETWORK FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE WATER-GROUND MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT• Promotion of coordination between the private and public actors dealing with logistics

and spatial planning, for a better management of the multi-modal transport solutions. • Increasing the integration of the waterborne transport modes in the logistics chain,

supporting the transnational dimension in the national and local strategies for the valorisation of the sea and inland waterways port infrastructures.

• Content: ▫ Increase of the awareness on the characteristics of the ports and multimodal logistics

facilities and their potentials in the area through common indicators, census and analysis of the competitiveness of multimodal transport on predefined routes.

▫ Support to the integration of the ports and multimodal facilities in the logistics chain, by contributing to the improvement of the links between ports and hinterland multimodal centres. Financing of preliminary studies for the implementation of the planned investments in infrastructures.

▫ Promotion of common procedures for the training on safety of human resources employed in ports and logistics facilities.

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COOPERATION-NETWORK FOR LOGISTICS AND NAUTICAL EDUCATION FOCUSING ON IWW TRANSPORT IN THE DANUBE CORRIDOR SUPPORTED BY INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS• Design of specific national and transnational policies in the field of education

and training in the IWT sector, in order to overtop the present administrative fragmentation and the multitude of regulative frameworks currently implemented by the different states in the Danube region.

• Improvement of the capacity of the states for transnational co-operation. Development of new eLearning services (IT platforms, ICT training solutions, learning materials) where still lacking.

• Design and demostration of Information and Training Centres, in order to increase public awareness on the activities carried out along the IWW.

• Implementation of new training concepts based on ICT to facilitate the effective access to information and knowledge.

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NETWORK OF DANUBE WATERWAY ADMINISTRATIONS• Increase of the efficiency of the Danube as the European Transport Corridor VII by

intensifying cooperation between waterway administrations to promote inland navigation as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly mode of transport.

• Exchange of know-how among experts, as well as through the identification of best practice cases, in order to increase daily work efficiency.

• Improvement of physical accessibility of the waterway infrastructure. Elaboration of national action plans, feasibility studies, bilateral projects and implementation guidelines for improving waterway maintenance and river engineering.

• Enhancement of access to ICT networks and services. Provision of up-to-date data waterway administrations of neighbouring countries, third parties and users.

• Involvement of responsible stakeholders. Enhancement of communication between waterway administrations, development agencies and Ministries of Transport. Transformation of waterway administrations into service-oriented organisations , in order to meet user demands.

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Thank you for your kind attention

Contact DetailsMarios MiltiadouAristotle University of ThessalonikiFaculty of Rural & Surveying Engineering Polytechnic SchoolDept. of Transportation & Hydraulic EngineeringEgnatia Str., 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece, tel.+30 2310 996154, fax +30 2310 996030transp@edessa.topo.auth.gr

WORKSHOP

• Towards the definition of ToR of the 3rd strategic call for proposals of the SEE Programme, with focus on:▫ Green Freight Transport Corridors

▫ Reduction of bottlenecks/ environmental and territorial impact

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BASE OF DISCUSSION

• Potential Activities (1/2):▫ Improvement of the institutional framework, definition of

transnational agreements and harmonised simplification of the legislation and custom procedures and waiting time at border crossing for greener modes of transport

▫ Definition of transnational pilot priority tracks feeding traffic of goods to, from and across the programme area, with priority focus on ports

▫ Improving efficiency, reliability and quality of the greener transport modes, as well as on time delivery by improvement of organisational procedures and strong deployment of ICT solutions

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BASE OF DISCUSSION

• Potential Activities (2/2):▫ One stop shop solutions at multimodal platform (ports, airports,

dry ports) specific for the targeted sector and destination (e.g. long distance, city logistics…) considering the transnational level of freight transportation

▫ Access to multimodality made easy and attractive for SMEs, through intense information programmes, transparency, awareness raising, flexible solutions and incentives

▫ Measures for internalisation of external costs taking into account environmental impact, territorial impact, road maintenance, economies of scale, allowing competition of more transport modes other than road

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POTENTIAL STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVEMENT

• National & Regional authorities• Transport authorities• Railway companies, Shipping operators, Ports, Interports,

Airports, Operators of Intermodal hubs• Institutes for research and innovation on transport and

spatial planning• Transport consortia and associations at EU level• Customs authorities• Chambers of commerce• Business associations• Environmental authorities and associations

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GENERAL DISCUSSION

• Is the field of transport development interesting for the stakeholders? And for which of the stakeholders?

• Do the potential activities presented meet the interests of the stakeholders?

• Do the potential activities cover all the development potentials?

• Due to budget constraints and for better coordination could the potential activities be or include pilots or demonstrators of transfer of best practices?

• Moreover, are they able to facilitate their aims and achieve results?

• Are they feasible? Are they affordable?41

CONCLUSIONS OF THE WORKSHOP

• ?

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Thank you for your kind and fruitful cooperation

Contact DetailsMarios MiltiadouAristotle University of ThessalonikiFaculty of Rural & Surveying Engineering Polytechnic SchoolDept. of Transportation & Hydraulic EngineeringEgnatia Str., 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece, tel.+30 2310 996154, fax +30 2310 996030transp@edessa.topo.auth.gr