European Transport Corridors in Southeast Europe: Intermodality and Connectivity of nodes

Presentation by: Marios Miltiadou Greek Ministry of Transport Technical Secretariat of the Steering Committee for Pan-European Corridor X

Alexandroupolis, December 2004

PAN-EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK

 Definition of the ten Pan-European Corridors and the four Pan European Areas during the 2 nd and 3 rd Pan-European Transport Conferences.

 Following period was constructive for the development of the Pan-European Network, where:  Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) signed between the EC and the participating countries (on Ministerial level)  Steering Committees established which, inter alia, target at the interoperability and the intermodality of Corridors and Areas   Technical Committees Secretariats Various studies elaborated established to support the Steering

TRANSPORT AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE IN SEE

 The initial strategic paper, developed by the Working Group of the Commission services Directorate General for Energy and Transport Directorate General for External Relations EuropeAid Co-operation Office in October 2001.

 The paper has been discussed with international financial institutions, Member States and countries of the region and has been presented to the Stability Pact meetings in Tirana (23 May 2001) and in Bucharest (26 October 2001).

TRANSPORT AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE IN SEE

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The paper is developing strategies for transport and energy infrastructure aiming at:

 Giving guidance to infrastructure development in the region, by establishing networks, on the basis of agreed principles and criteria   Becoming the reference when establishing multiannual and annual plans at national and regional levels Being a condition when deciding programmes and financial interventions 

Some general principles applicable for both sectors are:

  Priority to existing infrastructure by repairing and rehabilitating it Investment programme based on economic viability of projects  Density of network must reflect financial strength of each country

TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IN SEE

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The objective of the transport infrastructure strategy is to create a multimodal transport network for the region covering all modes of transport and adjusted to the present and future passenger and goods traffic in the area.

 The strategy indicates also the urgent need for reforms in the transport sector.

TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IN SEE

TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IN SEE

 The proposed network has been in particular presented to senior officials and Ministers at various Stability Pact meetings in 2001.

 The validity of the initial analysis was been further tested by two additional technical studies:   TIRS (Transport Infrastructure Regional Study) completed in February 2002 REBIS (Regional Balkans Infrastructure Study Transport) completed in July 2003  These two studies have applied to the Balkan countries most of the techniques of the TINA methodology and established project priorities in the context of the EC strategy.

THE SEE CORE NETWORK

MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT

   Multimodal transport is limited representing less than 0.5% of total goods transport.

Comprises almost solely land transport of maritime containers to/from the ports.

Existing inter-modal terminals are largely under-utilised.

 Multimodal transport would be encouraged by:    The development of coherent policies (liberalisation of combined transport operations, fiscal incentives in favour of combined transport, exemption from tariff regulations, provision of credits for the development of combined transport etc.) The development of market strategies which will lead to a concentration of traffic on a reduced network (in short/ medium term, transit market is the most promising one) Clarification of the roles and functions of the participants (including combined transport operators, railways and ports) and improving relations between them

REGIONAL COOPERATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CORE NETWORK

 Signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Development of the SEE Core Regional Transport Network on June 11, 2004.

 Result of intensive interaction between the EC and the main IFIs (EIB, EBRD, WB, CEB and the Stability Pact) within the Infrastructure Steering Group for SEE (ISG).

 The MoU provides for reciprocal consultations on transport policy and for institutional reforms needed to make investments sustainable, and promotes the implementation of a major infrastructure programme.

REGIONAL COOPERATION FOR THE MONITORING OF THE CORE NETWORK

 Set up of the SEE Transport Observatory (SEETO):   Shaped on the basis of the experience of the Pan-European Corridors With EC funding (CARDS programme)  SEETO aims:   to assist the Steering Committee (preparation, following and updating the annual and multi-annual work plan for the implementation of the Regional Transport Network projects and priorities) to supply most of the essential traffic data, which the Core Network work-plan will need  SEETO is expected to start operating in early 2005

CONCLUSIONS



Development of transport in SEE is a cornerstone

  for the overall development of the area for the extension of the major trans-European transport axes beyond the enlarged European Union by the High Level Group established in June 2004 

Development of transport in SEE is a precondition for the trade facilitation



Development of transport in SEE presupposes

   elimination of bottlenecks at the various border-crossings rationalization of infrastructure pricing bilateral and multilateral cooperation