"The European Motorways of the Sea (MoS)" (2.10)

The key policy target of the Tran-European Networks for MoS is to promote the general sustainability and safety of transport by providing an alternative to congested or less environmentally-friendly land transport. In this way, the development of MoS will contribute to the common efforts leading to the decarbonisation of transport and the cohesion of the EU by facilitating connections between Member States and between European regions, and to revitalising peripheral regions. the workshop will contribute to the definition of a public financing strategy for the deployment of the Motorways of the sea (MoS).

P R O G R A M M E

Thursday 20, 16:45 – 18:30

Room: Torre (Laboral)

CHAIR: Luis Valente de Oliveira, European Coordinator for Motorways of the Sea; TEN-T Priority Project

*represented - Key Note Speech: Carlos Costa, Vice-president, European Investment Bank (EIB): Financing MoS Infrastructure and operations

Jose Anselmo, Directorate General Mobility & Transport, European Commission: MOS in the TEN-Transport Programme: policy objectives, future activities and implementation tools

José Francisco Vidal, Director of Short Sea Promotion Center (SPC) and European Short Sea Network (ESN): The ESN support to MOS: European Short Sea Network

Jose Luiz Alfaro Lizcano, Director Associate, Head of Unit Sea&Air Transport, European Investment Bank (EIB): Financing Maritime and port projects with impact on MOS

Morten Jensen, Team Leader Air, Waterborne, co-modality and logistics, TransEuropean Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-TEA): Developing MoS TEN-Transport Projects: highlights on "on-going" projects

* represented - Patrick Vankerckhoven, Head of Unit Marco Polo, Executive Agency for Competitiveness and innovation (EACI): The Marco Polo Programme Support to MOS - A real case: MOS Nantes – Gijón

(Lead: MoS Coordinator office, Directorate General Mobility & Transport, B2, European Commission)

CONFERENCE REPORT

workshop "The European Motorways of the Sea (MoS)" (2.10) 20/05/2010 - 16:45 – 18:30

Objective: Contribute to the definition of a public financing to foster the deployment of the Motorways of the Sea (MoS)

1. Three key messages

• MoS by delivering integrated maritime operations (ships/ports/hinterland connections) in the global transport chain is a major contributor for the development of a sustainable trans-European core transport network – i.e. efficient, environmental friendly and fully integrated by interoperable information systems.

• Public Funding: is need to foster the deployment of innovative systems and technologies as well as of new infrastructure in ports and for the hinterland connections. Public funding, from different sources, is currently available to stakeholders.

• Training: the very essence of transport operations depends on the human element, consequently the training of staff at all levels of the chain on the operation of the new systems is determinant for the quality of the final services.

2. Summary of the interventions from the panel

Motorways of the Sea (MoS) builds on the EU’s goal of achieving a clean, safe and efficient transport system by transforming shipping into a genuine alternative to overcrowded land transport. The concept aims at introducing new inter-modal maritime logistics chains to bring about a structural change to transport organisation: door-to-door integrated transport chains. It will also help implement the policy initiatives on the European maritime space without barriers, the maritime transport strategy for 2018 and will positively contribute for greenhouse gas (Co2) reductions of paramount importance in the context of climate change.

Maritime transport is the backbone of international trade, yet its capacity has not been fully exploited in Europe. Motorways of the Sea, which are based upon successful shipping routes, are designed to shift cargo traffic from heavily congested land networks to where there is more available spare capacity – the environmentally-friendly waterways. This will be achieved through the establishment of more efficient and frequent, high quality maritime-based logistics services between Member States.

Motorways of the Sea will also help to establish new, regular and frequent maritime links for the transport of goods between Member States and improve access to peripheral and island regions and States. Motorways of the Sea require year-round navigability across European maritime regions, sufficient facilities for dredging and icebreakers needed for winter access as well as the good connections to the hinterland.

Using TEN-T funding, the Commission is supporting the development of Motorways of the Sea across Europe. In the guidelines, the Priority Project on Motorways of the Sea (PP21) refers, inter alia, to four sea areas, i.e.: (i) Motorway of the Baltic Sea; (ii) Motorway of the sea of Western Europe; (iii) Motorway of the Sea of South-east Europe (eastern Mediterranean and Black sea) and (iv) Motorway of the sea of South-west Europe (western Mediterranean).

Since 2004, the Commission and Member States initiated coordination activities on MoS. From these activities resulted the first studies on the role of MoS and the first Member State-driven regional Motorways of the Sea task forces were set-up. Furthermore, several development projects and studies were carried out by stakeholders with the support of European Institutions and funds such as the EIB, structural funds, Marco Polo and TEN-T.

In various geographic areas, MoS calls for proposals have been organised jointly by Member States in order to invite stakeholders to formulate project proposals, (three calls in the Baltic Sea and North sea region, three calls in the Atlantic and four calls in the Mediterranean Sea) Until now, six studies on MoS were co-funded with the TEN-T budget. In 2008 three MoS projects were launched and one in 2009, one MoS TEN-T project was selected for funding and is about to be implemented.

For 2010, the MoS Workprogramme was fine tuned and the 2010 Call is expected to support the launching of important actions both from the viewpoint of quality as well as with sufficient critical mass to induce change and establish the concept.

Specific points highlighted in the interventions

• MoS has four pillars that need to be developed: the Ship, the Port, the hinterland connections and the Training

• Using innovative financing tools such as pilot projects to integrate all the key elements of a transport operation into a working system, demonstrate it and establish a deployment plan. It is fundamental to integrate Information and communication technologies – MoS must become the deploymet tool for e-maritime.

• Use the public funding possibilities to build a consortium that replicates reality and develops new or improved transport solutions.

• A new MoS transport system implies effacing old concepts, e.g. no more modal shift and instead using new concepts such as intermodality, comodality, collaborative logistics as well as using demand-oriented incentives: e.g. ecobonus system

• Furthermore MoS connect hinterlands not just ports.Therefore funding must be made available to guarantee a good hinterland connectivity. MoS must be seen as the maritime arm of the future TEN-T core network where ports will act as 'anchor points'and the Land-based networks will be complemented with a sea-based network.

3. Discussion: Key questions and messages from the floor, as well as responses given by the panellists. If possible please indicate names and organisations of persons intervening in the discussion.

Key questions and messages were addressed on FOUR main topics: (i) The need to promote information and communication technologies, (2) The need to cover training both by creating new support as well as by supporting better existing organisation forms (3) Clarifications on the Legal basis for the definition and financing of the Motorways of the Sea (4) Need for cooperation with third countries and particularly with neighbouring countries.

Floor speakers: Italian Ministry of Transport, European Shipowners Association, Law offices in Spain, Bulgarian Shipmasters association, Spanish shipmasters association

4. Links to presentations and speeches by speakers, and other documentation relevant for the workshop

All in httpps:webgate.ec.europa.eu/maritime forum

5 Contact person: Jose Anselmo + 32 2 2968667 ;jose [dot] anselmoec [dot] europa [dot] eu (jose[dot]anselmo[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu);