Monday, 17/05/2010
Mario Monti's report on the re-launch of the Single Market - a key strategic objective of the new European Commission - recognises that a 'seamless, flexible and efficient' logistics and transport system is a crucial component of an EU single market for goods.
Full interoperability and strengthened transport infrastruture will increase efficiency and strengthen the EU's competitiveness in the global logistics industry:
| "Reaping the full benefits of a single market for goods depends on the existence of a seamless, flexible and efficient logistics and transport system. Yet, EU transport policy took off late compared to its initial recognition in the Treaty and has developed unevenly across transport modes. The resulting fragmentation is increasingly perceived as an obstacle to free movement. Administrative and technical barriers results in "bottlenecks" to mobility within Europe. There is simply no single market for maritime transport, as customs formalities for ships travelling between two European ports remain subject to custom formalities identical to the ones foreseen for international maritime transport. In the rail sector, track gauges, energy supply and signalling systems differ from one Member State to another as an inheritance from the times in which railways were still national monopolies. This hinders cross-border circulation of trains and increases the cost of rolling stock used in international operations, which has to be equipped with multiple systems. Furthermore, the market for rail freight services is still not yet functioning due to incorrect or incomplete transposition of Community law by Member States. In road transport, national markets have only recently opened to "cabotage". Europe needs a step change towards multi-modal transport, but legal, administrative and technical barriers are multiplied. There is no single transport document, but different modes of transport require different documentation. Liability rules also differ. A single transport document (hopefully electronic) and a single liability system would increase legal certainty and decrease significantly costs for business and citizens. The creation of a modern single market requires tackling the lack of interoperability and the infrastructure gaps that reduce the efficiency and weaken the global competitiveness of the EU logistics industry." (Page 51) |
(For the full report, visit http://ec.europa.eu/bepa/pdf/monti_report_final_10_05_2010_en.pdf)
