Decision No 1346/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 amending Decision No 1692/96/EC as regards seaports, inland ports and intermodal terminals as well as project No 8 in Annex III
Date: 2001-05-22
Institutions: Council of the European Union, European Parliament
Subjects: combined transport, harbour installation, inland waterway shipping, maritime shipping, network of navigable waterways, trans-European network, transport infrastructure, transport network

6.7.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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I

(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

DECISION No 1346/2001/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 22 May 2001

amending Decision No 1692/96/EC as regards seaports, inland ports and intermodal terminals as
well as project No 8 in Annex III

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,

(3)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com-
munity, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 156
thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee (2),

Having regard to the opinion of
Regions (3),

the Committee of

the

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in
Article 251 of the Treaty (4), in the light of the joint text
approved by the Conciliation Committee on 13 March 2001,

(4)

(5)

Seaports in the trans-European transport network are
classified into categories. These are defined on the
basis of quantitative criteria or their location in island,
peripheral or outermost regions. Only those ports in the
highest category by volume of traffic should be shown,
by way of indication, on maps. The specifications which
a seaport project is to meet to be deemed of common
interest should be set out.

The criteria relating to inland ports should be sup-
plemented by criteria concerning either the nature of
their equipment or the volume of traffic and those ports
should be shown, by way of indication, on maps.

The European Council held in Dublin in 1996 decided
that project No 8 in the list from the Essen European
Council of 1994 should become the Portugal/Spain
multimodal link with the rest of Europe.

Whereas:

(1)

Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community
guidelines for the development of the trans-European
transport network (5) constitutes a general reference
framework covering the objectives, priorities and broad
thrust of the measures contemplated as well as the
projects of common interest in the area of the trans-
European transport network.

(2)

Interconnection points including seaports, inland ports
and intermodal terminals are a pre-condition for the
integration of the different transport modes in a multi-
modal network.

(1) OJ C 120, 18. 4.1998, p. 14.
(2) OJ C 214, 10.7.1998, p. 40.
(3) OJ C 373, 2.12.1998, p. 20.
(4) Opinion of the European Parliament of 10 March 1999 (OJ C 175,
21.6.1999, p. 110), Council Common Position of 5 June 2000
(OJ C 228, 9.8.2000, p. 1) and Decision of the European
Parliament of 3 October 2000 (not yet published in the Official
Journal), Decision of the European Parliament of 5 April 2001
and Council Decision of 24 April 2001.

(5) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996, p. 1.

(6)

Decision No 1692/96/EC should therefore be amended
accordingly,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Decision No 1692/96/EC is hereby amended as follows:

1. Article 11 shall be amended as follows:

(a)

paragraph 3 shall be replaced by the following:

‘3.
Inland ports shall form part of the network, in
particular as points of interconnection between the
waterways referred to in paragraph 2 and Article 14
and other modes of transport.’

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(b) The following paragraph shall be inserted:

‘3a. The network shall include inland ports

(a)

open to commercial traffic,

located on the network of inland waterways as
shown in the outline in Annex I, Section 4,

interconnected with other
transport routes as shown in Annex I, and

trans-European

(b)

(c)

(d)

equipped with transhipment
for
intermodal transport or with an annual freight
traffic volume of at least 500 000 tonnes.’

facilities

‘Article 14

Characteristics

The seaports in category A shall be shown on the
indicative maps in the outline plans in Section 5 of
Annex I, on the basis of the most recent port data.

3.
In addition to the criteria set out in Article 7,
seaport projects of common interest related to seaports
included in the trans-European seaport network shall
comply with the criteria and specifications in Annex II.’

3. Article 14 shall be replaced by the following:

2. Article 12 shall be replaced by the following:

‘Article 12

Characteristics

1.
Seaports shall permit the development of sea trans-
port and shall constitute shipping links for islands and
the points of interconnection between sea transport and
other modes of transport. They shall provide equipment
and services to transport operators. Their infrastructure
shall provide a range of services for passenger and goods
transport, including ferry services and short- and long-
including coastal shipping,
distance shipping services,
within the Community and between the latter and non-
member countries.

The seaports included in the network shall corre-
2.
spond to one of the categories, A, B or C, defined below:

A.

B.

C.

international seaports: ports with a total annual
traffic volume of not less than 1,5 million tonnes of
freight or 200 000 passengers which, unless it is
an impossibility, are connected with the overland
elements of the trans-European transport network
and therefore play a major role in international
maritime transport;

Community seaports, not included in category A:
these ports have a total annual traffic volume of not
less than 0,5 million tonnes of freight or between
100 000 and 199 999 passengers, are connected,
unless it
is an impossibility, with the overland
elements of the trans-European transport network
and are equipped with the necessary transhipment
facilities for short-distance sea shipping;

regional ports: these ports do not meet the criteria
of categories A and B but are situated in island,
interconnecting
peripheral or outermost regions,
such regions by sea and/or connecting them with
the central regions of the Community.

The trans-European combined transport network shall
comprise:

— railways and inland waterways which are suitable for
combined transport and shipping which, combined
where appropriate with the shortest possible initial
and/or terminal road haulage, permit
the long-
distance transport of goods,

— intermodal terminals equipped with installations
permitting transhipment between railways, inland
waterways, shipping routes and roads,

— suitable rolling stock, on a provisional basis, where
the infrastructure, as yet

the characteristics of
unadapted, so require.’

4. Article 19 shall be replaced by the following:

‘Article 19

Specific projects

Annex III contains, by way of indication, the projects
identified in Annexes I and II and in the other provisions
of this Decision, to which the European Councils held in
Essen in 1994 and in Dublin in 1996 attributed particular
importance.’

5. Annex I shall be amended as follows:

(a)

in the contents

— the title of Section 4 ‘Inland waterway network’
shall be replaced by: ‘Inland waterway network
and inland ports’,

— Section 5 shall be replaced by the following:

‘Section 5: Seaports — Category A

5.0. Europe

5.1. Baltic Sea

5.2. North Sea

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5.3. Atlantic Ocean

5.4. Mediterranean Sea — western part

5.5. Mediterranean Sea — eastern part’,

— in Section 7 ‘Combined transport network’,

point 7.2 shall be deleted;

(b)

as regards the maps corresponding to Sections 4
and 5:

— the map showing Section 4 shall be replaced
by those annexed to this Decision. These maps
identify also inland ports which are equipped
with transhipment
for combined
transport and shall replace the map showing
point 7.2,

facilities

— the maps showing Section 5 as they appear in
the Annex to this Decision shall be inserted.

6. Annex II shall be amended as follows:

(a)

the part of Section 4 concerning inland ports shall
be replaced by the following:

‘Inland ports

Projects of common interest must relate solely
to infrastructure open to any user on a non-
discriminatory basis.

(b)

In addition to projects relating to the connections
and inland ports mentioned in Annex I, projects of
common interest will be deemed to include any
infrastructure project corresponding to one or more
of the following categories:
1.
2.
3.

access to the port from waterways;
port infrastructure inside the port area;
other transport infrastructures inside the port
area;
other transport infrastructures linking the port
to other elements of the trans-European net-
work.

4.

in particular,

transport network;

Any project which concerns the following work will
be deemed to be of common interest: construction
and maintenance of all elements of the transport
system generally open to all transport users within
the port and of links with the national or inter-
national
this
includes the development and maintenance of land
for commercial and other port-related purposes, the
construction and maintenance of road and rail
connections,
the construction and maintenance,
including dredging, of access routes and of other
areas of water in the port, and the construction
and maintenance of navigation aids and traffic
management, communication and information sys-
tems in the port and on the access routes.’
Section 5 shall be replaced by the following:

‘Section 5

Seaports

1.

Common conditions for projects of common interest relating to seaports in the network

Projects of common interest must relate solely to infrastructure open to any user on a non-
discriminatory basis.

Any project which concerns the following work will be deemed to be of common interest:
construction and maintenance of all elements of the transport system generally open to all transport
users within the port and of links with the national or international transport network; in particular,
this includes the development and maintenance of land for commercial and other port-related
purposes, the construction and maintenance of road and rail connections, the construction and
maintenance, including dredging, of access routes and of other areas of water in the port, and the
construction and maintenance of navigation aids and traffic management, communication and
information systems in the port and on the access routes.

2.

Specifications for projects of common interest relating to the seaport network

Any project which meets the following specifications will be deemed to be of common interest:

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6.7.2001

Project specifications

Port category

I. Promotion of short-distance sea shipping

Infrastructure necessary for the development of short-
distance sea and sea-river shipping

Projects relating to ports in category A

II. Access to ports

Access to ports from sea or inland waterway

Projects relating to ports in categories A and B

Permanent accessibility of ports in the Baltic Sea
situated at approximately latitude 60 ° north and
beyond, including capital costs for ice-breaking works
during winter

Creation or improvement of hinterland access linking
the port to other elements of the trans-European
transport network through rail, road and inland-
waterway connections

Development of existing hinterland access linking
the port to other elements of the trans-European
transport network through rail, road and inland-
waterway connections

III. Port infrastructure within the port area

Development of port
increase intermodal efficiency

infrastructure in order to

Upgrading of the port infrastructure, in particular in
ports on islands and in peripheral and outermost
regions

Development and installation of management and
information systems such as EDI (electronic data
interchange) or other systems of intelligent manage-
ment of goods and passenger traffic using integrated
technologies

Projects relating to ports in categories A, B and C

Projects relating to ports in category A

Projects relating to ports in categories A and B

Projects relating to ports in categories A and B

Projects relating to ports in category C

Projects relating to ports in categories A, B and C

Development of port installations to receive waste

Projects relating to ports in categories A, B and C’.

(c) The second and third indents of Section 7 shall be

7. Annex III shall be amended as follows:

replaced by the following:

‘— construction or development of centres for
transfers between inland types of transport,
including the setting up within the terminal of
transhipment equipment with the correspond-
ing infrastructure,

(a)

the title shall be replaced by the following:

‘List of the 14 projects adopted by the European
Councils held in Essen in 1994 and in Dublin in
1996’

(b)

Item 8 (‘Motorway Lisbon — Valladolid’) shall be
replaced by the following:

— adaptation of port areas, making it possible
to develop or improve combined transport
between sea transport and rail, inland waterway
or road transport’.

‘8.

Portugal/Spain multimodal link with the rest of
Europe through developing rail, road, sea and
air connections in the following three Iberian
corridors:

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— Galicia (A Corun˜ a)/Portugal (Lisbon)

Article 2

— Iru´ n/Portugal (Valladolid-Lisbon)

This Decision shall enter into force on the third day following
its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

— Southwest corridor (Lisbon-Seville).’

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 3

Done at Brussels, 22 May 2001.

For the European Parliament

The President

N. FONTAINE

For the Council

The President

M. WINBERG

      
6.7.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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ANNEX

‘ANNEX I

SECTION 4

Inland waterway network and inland ports

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN 
(2010 horizon)

INLAND PORTS AND INLAND WATERWAYS

02/2001

4.0

Inland waterways

Existing

Planned

Ports

Inland/Maritime

Railways

Roads

Inland ports with trans-shipment facilities for combined transport

Other inland ports

Kilometres

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN (2010 horizon)

INLAND PORTS AND INLAND WATERWAYS

02/2001

4.1A

Inland waterways

Ports

Existing

Planned

Inland/Maritime

Inland ports with trans-shipment facilities for 
combined transport

Other inland ports

Railways

Roads

Kilometres

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN (2010 horizon)

INLAND PORTS AND INLAND WATERWAYS

02/2001

4.1B

Inland waterways

Ports

Existing

Planned

Inland/Maritime

Inland ports with trans-shipment facilities for 
combined transport

Other inland ports

Railways

Roads

Kilometres

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN (2010 horizon)

INLAND PORTS AND INLAND WATERWAYS

02/2001

4.2

Inland waterways

Ports

Existing

Planned

Inland/Maritime

Inland ports with trans-shipment facilities for 
combined transport

Other inland ports

Railways

Roads

Kilometres

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN (2010 horizon)

INLAND PORTS AND INLAND WATERWAYS

02/2001

4.3

Inland waterways

Ports

Existing

Planned

Inland/Maritime

Inland ports with trans-shipment facilities for 
combined transport

Other inland ports

Railways

Roads

Kilometres

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN (2010 horizon)

INLAND PORTS AND INLAND WATERWAYS

02/2001

4.4

Inland waterways

Ports

Existing

Planned

Inland/Maritime

Inland ports with trans-shipment facilities for 
combined transport

Other inland ports

Railways

Roads

Kilometres

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN (2010 horizon)

INLAND PORTS AND INLAND WATERWAYS

02/2001

4.5

Inland waterways

Ports

Existing

Planned

Inland/Maritime

Inland ports with trans-shipment facilities for 
combined transport

Other inland ports

Railways

Roads

Kilometres

      
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SECTION 5

Seaports — Category A

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN (2010 horizon)

SEAPORTS CATEGORY A

02/2001

5.0

1:19000000

Inland waterways

Existing

Planned

Ports

Sea

Sea/Inland

Railways

Roads

Kilometres

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN (2010 horizon)

SEAPORTS CATEGORY A

02/2001

5.1

Inland waterways

Existing

Planned

Sea

Sea/Inland

Railways

Roads

Ports

Kilometres

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN (2010 horizon)

SEAPORTS CATEGORY A

02/2001

5.2

Inland waterways

Ports

Existing

Planned

Sea

Sea/Inland

Railways

Roads

Kilometres

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN
(2010 horizon)

SEAPORTS CATEGORY A

02/2001

5.3

Inland waterways

Existing

Planned

Ports

Sea

Sea/Inland

Railways

Roads

Kilometers

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN (2010 horizon)

SEAPORTS CATEGORY A

02/2001

5.4

Inland waterways

Existing

Planned

Ports

Sea

Sea/Inland

Railways

Roads

Kilometers

      
TRANS – EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK OUTLINE PLAN (2010 horizon)

SEAPORTS CATEGORY A

02/2001

5.5

1:6000000

Inland waterways

Existing

Planned

Ports

Sea

Sea/Inland

Railways

Roads

Kilometers

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6.7.2001

Commission statement

The Commission intends at the next revision of Decision 1692/96/EC to include in its proposal the Elbe-
Lübeck Kanal and the Twente-Mittellandkanal as part of the inland waterway network.