Regulation (EC) No 1382/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2003 on the granting of Community financial assistance to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system (Marco Polo Programme)
Date: 2003-07-22
Institutions: Council of the European Union, European Parliament
Subjects: EU programme, balance of payments assistance, carriage of goods, combined transport, environmental protection, sustainable development

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I

(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

REGULATION (EC) No 1382/2003 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 22 July 2003

on the granting of Community financial assistance to improve the environmental performance of
the freight transport system (Marco Polo Programme)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,

(4)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 71(1) and Article 80(2)
thereof,

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

Having regard to the opinion of the European 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),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

The European Council held at Göteborg on 15 and 16
June 2001 declared that shifting the balance between the
modes of transport is at the heart of the sustainable
development strategy.

If no decisive action is taken, total road freight transport
in Europe is set to grow by about 50 % by 2010. The
effect would be a growth of international road freight of
about 12 billion tonne-kilometres per year.

In its White Paper, ‘European transport policy for 2010:
time to decide’,
the Commission proposed to take
measures which should make the market shares of the
modes of transport return, by 2010, to their 1998 levels.
This will prepare the ground for a shift of balance from
2010 onwards.

(1) OJ C 126 E, 28.5.2002, p. 354.
(2) OJ C 241, 7.10.2002, p. 37.
(3) OJ C 278, 14.11.2002, p. 15.
(4) Opinion of the European Parliament of 24 September 2002 (not yet
published in the Official Journal), Council Common Position of 25
April 2003 (OJ C 153 E, 1.7.2003, p. 252) and Decision of the
European Parliament of 3 July 2003 (not yet published in the Offi-
cial Journal).

(5)

(6)

(7)

system. To achieve

It is necessary to establish a programme, hereinafter
referred to as the ‘Marco Polo Programme’, or ‘the
Programme’, to reduce road congestion and to improve
the environmental performance of the freight transport
system within the Community and to enhance intermod-
ality, thereby contributing to an efficient and sustainable
transport
the
Programme should support actions in the freight trans-
port, logistics and other relevant markets. These actions
should contribute to maintaining the distribution of
freight between the various modes of transport at 1998
levels by helping to shift the expected aggregate increase
in international road freight traffic to short sea shipping,
rail and inland waterways or to a combination of modes
of transport in which road journeys are as short as
possible.

this objective,

The Marco Polo Programme will feature three types of
action: firstly, modal shift actions, which should focus
on shifting as much cargo as possible under current
market conditions from road to short sea shipping, rail
and inland waterways; secondly, catalyst actions, which
transport is
should change the way non-road freight
conducted in the Community; and thirdly, common
learning actions, which should enhance knowledge in
the freight logistics sector and foster advanced methods
and procedures of cooperation in the freight market.

Actions must involve the territory of at least two coun-
tries. If these two countries are Member States or other
countries participating in the Marco Polo Programme
under the conditions laid down in this Regulation, the
Programme will re-imburse the costs incurred by the
participating undertakings within the limits laid down in
the Regulation.

to reflect

the European dimension of

In order
the
actions, cooperation should be encouraged between
in the
undertakings established in different countries,
form of a consortium submitting an action.

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(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

Applicants should be able to submit new or, where
appropriate, existing projects which best match current
market needs. Suitable projects should not be discour-
aged by any over-rigid definition of allowable actions. In
particular,
the flexibility given to the Commission,
assisted by the Committee set up under Article 12(1), for
the selection of projects should enable projects which
are efficient but under the minimum indicative subsidy
threshold to be eligible for Community financial assis-
tance.

There may be cases in which the benefits of developing
an existing service may be at least equal in terms of addi-
tional modal shift, quality and environmental and viabi-
lity advantages to those of starting up a new service
involving considerable expense.

To be transparent, objective and clearly delimited, aid
for the launch of modal shift actions should be based on
cost savings for society brought about by use of short
sea shipping, rail and inland waterways, or a combina-
tion of modes of transport, instead and in place of road
transport alone. For this reason, the Commission has set
an indicative amount of financial assistance of EUR 1
for each shift of 500 tonne-kilometres of road freight.

Considering, on the one hand, the importance of the
internalisation of external, particularly environmental,
costs, acknowledged both in the White Paper ‘European
transport policy for 2010: time to decide’ and in the
conclusions of the Göteborg European Council, and on
the other hand, the speed at which the transport market
it should be possible to take account of
is changing,
future work on developing methods
to internalise
external costs, regularly evaluate the development of
external cost differentials and propose any necessary
adjustment to the indicative amount of financial assis-
tance accordingly.

(12)

The results of the catalyst and common learning actions
of the Programme should be adequately disseminated, in
order to ascertain replication, publicity and transpar-
ency.

(13) During the selection procedure and during the lifetime
of the project, it is necessary to ensure that the project
chosen makes a real contribution to the common trans-
port policy and does not cause unacceptable distortions
of competition. The Commission should therefore eval-
uate the implementation of this Regulation. It should
present, not later than 31 December 2006, an assess-
ment
the Marco Polo
Programme, accompanied if necessary by a proposal for
the amendment of this Regulation.

report on the

results of

(14)

Since the objective of the Marco Polo Programme cannot
be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can
therefore, by reason of the scope of the Programme, be
better achieved at Community level,
the Community
may adopt measures in accordance with the principle of
In
subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty.
accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set
out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond
what is necessary in order to achieve that objective.

(15)

The measures necessary for the implementation of this
Regulation should be adopted in accordance with
Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying
down the procedures for the exercise of implementing
powers conferred on the Commission (1).

(16) A financial reference amount, within the meaning of
point 33 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May
1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and
the Commission on budgetary discipline and improve-
ment of
the budgetary procedure is inserted in this
Regulation for the entire duration of the Programme,
without the powers of the budgetary authority as defined
by the Treaty being affected thereby.

(17)

In order to administer funding under this Regulation in
this Regulation
the most expedient and speedy way,
should enter into force as soon as possible after its adop-
tion,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

CHAPTER I

OBJECTIVE, DEFINITIONS AND SCOPE

Article 1

Objective

This Regulation establishes a financing instrument, hereinafter
referred to as the ‘Marco Polo Programme’, or ‘the Programme’,
the objective being to reduce congestion, to improve the envir-
onmental performance of the transport system and to enhance
intermodal transport, thereby contributing to an efficient and
sustainable transport system, for the period from 1 January
2003 to 31 December 2010 in order to achieve, by the end of
the Programme, a traffic shift of the expected yearly aggregate
increase of international road freight traffic, measured in tonne-
kilometres, to short sea shipping, rail and inland waterways or
to a combination of modes of transport in which road journeys
are as short as possible.

(1) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

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Article 2

Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation:

(a) ‘action’ shall mean any project related to the logistics
market, executed by undertakings, which contributes to
reducing congestion in the road freight transport system
and/or to improving the environmental performance of the
transport system by optimising transport to and from inter-
modal transport chains,
in the territories of the Member
States;

(b) ‘modal shift action’ shall mean any action directly and
immediately shifting freight from road to short sea ship-
ping, rail, inland waterways or a combination of modes of
transport in which road journeys are as short as possible,
without being a catalyst action;

(c) ‘catalyst action’ shall mean any innovative action aimed at
overcoming Community-relevant structural barriers in the
market for freight
transport which impede the efficient
functioning of the markets, the competitiveness of short
sea shipping, rail, or inland waterways, and/or the effi-
ciency of transport chains making use of these modes; for
the purpose of this definition,
‘structural market barrier’
shall mean any non-regulatory, factual and non-temporary
impediment to the proper functioning of the freight trans-
port chain;

(d) ‘common learning action’ shall mean any action aimed at
improving cooperation for structurally optimising working
methods and procedures in the freight
transport chain,
taking into account the requirements of logistics;

(e) ‘accompanying measure’ shall mean any measure which
seeks to prepare for or to support current or future actions,
inter alia dissemination activities and project monitoring
and evaluation, and the collection and analysis of statistical
commercialisation of
data. Measures devoted to the
products, processes or services, marketing activities and
sales promotion are not ‘accompanying measures’;

(f) ‘preparatory measure’ shall mean any action in preparation
for a catalyst action, such as technical, operational or finan-
cial feasibility studies and equipment tests;

(g) ‘consortium’ shall mean any arrangement by which at least
two undertakings execute together and share the risk
concerning an action;

(h) ‘undertaking’ shall mean any entity engaged in an economic
activity, regardless of the legal status of the entity and the
way in which it is financed;

(i) ‘ancillary’ shall mean necessary, but subordinate, to achieve

the goals of ‘modal shift actions’ or ‘catalyst actions’;

(j) ‘tonne-kilometre’ shall mean the transport of a tonne of
freight, or its volumetric equivalent, over a distance of one
kilometre;

(k) ‘close third country’ shall mean any non-Member State of
the European Union or candidate country for accession to
the European Union with a common border with the
European Union or with a coastline on a closed or semi-
closed sea neighbouring on the European Union.

Article 3

Scope

The Marco Polo Programme shall cover modal shift

1.
actions, catalyst actions and common learning actions:

(a) involving the territory of at least two Member States, or

(b) involving the territory of at least one Member State and the

territory of a close third country.

2. Where an action involves the territory of a third country,
that country shall not be
costs arising in the territory of
covered by the Programme, except
in the circumstances
mentioned in paragraphs 3 and 4.

3.
The Programme shall be open to participation by coun-
tries which are candidates for accession. Participation will be
governed by the conditions laid down in the Association Agree-
ments with those countries, and on the basis of the rules laid
down in the decision of
for each
country concerned.

the Association Council

4.
The Programme shall also be open to participation by the
EFTA and EEA Member States on the basis of supplementary
appropriations in accordance with procedures to be agreed
with those countries.

CHAPTER II

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS AND ACTIONS

Article 4

Eligible applicants

1.
As a general rule, projects shall be submitted by a consor-
tium of two or more undertakings, established in at least two
different Member States or in at least one Member State and
one close third country.

2.
Undertakings established outside the Community or
outside one of the participant countries referred to in Article
3(3) and (4) which may be associated with the project may
under no circumstances receive Community funding under the
Programme.

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Article 5

Modal shift action

In accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 12(2),
the Commission may re-examine, from time to time as neces-
sary, the developments concerning the items on which this
calculation is based and,
if necessary, adapt the amount of
Community financial assistance accordingly.

1. Modal shift actions,
the
additional modal shift brought about by the development of an
existing service,
the
Programme provided that the following conditions are satisfied:

including, where appropriate,

shall be eligible for

funding under

(a) the modal shift action is expected to lead to an actual,
substantial, measurable and sustainable modal shift of
freight
from road to short sea shipping, rail,
inland waterways or a combination of modes of transport
in which road journeys are as short as possible;

transport

(b) according to a realistic business plan, the modal shift action
will be viable on its own after a maximum of 36 months of
Community funding;

(c) the modal shift action will not lead to distortions of compe-
tition in the relevant markets, in particular between alterna-
tive modes of transport to road transport alone or within
each mode,
to an extent which damages the common
interest;

(d) when the action requires reliance on services provided by
third parties not part of
the applicant
submits proof of a transparent, objective and non-discrimi-
natory procedure for selection of the relevant services.

the consortium,

2.
Community financial assistance for modal shift actions
shall be limited to a maximum of 30 % of the total expenditure
necessary to achieve the objectives of the action and incurred
as a result of the action. Such expenditure shall be eligible for
Community financial assistance to the extent to which it relates
directly to the implementation of the action. Ancillary infra-
structure expenditure shall also be eligible for Community
financial assistance, as long as it remains marginal, up to a
maximum of 30 %. Expenditure incurred on or after the date of
the submission of an application under the selection procedure
shall be eligible for Community financial assistance provided
that final approval for Community funding is given. A contri-
bution towards the costs of movable assets shall be contingent
on the obligation to use such assets for the duration of the
assistance, principally for the action, as defined by the subsidy
agreement.

3.
The Community financial assistance under paragraph 2
determined by the Commission on the basis of the tonne-kilo-
inland
metres shifted from road to short sea shipping, rail,
waterways or a combination of modes of transport in which
road journeys are as short as possible shall initially be set at
EUR 1 for each shift of 500 tonne-kilometres of road freight.
This indicative amount could be adjusted,
in
accordance with the quality of the project or the real environ-
mental benefit obtained.

in particular,

4.
Community financial assistance for modal shift actions
shall be granted on the basis of subsidy agreements. As a rule,
shall be 38
the maximum duration of
months.

these agreements

Community financial assistance shall not be renewable beyond
the stipulated maximum period of 38 months.

5.
The minimum indicative subsidy threshold per modal
shift action shall be 250 million tonne-kilometres of modal
shift or, in proportion to the indicative amount per euro of
subsidy, EUR 500 000.

Article 6

Catalyst actions

1.
Catalyst actions shall be eligible for funding under the
Programme provided that the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) the catalyst action will achieve its objectives within a period
of a maximum of 48 months, and stay viable after that
period, as forecast by a realistic business plan;

(b) the catalyst action is innovative on a European level,

terms of
products or services rendered;

logistics,

technology, methods,

in
equipment,

rail,

(c) the catalyst action is expected to lead to an actual, measur-
able and sustainable modal shift from road to short sea
shipping,
inland waterways, or a combination of
modes of transport in which road journeys are as short as
possible. The catalyst action is expected to lead to a reduc-
tion of congestion in road transport and not to a shift
between short sea shipping, rail and inland waterways;

(d) the catalyst action proposes a realistic plan setting out the
specific stages by which it seeks to achieve its objectives
and identifies the need for Commission steering assistance;

(e) the catalyst action will not lead to distortions of competi-
tion in the relevant markets, in particular between modes
of transport alternative to road transport alone or within
each mode,
to an extent which damages the common
interest;

(f) when the action requires reliance on services provided by
third parties not part of
the applicant
submits proof of a transparent, objective and non-discrimi-
natory procedure for selection of the relevant services.

the consortium,

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In the framework of the objectives of the Commission
2.
White Paper ‘European transport policy for 2010:
time to
decide’, catalyst actions implementing new concepts, such as
that of ‘motorways of the seas’, deserve special attention.

Catalyst actions on the transport market should preferably use
the trans-European networks as defined in Decision No 1692/
96/EC (1), or the pan-European transport corridors and areas.

The results and methods of catalyst actions shall be disse-
3.
minated in order to help achieve the objectives of this Regula-
tion.

4.
Community financial assistance for catalyst actions shall
be limited to a maximum of 35 % of the total expenditure
necessary to achieve the objectives of the action and incurred
as a result of the action, including preparatory measures. Such
expenditure shall be eligible for Community financial assis-
tance, to the extent to which it relates directly to the imple-
mentation of the action. Expenditure for ancillary measures
related to infrastructure works needed to achieve the aims of
the action shall also be eligible for Community financial assis-
tance, as long as it remains marginal, up to a maximum of
35 %. Expenditure incurred on or after the date of the submis-
sion of an application under the selection procedure shall be
eligible for Community financial assistance provided that final
approval
for Community funding is given. A contribution
towards the costs of movable assets shall be contingent on the
obligation to use such assets for the duration of the assistance,
principally for the action, as defined by the subsidy agreement.

5.
Community financial assistance for catalyst actions shall
be granted on the basis of subsidy agreements, with appro-
priate provisions for steering and monitoring. As a rule, the
maximum duration of these agreements shall be 50 months.

Community financial assistance shall not be renewable beyond
the stipulated maximum period of 50 months.

6.
The political priority targets which will be taken into
consideration in the selection procedure for such actions shall
be established in accordance with the procedure referred to in
Article 12(2).

The Commission, assisted by the Committee set up under
Article 12(1), may review the political priority targets from
time to time.

The minimum indicative subsidy threshold per catalyst

7.
action shall be EUR 1,5 million.

Article 7

Common learning actions

1.
Common learning actions shall be eligible for funding
under the Programme provided that the following conditions
are satisfied:

(a) the action will

lead to the improvement of commercial
services in the market and lasts for a maximum of 24
months;

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996, p. 1. Decision as last amended by Decision No

1346/2001/EC (OJ L 185, 6.7.2001, p. 1).

(b) the action is innovative on a European level;

(c) the action will not lead to distortions of competition in the
relevant markets, in particular between modes of transport
alternative to road transport alone or within each mode, to
an extent which damages the common interest;

(d) the common learning action proposes a realistic plan
setting out the specific stages by which it seeks to achieve
its objectives and identifies the need for Commission
steering assistance.

2.
The results and methods of common learning actions
shall be disseminated in order to help achieve the objectives of
this Regulation.

3.
Community financial assistance for common learning
actions shall be limited to a maximum of 50 % of the total
expenditure necessary to achieve the objectives of the action
and incurred as a result of the action. Such expenditure shall be
eligible for Community financial assistance, to the extent to
which it relates directly to the implementation of the action.
Expenditure incurred on or after the date of the submission of
an application under the selection procedure shall be eligible
for Community financial assistance provided that final approval
for Community funding is given. A contribution towards the
costs of movable assets shall be contingent on the obligation to
use such assets for the duration of the assistance, principally
for the action, as defined by the subsidy agreement.

4.
Community financial assistance for common learning
actions shall be granted on the basis of subsidy agreements,
with appropriate provisions for steering and monitoring. As a
rule, the maximum duration of these agreements shall be 26
months.

Community financial assistance shall not be renewable beyond
the stipulated maximum period of 26 months.

The political priority targets which will be taken into
5.
consideration in the selection procedure for such actions shall
be established in accordance with the procedure referred to in
Article 12(2).

The Commission, assisted by the Committee set up under
Article 12(1), may review the political priority targets from
time to time.

The minimum indicative subsidy threshold per common

6.
learning action shall be EUR 250 000.

Article 8

Detailed rules

The Commission shall issue detailed rules for the procedure for
submission, selection, execution, dissemination and individual
reporting and verification requirements concerning actions
the Programme in accordance with the procedure
under
referred to in Article 12(2).

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Article 9

State aid

Community financial assistance for the actions defined by the
Programme shall not exclude those actions being granted State
aid at national, regional or local level, insofar as such aid is
compatible with the State-aid arrangements laid down in the
Treaty and within the limits established for each type of action
in Article 5(2), Article 6(4) and Article 7(3) respectively.

CHAPTER III

SUBMISSION AND SELECTION OF ACTIONS

Article 10

Submission of actions

Actions shall be submitted to the Commission according to the
detailed rules issued under Article 8. The submission shall
contain all the elements necessary to enable the Commission to
make its selection in accordance with Article 11.

Article 11

Selection of actions — Granting of financial assistance

Submitted actions shall be evaluated by the Commission. The
Commission shall decide whether to grant financial assistance
under this Regulation taking into account, for the selection of
the action, the objective referred to in Article 1, and the condi-
tions referred to in Articles 5, 6 or 7, as appropriate. The selec-
tion shall take into account the relative environmental merits
of the proposed actions and their contribution to reducing road
congestion. This decision shall be taken in accordance with the
procedure referred to in Article 12(2).

The Commission shall inform the beneficiaries and the Member
States of its decision.

CHAPTER IV

FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 12

Committee

1.

The Commission shall be assisted by a committee.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and
7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the
provisions of Article 8 thereof.

The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC
shall be set at three months.

3.

The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Article 13

Budget

The financial framework for the implementation of the Marco
Polo Programme,
the period 1 January 2003 to 31
for
December 2006, shall be EUR 75 million.

Annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary
authority within the limits of the financial perspective.

Article 14

Reserve for accompanying measures and programme
evaluation

Up to 5 % of the budget provided for in this Regulation shall
be set aside for accompanying measures and independent
evaluation of the implementation of Articles 5, 6 and 7.

Article 15

Evaluation

The Commission shall

least
1.
once a year
the
Programme and give an update of the status of all actions
financed under the Programme.

inform the Committee at
execution of

concerning the

financial

2.
By 31 December 2006 at the latest, the Commission shall
present to the European Parliament, the Council, the European
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the
Regions an evaluation report on the results of the Marco Polo
Programme, having regard to its objective, and accompanied if
necessary by a proposal for the amendment of this Regulation.

Article 16

Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that
of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 22 July 2003.

For the European Parliament

The President

P. COX

For the Council

The President

G. ALEMANNO