Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Mid-term review of the Programme for the promotion of short sea shipping (COM(2003) 155 final) {SEC(2006) 922} {SEC(2006) 923}
Date: 2006-07-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, common transport policy, maritime transport

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 13.7.2006 
COM(2006) 380 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Mid-Term Review of the Programme for the Promotion of Short Sea Shipping 
(COM(2003) 155 final) 

{SEC(2006) 922} 
{SEC(2006) 923} 

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1. 

BACKGROUND 

As pointed out by the mid-term review of the 2001 White Paper1, Short Sea Shipping plays a 
key role in ensuring sustainable mobility and also contributes to meeting other objectives, like 
alleviating congestion and environmental pressure. Short Sea Shipping is an integral part of 
the  logistics  chain  in  Europe’s  transport  system  as  advocated  by  the  recent  Commission 
Communication on freight logistics2. 

The  Commission’s  Communication  on  Short  Sea  Shipping  in  19993  analysed  obstacles  that 
hinder  the  development  of  the  mode  and  advocated  a  door-to-door  approach  with  one-stop 
shops. 

In  June  2002,  the  European  Union  Transport  Ministers  held  an  informal  meeting  in  Gijón 
(Spain) dedicated to Short Sea Shipping. Following this meeting, the Commission prepared a 
Programme for the Promotion of Short Sea Shipping4. 

In  2004,  the  Commission  presented  a  further  Communication  on  Short  Sea  Shipping5 
reporting on progress since 1999. This was followed by an informal meeting of the European 
Union Transport Ministers in July 2004 in Amsterdam. 

In  January  2006,  a  Ministerial  conference  in  Ljubljana  (Slovenia)  prepared  conclusions  on 
Motorways of the Sea. 

Also  the  European  Parliament  has,  on  several  occasions,  confirmed  its  dedication  to 
promoting Short Sea Shipping. Its latest Resolution6 on the subject dates from April 2005. 

The European Short Sea Shipping policy is fully in line with the Lisbon agenda. 

2. 

SHORT SEA SHIPPING IS GROWING 

Short Sea Shipping has maintained its position as the only mode of transport able to challenge 
the fast growth of road transport. Between 1995 and 2004, the tonne-kilometre performance 
of  Short  Sea  Shipping  in  the  EU-25  grew  by  32 %,  while  road  performance  grew  by  35 %. 
Short  Sea  Shipping  performs  39 %  of  all  tonne-kilometres  in  the  EU-25  while  the  share  of 
road is 44 %. The corresponding shares for the EU-15 are 42 % for Short Sea Shipping and 
44 % for road. 

Available data show that the fastest growing segment of Short Sea Shipping has continued to 
be containerised cargo with an average yearly growth of 8,8 % since 2000. 

1 
2 
3 

4 
5 
6 

Keep Europe Moving – sustainable mobility for our continent, COM(2006) 314 final. 
Freight Logistics in Europe – key to sustainable mobility, COM(2006) 336 final. 
The Development of Short Sea Shipping in Europe: A Dynamic Alternative in a Sustainable Transport 
Chain - Second Two-yearly Progress Report, COM(1999) 317 final. 
Programme for the Promotion of Short Sea Shipping, COM(2003) 155 final. 
Communication on Short Sea Shipping, COM(2004) 453 final. 
2004/2161(INI). 

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135 %

130 %

125 %

120 %

115 %

110 %

105 %

100 %

95 %

Road

SSS

I W T

Rail

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Figure:  Tonne-kilometre growth 1995-2004 in per cent for road, Short Sea Shipping (SSS), 

inland waterway transport (IWT) and rail (index 1995 = 100)7. 

3. 

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHORT SEA SHIPPING 

A number of obstacles still hinder Short Sea Shipping from developing faster: 

•  It  has  not  yet  reached  full  integration  in  the  multimodal  door-to-door  supply 

chain; 

•  It involves complex administrative procedures; 

•  It requires higher port efficiency and good hinterland accessibility. 

The  2003  Programme  for  the  Promotion  of  Short  Sea  Shipping  set  out  14  actions  with  the 
objective to improve the efficiency of the mode and overcome obstacles to its development. 
These were divided into legislative, technical and operational actions. This mid-term review 
evaluates the progress achieved on these actions to date and advocates a way forward.8 

7 

8 

Source:  Eurostat,  DG  for  Energy  and  Transport,  and  75  member  ports  of  the  European  Sea  Ports 
Organisation (ESPO). A list of these ports is available in chapter 1.2.4.14 of the annexed Staff Working 
Document. The Commission is grateful to these ports and to ESPO for co-ordinating the exercise. 
The  dotted  part  of  the  line  for  road  reflects  the  significant  changes  that  have  taken  place  in  the 
collection methodology for road data in certain Member States for 2003/2004. 
The  Commission  thanks  the  Short  Sea  Shipping  Focal  Points,  maritime  industries  and  Shortsea 
Promotion Centres for their contributions to this paper. 
More  detailed  explanation  of  the  degree  to  which  the  actions  have  been  completed  can  be  found  in 
appendix 2 of the annexed Working Document. 

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3.1. 

Legislative Actions 

3.1.1.  Directive9 on certain reporting formalities for ships (IMO-FAL10) 

Transposition of the Directive into national legislation is almost complete. 

The Commission has made information on the FAL forms publicly available, and has actively 
advocated  to  non-EU  countries  the  example  that  the  EU  has  now  set  in  accepting 
internationally agreed IMO FAL forms in their standards format and layout. 

The  32nd  session  of  the  IMO  FAL  Committee  in  July  2005  adopted  some  technical 
amendments to the Convention. 

Action  No.  1  in  the  Promotion  Programme  is  almost  complete.  Follow-up  and  monitoring 
will continue. 

A new benchmark needs to be set for bringing the annexes to the Directive in line with the 
IMO measures adopted at the 32nd session of the FAL Committee – deadline: 2007 (actors: 
the Commission and Member States). 

3.1.2.  Marco Polo 

The  subvention  programme  Marco  Polo11  became  operational  in  2003.  In  the  first  selection 
rounds,  approximately  half  of  the  accepted  projects  involved  Short  Sea  Shipping  (mainly 
starting up new lines or expanding existing ones). 

In July 2004, the Commission made a proposal to extend Marco Polo12. This proposal, Marco 
Polo II would, from 2007 onwards, continue the actions eligible under the current Marco Polo 
programme but have a considerably larger budget. 

The  new  programme  identifies  Motorways  of  the  Sea  (see  chapter  3.1.4)  as  a  specific  new 
action.  This  action  should  decrease  road  traffic  over  time  on  a  given  corridor  by  shifting 
goods from road to Short Sea Shipping operating on Motorways of the Sea. 

Action No. 2 in the Promotion Programme is mid-way to completion. Work will continue to 
ensure  the  utilisation  of  Marco  Polo  to  the  benefit  of  Short  Sea  Shipping  until  2010  and 
beyond. 

9 

10 
11 

12 

Directive 2002/6/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 February 2002 on reporting 
formalities for ships arriving in and/or departing from ports of the Member States of the Community, 
OJ L 67, 9.3.2002, p. 31. 
International Maritime Organisation’s Facilitation Forms. 
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), OJ L 196, 2.8.2003, p. 1. 
Proposal  for  a  Regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  establishing  the  second 
“Marco  Polo”  programme  for  the  granting  of  Community  financial  assistance  to  improve  the 
environmental performance of the freight transport system (“Marco Polo II”), COM(2004) 478 final. 

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3.1.3. 

Intermodal loading units 

The final adoption of the Commission proposal for a Directive on Intermodal Loading Units13 
is still pending. 

Action No. 3 in the Promotion Programme has not advanced. 

3.1.4.  Motorways of the Sea 

Motorways of the Sea are an important instrument for promoting Short Sea Shipping. 

The  revision  of  the  Community  Guidelines  on  the  development  of  the  trans-European 
transport network (TEN-T)14 in April 2004 contains a priority project with four Motorways of 
the  Sea  areas.  It  also  draws  a  parallel  between  Motorways  of  the  Sea  and  Marco  Polo  by 
advancing certain criteria, such as avoidance of distortions of competition and the continued 
viability of the project after the period of Community funding. 

In  February  2005,  the  Commission  developed  a  Vademecum15  facilitating  the  practical 
application of the legal framework. 

Three  actions  in  support  of  regional  strategic  master  plans  for  Motorways  of  the  Sea  were 
accepted  for  TEN-T  financing  under  the  2005  call  for  proposals - one is for  the Baltic Sea, 
one for the European west coast, and one for the Mediterranean. 

Implementing Motorways of the Sea requires partnership and co-operation. This is vital to 
accomplish the concentration of freight flows that is imperative for Motorways of the Sea to 
become  viable.  Motorways  of  the  Sea  are  proposed  by  at  least  two  Member  States,  they 
should involve both the public and private sectors, and should include short-sea links. 

Motorways of the Sea are also about quality. As well as requiring quality infrastructure and 
superstructure in ports and hinterlands connections, this quality approach should also extend 
to  administrative  procedures.  The  approach  could  also  include  tracking  and  tracing,  single 
windows, and adequate procedures in ports to handle the required high short-sea frequency. 

In  the  light  of  the  conclusions  of  the  ministerial  conference  in  January  2006  and  the  new 
TEN-T  financial  perspective,  it  is  now  essential  that  the  Member  States  give  the  necessary 
priority to Motorways of the Sea projects. 

Action No. 4 in the Promotion Programme, defining the concept of Motorways of the Sea, has 
been fully completed. 
Therefore,  a  new  benchmark  needs  to  be  set  for  making  the  first  Motorways  of  the  Sea 
operational - deadline: 2010 (actors: the Commission, Member States and industry). 
The  Commission  will  also  examine  whether  the  concept  of  Motorways  of  the  Sea  can  be 
extended beyond the TEN-T to a quality label for logistics excellence in Short Sea Shipping 
– deadline: 2007. 

13 

14 

15 

Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Intermodal Loading Units, 
COM(2003) 155 final, as amended by COM(2004) 361 final. 
Decision No 884/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 amending 
Decision  No  1692/96/EC  on  Community  guidelines  for  the  development  of  the  trans-European 
transport network, OJ L 167, 30.4.2004, p. 1. 
See www.ec.europa.eu/comm/transport/intermodality/motorways_sea/projects_en.htm. 

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3.1.5.  The environmental performance of Short Sea Shipping 

Maritime  transport  has  higher  energy-efficiency  than  other  modes  of  transport  and  is,  in 
general,  less  harmful  to  the  environment.  Increased  use  of  Short  Sea  Shipping  would  be  in 
line with the Union’s environmental policies and CO2 targets. 

Nevertheless, environmental improvements are needed in shipping, in particular in the areas 
of SOx, NOx and particulates. These are urgent for maintaining the “clean” image of shipping 
in  a  situation  where  road  transport  is  becoming  cleaner.  However,  as  pointed  out  by  the 
Thematic Network for Short Sea Shipping (REALISE)16, when taking into account a broader 
scope of external costs, such as noise, accidents and congestion, Short Sea Shipping can still 
maintain its lead to road transport in relation to external socio-environmental effects. 

In July 2005 the European Parliament and the Council took a significant step towards cleaner 
shipping. They adopted a Directive17 that will enforce the maximum sulphur limit of 1,5 % for 
marine  fuels  used  in  the  Baltic  Sea  (from  August  2006),  the  North  Sea  and  the  English 
Channel (foreseen for autumn 2007)18. The same limit will apply to all passenger vessels on 
regular services between EU ports from August 2006. 

Action No. 5 in the Promotion Programme is mid-way to completion. Work will continue to 
back up the Commission’s wider environmental strategy towards even “greener” shipping, 
including actions in the field of research and technological development. 

3.2. 

Technical Actions 

3.2.1.  Guide to Customs Procedures for Short Sea Shipping 

As indicated in the 2003 Promotion Programme, the Commission carried out European-wide 
consultations on the Guide to Customs Procedures for Short Sea Shipping19. Responses to the 
consultations  seemed  to  focus  on  divergent  national,  regional  and  local  applications  of  EU 
Customs rules, and on simplified Customs procedures. The first issue of EU Customs rules is 
addressed in chapter 3.2.3 hereafter. In response to the latter issue of simplified procedures, 
the Commission presented, in 2004, a Working Document20 on “Authorised Regular Shipping 
Service”  which  is  a  service  authorised  by  the  Customs  to  carry  Community  goods  between 
two Member States with the minimum of formalities. 

Furthermore,  the  Commission  has  periodically  updated  the  original  Guide  (latest  update  in 
January 2004). Further updates will be considered when the current Commission proposals on 
modernising the Customs Code have been adopted (see chapter 3.2.3). 

Action No. 6 in the Promotion Programme has been completed for the time being. Work to 
identify and address specific issues will continue under Actions 7 and 8 (see chapters 3.2.2 
and 3.2.3). 

16 
17 

18 
19 
20 

Deliverable 3.3: Environmental Transport Options. 
Directive  2005/33/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  6  July  2005  amending 
Directive 1999/32/EC as regards the sulphur content of marine fuels, OJ L 191, 22.7.2005, p. 59. 
Cf. “SOx Emission Control Areas” established under Annex VI to MARPOL 73/78. 
Guide to Customs Procedures for Short Sea Shipping, SEC(2002) 632. 
Simplified  Customs  Procedures  in  Short  Sea  Shipping:  ‘Authorised  Regular  Shipping  Service’, 
SEC(2004) 333. 

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3.2.2. 

Identification  and  elimination  of  obstacles  to  making  Short  Sea  Shipping  more 
successful than it is today 

Finding solutions to identified bottlenecks in door-to-door Short Sea Shipping has maintained 
a strong tail wind and keeps on producing tangible results. Continuous co-operation with the 
Member  States  and  industry  has  been  essential  to  the  exercise.  The  initial  list  of  161 
bottlenecks established in 2000 has now been reduced to 3521. Work will continue to tackle 
the  remaining  bottlenecks.  The  exercise  was  re-launched  in  April  2005  in  order  to  have  an 
update of the situation and encompass the enlarged EU. 

A  number  of  solved  bottlenecks  were  presented  in  the  2004  Communication  on  Short  Sea 
Shipping. Further to those, the following bottlenecks, for example, have found a solution: 

Electronic  format  of  the  Customs  T2  (or  equivalent)  document  is  now  accepted  by 
the Port of Goole (UK). It is no longer necessary to make the physical journey of some 
70 miles to the Customs office and back to present a hard copy. 

In  Spanish  ports  Customs  officials  no  longer  require  hard  copies  of  the  “declaración 
sumaria’ (equivalent of cargo manifest) but accept it in electronic format. 

In Greece, cargo manifests are no longer required to be translated into Greek, except 
when they are being used as a summary declaration. 

Furthermore, the Commission feels that it is now more vital than ever to focus efforts on the 
port sector so as to enhance the role of ports as nodal points in the logistics chain. 

Action  No. 7  in  the Promotion Programme is  more  than  half-way  to  completion. Work will 
continue  to  solve  identified  obstacles  and  find  out  whether  further  obstacles  exist  also 
encompassing the new Member States, including obstacles in the port sector. 

3.2.3.  Approximation of national applications and computerisation of Community Customs 

procedures 

As a first step towards e-Customs, the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) has been 
operational  since  mid-2003.  In  this  system  electronic  messages  replace  the  earlier  paper 
procedure relating to the transport of goods under the single administrative document (SAD). 

In  November  2005,  the  Commission  prepared  a  new  package  of  measures22  intended  to 
simplify and streamline Customs procedures and to put in place a system that would create a 
paperless  environment  for  Customs  and  trade,  including  security  aspects.  This  package 
consists of proposals for a modernized Customs Code and e-Customs. Electronic declarations 
and messages would become the rule and paper-based declarations an exception. 

21 
22 

See: www.ec.europa.eu/comm/transport/maritime/sss/bottlenecks/index_en.htm. 
Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the Community 
Customs Code (Modernized Customs Code), COM(2005) 608 final, and Proposal for a Decision of the 
European Parliament and of the Council on a paperless environment for customs and trade, COM(2005) 
609 final. 

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Future  developments,  such  as  long-range  identification  and  tracking  (LRIT)  systems  using 
satellite communications could constitute a further step towards an environment where both 
the ship’s journey and goods could be reliably and securely tracked all the way along, thereby 
decreasing the need for individual controls. 

Furthermore, two contact groups23 of Customs offices work towards increasing practical co-
operation  and  co-ordination  between  the  Customs  offices  of  major  EU  ports.  These  Groups 
address  differing  national,  regional  or  local  applications  of  Community  Customs  rules,  set 
standards, and aim to achieve an equivalent application of controls. 

Action  No. 8  in  the Promotion Programme is  more  than  half-way  to  completion. Work will 
continue  in  the  Customs  contact  groups  to  harmonise  national,  regional  and  local 
applications. 

3.2.4.  Research and Technological Development 

The  Thematic  Network  of  Short  Sea  Shipping,  REALISE24  finalised  its  work  at  the  end  of 
2005. It focused on three integrated studies relating to statistics, environmental issues, and the 
price of Short Sea Shipping (see chapters 3.1.5, 3.3.4 and 3.3.5). 

Furthermore,  other  research  actions  are  taking  place  with  relevance  to  Short  Sea  Shipping. 
These relate, inter alia, to lowering ship emissions, new ships types, engines, Motorways of 
the Sea, and port handling equipment. 

Action  No.  9  in  the  Promotion  Programme is  more  than  half-way  to  completion. Work will 
continue to follow up the results under the 5th Framework Programme, secure good results 
under  the  6th  and  carry  out  effective  dissemination.  Short  Sea  Shipping,  as  part  of  the 
waterborne platform, also needs to be a priority under the 7th Framework Programme. 

3.3. 

Operational Actions 

3.3.1.  One-stop administrative shops 

The package of Customs measures mentioned above in chapter 3.2.3 contains a framework for 
the  information  provided  by  economic  operators  to  be  shared  between  Customs  authorities 
and  other  agencies  operating  at  the  border,  such  as  border  guards,  veterinary  and 
environmental authorities. The economic operators would need to give the information only 
once  ('single  window')  and  the  goods  would  be  controlled  by  those  authorities  at  the  same 
time and at the same place ('one stop administrative shop'). 

Action No. 10 in the Promotion Programme is more than half-way to completion. Work will 
continue to promote one-stop administrative shops (‘single windows’). 

3.3.2. 

Short Sea Shipping Focal Points 

Short Sea Shipping Focal Points are representatives of national maritime administrations and 
responsible for Short Sea Shipping in their administrations. The Commission has continued to 
highlight their vital role in short-sea policy and has organised regular meetings with them to 

23 
24 

RALFH dealing with major northern EU ports and ODYSSUD dealing with major southern EU ports. 
See www.realise-sss.org. 

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exchange information, discuss Motorways of the Sea, and solve obstacles to the development 
of Short Sea Shipping (see chapter 3.2.2). Most of the new Member States and acceding and 
candidate countries have been rapidly incorporated in the work of the Focal Points. 

Action No. 11 in the Promotion Programme is more than half-way to completion. Work will 
continue with regular meetings of the Focal Points and to secure the flow of information 
and achievement of results, including Motorways of the Sea. 

3.3.3. 

Shortsea Promotion Centres 

There  are  currently  21  Shortsea  Promotion  Centres  (SPCs)25  operating  in  Europe.  These 
Centres are driven by business interests and offer neutral, impartial advice on the use of Short 
Sea  Shipping  to  meet  the  needs  of  transport  users.  They  are  essentially  independent  from 
specific  interest  groups  and  work  in  line  with  the  European  promotion  policy.  The  national 
Centres  are  networked  in  the  European  Shortsea  Network  (ESN)26  which  offers  a  common, 
virtual tool for European promotion. The Commission strongly supports these Centres, their 
work and their networking and expects this support to be matched at national level. 

Recently  one  task  that  has  become  more  prominent  in  the  operation  of  these  SPCs  is  the 
identification and solution of bottlenecks in Short Sea Shipping (see chapter 3.2.2). 

The Commission is currently examining ways  to promote a wider concept  of multimodality 
based  on  the  existing  structures.  One  feasible  option  on  the  table  is  to  extend  the  scope  of 
short-sea promotion towards multimodality in inland logistics chains. 

Action No. 12 in the Promotion Programme is more than half-way to completion. Work will 
continue  to  ensure  good  functioning  of  and  guidance  to  the  SPCs.  Extension  of  the 
geographical  scope  of  the  SPCs  will  continue.  Efforts  to  secure  at  least  medium-term 
financial security for the SPCs will also continue. 

A new benchmark needs to be set to examine the feasibility of extending the scope of SPCs 
to  encompass  the  promotion  of  inland  multimodality  and  related  logistics  within  3  years 
(actors: SPCs, industry, the Member States and Commission). 

3.3.4.  The image of Short Sea Shipping 

Based  on  information  received  from  the  maritime  industries  and  through  the  European 
Shortsea  Network,  efforts  to  improve  the  overall  image  of  Short  Sea  Shipping  have  been 
successful.  Accordingly,  the  general  image  of  the  mode  seems  to  have  reached  that  of  a 
modern and efficient means of transport in co-modal chains. 

However,  full  integration  of  Short  Sea  Shipping  in  logistics  chains  still  remains  to  be 
improved.  Consequently,  efforts  on  promoting  the  image  of  the  mode  should  now  focus  on 
this  targeted  segment  that  can  also  help  Motorways  of  the  Sea.  Shippers,  cargo  owners, 
forwarders and hauliers should continue to be important targets for promotion and so should 
attracting young people to the profession. 

25 

26 

Belgium,  Bulgaria,  Croatia,  Cyprus,  Denmark,  Finland,  France,  Germany,  Greece,  Ireland,  Italy, 
Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK. 
See www.shortsea.info. 

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The  Commission  feels  that  exchanging  best  practice  (success  stories)  is  an  essential  way  of 
promoting Short Sea Shipping. For five years now the Commission has been collecting short-
sea  success  stories,  cross-checking  them  with  the  European  Shortsea  Network,  and  making 
them regularly available on the Internet27. 

The  Thematic  Network  for  Short  Sea  Shipping  (REALISE)  examined  whether  door-to-door 
transport chains involving Short Sea Shipping are normally more or less expensive than other 
door-to-door chains (such as unimodal road or road/rail). Based on evidence collected under 
the study, an absolute conclusion could not be reached. Instead, it could be noted that “Short 
Sea  Shipping  within  multi-modal  chains  is  cheaper  –  on  many  European  corridors  and 
segments  –  than  unimodal  transport  solutions”28.  Nevertheless,  the  study  pointed  out  that 
price competitivity alone might not be a sufficient condition to encourage a substantial shift 
from  road  to  Short  Sea  Shipping.  Other  conditions  include  the  port  and  port  hinterland 
functions and services (including timing and reliability) that affect the modal choice. 

A further study on comparative benchmarking of performance across modes29 came up with a 
first  set  of  comparative  indicators  (e.g.  transport  costs,  external  costs,  total  time,  and 
flexibility). The results indicate that it would be up to the transport user to make the choice 
between lower costs or higher speed. Short Sea Shipping over a longer distance will normally 
win on costs but lose to the truck on speed and flexibility. A further decisive factor for modal 
choice, reliability, can be met by both Short Sea Shipping and road. 

Action No. 13 in the Promotion Programme is more than half-way to completion. Efforts will 
now  concentrate  on  improving  the  integration  of  Short  Sea  Shipping  in  the  multimodal 
logistics supply chain, including the related aspects of image. 

3.3.5. 

Statistical information 

The  Council  Directive  on  Maritime  Statistics30  that  came  into  full  effect  in  2000  will 
gradually become the main source of short-sea data when it will be able to provide sufficient 
data series, in tonne-kilometres, to analyse trends. 

The  Commission  has  been  working  on  a  matrix  that  would  allow  coherent  comparisons 
between  modes  by  converting  the  tonne-based  short-sea  data  into  tonne-kilometres  used  in 
other modes. A first tool is already being tested in Eurostat. The Thematic Network for Short 
Sea Shipping (REALISE) contributed to refining the data results. 

Action  No.  14  in  the  Promotion  Programme  is  almost  complete.  The  Commission  will 
continue  to  work  towards  a  single,  reliable  statistical  source  for  tonne-kilometre  data  on 
Short Sea Shipping. The currently available conversion matrix will need to be further refined. 

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28 
29 

30 

See www.ec.europa.eu/comm/transport/maritime/sss/policy_succes_en.htm. 
Deliverable 4.3: Multi-modal Meta Model Report. 
Comparative  Benchmarking  of  Performance  for  Freight  Transport  across  the  Modes  from  the 
Perspective of Transport Users, ISL, Bremen, January/March 2006. 
Council Directive 95/64/EC of 8 December 1995 on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods 
and passengers by sea, OJ L 320, 30.12.1995, p. 25, as implemented. 

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4. 

IN CONCLUSION 

The Programme for the Promotion of Short Sea Shipping has shown its merits, strengthened 
the  position  of  the  mode  in  co-modality,  and  is  more  than  half-way  to  completion.  The 
Actions in the Programme seem to have addressed the main problem areas facing the mode. 

Three  action  sheets,  as  they  were  presented  in  the  2003  Promotion  Programme,  have  been 
almost or fully completed: IMO FAL, Motorways of the Sea, and Short-sea Customs Guide. 
New targets with new deadlines have been set for the first two. The third one has been merged 
with other ongoing actions. 

In  certain  cases,  there  is  a  need  to  target  the  action  more  precisely  than  earlier  (integrating 
Short  Sea  Shipping  tighter  in  the  logistics  supply  chain)  or add  a  new  target  (extending  the 
scope of Short Sea Promotion Centres to cover inland supply chains). 

Separate efforts will also need to continue in the ports sector to make Short Sea Shipping even 
more efficient and competitive in the logistics chain than it is today. 

At  this  point  in  time  the  14  actions  introduced  in  the  Promotion  Programme  seem  to  have 
been  the  right  ones  and  work  on  all  of  them,  whether  ongoing,  new  or  re-targeted,  should 
continue  with  amplified  efforts  in  co-operation  with  the  Member  States,  industry  and 
European Shortsea Network. 

EN 

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   EN