Communication from the Commission - The EU's freight transport agenda: Boosting the efficiency, integration and sustainability of freight transport in Europe {SEC(2007) 1351} {SEC(2007) 1367}
Date: 2007-10-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: administrative formalities, carriage of goods, competitiveness, freight rate, mode of transport, sustainable mobility, transport infrastructure, transport policy

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 18.10.2007 
COM(2007) 606 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

The EU's freight transport agenda: 
Boosting the efficiency, integration and sustainability of freight transport in Europe 

{SEC(2007) 1351} 
{SEC(2007) 1367} 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

The EU's freight transport agenda: 
Boosting the efficiency, integration and sustainability of freight transport in Europe 

1. 

CONTEXT AND NEED FOR ACTION 

The transport of freight, ranging from raw materials to finished goods, is essential to 
economic activity and to the quality of life in the EU. It makes possible the division 
of labour, allows economies of scale, and mobilises comparative advantages. Freight 
transport is therefore fundamental for European competitiveness.  

Well-organised freight transport also contributes to sustainable and energy-efficient 
operations,  and  will  strengthen  cohesion  by  enabling  businesses  across  the  EU, 
including the peripheral regions, to have better access and draw more benefits from 
the Internal Market.  

The  mid-term  review  of  the  White  Paper  of  2001  of  the  European  Commission 
forecasts  a  50  %  growth  of  freight  transport  activity  for  EU-25  (in  terms  of  tkm) 
between  2000  and  2020.  This  means  however  that  freight  transport  also  raises  a 
number of policy issues that have to be addressed if its efficiency and sustainability 
are to be secured: 

–  Congestion in some parts of the European transport system is negatively affecting 

costs and time of transport and increasing fuel consumption.  

–  Freight  transport  needs  to  do  its  part  in  addressing  the  EU's  climate  change 

targets1, and reducing pollutant emissions and noise. 

–  Freight  transport  is  highly  dependent  on  fossil  fuels,  a  large  proportion  of  them 

being imported.  

–  Transport safety and security need to be further enhanced. 

–  There  are  signs  that  transport  and  logistics-related  industry  sectors  are  having 

difficulty attracting qualified staff. 

Unless  mitigating  measures  are  taken,  these  issues  will  be  exacerbated  by  the 
predicted increases in freight transport.  

However,  alongside  these  challenges,  there  are  also  opportunities  that  cannot  be 
missed: 

–  The heterogeneity of the EU has increased with successive enlargements, and the 
new  continental  market  requires  that  updated  logistics  techniques  and  best 
practices are swiftly implemented across the Union. 

1 

Presidency Conclusions of the Brussels European Council of 8/9 March 2007 

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–  Freight transport logistics has become an increasingly integrated and concentrated 
global market in which several European companies have established themselves 
as world leaders.  

–  The  prospects  of  enhancing  trade  relations  with  countries  outside  the  EU  are 
relevant.  This  is  why  the  proposed  policy  initiatives  also  take  into  account  the 
need to render the transport operations especially with the neighbouring countries 
more efficient. 

–  Accelerated  progress  in  Information  and  Communication  Technologies  (ICT)  is 

revolutionising the way in which freight transport logistics can be organised. 

2. 

THE POLICY RESPONSE 

To address these challenges the European Commission is simultaneously launching a 
series  of  policy  initiatives,  in  line  with  last  year's  mid-term  review2  of  the  2001 
transport White Paper. These measures are the result of intensive consultations with 
all  interested  parties  during  which  13  seminars  and  conferences  were  organised, 
more than 30 external events attended and nearly 160 written submissions received. 
Additionally,  over  500  reports  on  bottlenecks  in  logistics  were  sent  to  the 
Commission. 

The White Paper review takes note of the change of context since 2001 characterised 
by the acceleration of the globalisation of production, insecurity of energy supplies, 
the  increase  in  global  warming  and  the  continental  dimension  of  the  EU  after 
enlargement  to  Central  and  Eastern  Europe.  In  view  of  these  changes,  it  suggests 
broadening  the  focus  and  the  instruments  of  transport  policy  to  meet  the  new 
challenges. In particular it stresses the need to improve the efficiency of the different 
modes of transport, whether used on their own or in combination (co-modality). The 
purpose of the current package of measures is to contribute to this objective. 

The policy initiatives now presented include: 

–  The Freight Logistics Action Plan3 suggests a series of actions to promote freight 
and  traffic  management,  sustainable  quality  and  efficiency,  simplification  of 
administrative processes, to review loading standards and examine, with a view to 
possibly reviewing Directive 96/53/EC on vehicle dimensions and weights (while 
bearing in mind the consequences on the other transport modes). 

–  The  Communication  on  a  freight-oriented  rail  network4  will  make  rail  freight 
more  competitive,  in  particular  by  ensuring  lower  transit  times  and  increasing 
rail's reliability and responsiveness to customer requirements. 

–  The  Communication  on  a  European  Ports  Policy5  will  provide  a  vision  and  a 
toolbox  for  enhancing  the  performance  of  ports  as  essential  hubs  in  Europe’s 

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"Keep Europe Moving: Sustainable mobility for our continent" COM(2006) 314 final . 
COM(2007) 607 final 
COM(2007) 608 final. 
COM(2007) 616 final 

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transport  system,  helping  them  attracting  new  investment,  creating  a  stable 
image  This 
dialogue  between  all 
Communication 
the  recently  adopted  Communication  on  an 
Integrated  Maritime  Policy  for  the  European  Union6  which  sets  out  a  holistic, 
cross-sectoral approach to maritime affairs, 

stakeholders  and 

implements 

improving 

their 

as well as 

–  The  Commission  staff  working  paper  "Towards  a  European  maritime  transport 
space  without  barriers"7  will  start  a  consultation  process  on  allowing  short  sea 
shipping  to  fully  benefit  from  the  Internal  Market  through  facilitation  and 
simplification  of  administrative  and  documentary  procedures,  putting  maritime 
freight transport on an equal footing with other transport modes. 

–  The  staff  working  paper  on  Motorways  of  the  Sea8  describes  progress  made  in 

developing Motorways of the Sea and suggests further quality elements. 

3. 

SYNERGIES 

The  policy  initiatives  outlined  above  reinforce  each  other  and  constitute  a  policy 
agenda to improve the efficiency of freight transport in Europe. Taken together, they 
will  help  render  freight  transport  in  the  EU  more  efficient  and  more  sustainable. 
While  they  each  address  issues  that  are  specific  to  their  domains,  they  do  so  by 
adopting a common approach which is characterised by  

–  a  focus  on  corridors,  also  connecting  the  transport  chains  to  and  from  the 

neighbouring countries and over seas, 

–  the promotion of innovative technologies and practices in infrastructure, means of 

transport (such as vehicles, wagons and vessels) and freight management, 

–  the  simplification  and  facilitation  of  freight  transport  chains  and  related 

administrative procedures, and 

–  the reinforcement of quality. 

3.1. 

Corridor-based approach 

By  exploiting  economies  of  scale,  corridors  offer  unique  technical  and  economic 
opportunities that make it attractive to optimally use the various transport modes. It 
is essential that the various transport modes as well as the corridors themselves may 
be combined in a seamless door-to-door service, making use – where appropriate – 
of well designed terminals. This is a precondition for freight to pass easily, reliably 
and  cost-efficiently  from  one  mode  to  another.  The  Communications  on  a  Ports 
Policy  and  on  the  Freight-oriented  Rail  Network  therefore  address  the  availability 
and  the  accessibility  of  transhipment  platforms  while  the  Freight  Logistics  Action 

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COM(2007) 575 final. 
SEC(2007) 1351. 
SEC(2007) 1367. 

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Plan  focuses  on  quality  and  efficiency  for  the  movement  of  goods,  as  well  as  on 
ensuring that freight-related information travels easily between modes. 

To render freight transport more sustainable, efforts must be undertaken to minimise 
energy  consumption  and  the  emission  of  noise,  pollutants  and  greenhouse  gases 
caused by the carriage of goods.  

With  this  in  mind,  the  Logistics  Action  Plan  introduces  the  notion  of  "green 
corridors", i.e. freight transport corridors that are characterised by low impacts on the 
human  and  natural  environment.  Rail  and  waterborne  transport  modes  will  be 
essential components of these green corridors.  

3.2. 

Infrastructure, means of transport and freight management 

Today's  transport  infrastructure  needs  to  accommodate  the  substantial  freight 
transport  growth  forecast  for  the  coming  years.  One  element  of  a  strategy  towards 
this objective is the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) where ongoing work 
includes  the  development  of  a  number  of  strategically  significant  trans-national 
corridors.  Another  element  will  be  the  efficient  use  of  available  infrastructure, 
including the use of IT-based systems to improve the management of traffic and of 
freight  carried.  The  European  Rail  Traffic  Management  System  (ERTMS)  and 
Telematics  Application  for  Freight  (TAF)  in  the  rail  sector  and  River  Information 
Services (RIS) for inland waterway transport, as well as SafeSeaNet, Vessel Traffic 
Management  and  Information  Systems  (VTMIS),  Automatic  Identification  System 
(AIS)  and  Long-Range  Identification  and  Tracking  (LRIT)  for  maritime  transport 
bear witness to ongoing efforts in this direction. The Logistics Action Plan suggests 
that  further  efforts  need  to  be  undertaken  for  development  of  Intelligent  Transport 
Systems  (ITS)  in  road  transport  in  order  also  to  achieve  interoperability.  It 
furthermore  calls  for  work  to  achieve  integrated  tracking  and  tracing  and,  in  the 
longer term, also routing of freight across modes. In this respect a major initiative on 
ITS for 2008, establishing a detailed roadmap for ITS development and deployment 
in  Europe  and  addressing  the  main  technology  applications  relevant  for  freight 
logistics,  is  currently  being  prepared  by  the  Commission.  The  deployment  of 
European satellite navigation systems such as EGNOS and Galileo are a cornerstone 
of such a policy. 

Freight  has  also  an  urban  dimension.  Distribution  of  goods  in  urban  areas  requires 
efficient  interfaces  between  trunk-deliveries  over  long  distances  and  short  distance 
distribution to the final destination. This issue is part of the European Commission's 
Green Paper on urban mobility which will lead to future actions in this area. 

A second prerequisite for more efficient use of transport infrastructure is the removal 
of operational and commercial barriers obstructing access to the infrastructure. This 
issue is taken up by the Communication on a Freight-oriented Rail Network because 
absence  of  coordination  in  path  allocation  makes  cross-border  traffic  arrangements 
unnecessarily  complex  and  adds  to  physical  obstacles  to  rail  operations  and 
unnecessary delays. 

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3.3. 

Simplification 

Over  time,  services  and  regulations  have  evolved  by  mode  and  often  by  country, 
leading  to  different  sets  of  rules  on  documentation,  liability  or  other  administrative 
requirements and procedures.  

Measures to simplify the administrative environment of freight transport are focussed 
in  the  first  instance  on  multi-modal  transport  chains.  The  Freight  Logistics  Action 
Plan underlines the importance of advancing towards a single point of interface for 
administrative  requirements 
the  question  of 
documentation and liability in multi-modal transport. In parallel, the Communication 
on  a  Freight-oriented  Rail  Network  addresses  the  issue  of  harmonisation  of  rules 
along rail corridors.  

in  freight  and  also  addresses 

The administrative and documentary complexity of short sea shipping is a particular 
case. This is partly owing to inherent characteristics of shipping but also because a 
ship sailing between two EU ports is considered leaving the EU customs territory at 
the port of departure to re-enter that territory in the port of destination. This entails a 
number of procedures that need to be carried out. This point is being examined in the 
Commission staff working paper on a European maritime space without barriers. 

3.4. 

Freight transport quality 

Quality  of  service  in  freight  transport  needs  to  be  improved,  especially  if  modal 
alternatives to road are to be rendered more attractive. Rail in particular should strive 
to  improve  its  performance  while  the  integration  of  waterborne  modes  in  the 
transport  logistics  chain  should  be  enhanced.The  Freight  Logistics  Action  Plan 
suggests  ways  to  improve  performance  in  logistics  chains  and  specifically  looks  at 
the service levels in multimodal transhipment hubs. 

4. 

ROLE OF THE EC 

To improve the efficiency and sustainability of freight transport, the authorities have 
to  create  the  appropriate  framework  conditions  and  support  the  trend  towards  co-
modality and sustainability. This includes adopting appropriate legislative measures, 
mandating  technical  standardisation,  providing  political  and  financial  support  and 
encouraging  the  promotion  of  best  practices.  Through  the  Freight  Logistics  Action 
Plan, the Communication on a Freight-oriented Rail Network, the Communication on 
a  European  Ports  Policy  and  the  Commission  staff  working  papers  "Towards  a 
European  maritime  space  without  barriers"  and  on  Motorways  of  the  Sea,  which 
together constitute the 2007 Freight Transport Agenda, the European Commission is 
addressing the actions that need to be undertaken at the level of the EU. 

European  efforts  in  support  of  transport  corridors,  improved  traffic  and  freight 
management,  simplification  and  quality  are  particularly  necessary  in  view  of  the 
trans-national  nature  of  the  corridors,  the  increasing  share  of  cross-border  freight 
transport as the Internal Market develops, and the opportunities for growth and trade 
beyond the EU's external borders. Furthermore, in an industry that relies heavily on 
innovation the absence of a European approach  would lead to the fragmentation of 
markets  and  hinder  the  introduction  of  new  technologies  or  innovative  solutions, 

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particularly for SMEs. Finally, the environmental concerns raised by freight transport 
require a common effort. 

5. 

DRIVING THINGS FURTHER 

The  simultaneous  adoption  of  initiatives  that  address  the  transport  of  freight  bears 
witness to the importance of this topic for the sustainability and the competitiveness 
of  Europe's  economies.  The  proposals  that  they  contain  are  the  result  of  a  long 
process  of  consultations.  It  has  had  as  a  result  the  launching  of  a  European  Social 
dialogue  on  Ports  and  is  likely  to  encourage  intensive  social  dialogue  also  at  local 
and regional level. 

The set of policy initiatives introduced in this document point the way to a European 
freight  transport  policy  that  is  constructed  on  the  principles  of  co-modality, 
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), green corridors and user orientation: 

–  co-modality  requires  improving  the  efficiency,  interoperability  and  inter-
connectivity  of  rail,  maritime,  inland  waterway  transport,  air,  road  transport  and 
related hubs to achieve their full integration in a seamless door-to-door service; 

–  Intelligent  Transport  Systems  offer  a  way  to  improving  transport  and  cargo 

management, and increasing the utilisation of available infrastructure; 

–  the concept of green corridors gives further substance to the objective to integrate 
environmental, as well as safety and security concerns in the design and operation 
of infrastructure on the trans-European transport network; 

–  finally, user requirements need to become the focus of the future.  

These  principles  will  guide  the  implementation  of  the  actions  and  initiatives  now 
proposed by the European Commission. 

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