Integration of European Inland Transport Markets

157 Pages·2000·0.747 MB·English

by  OECD

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EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT
Integration of European
Inland Transport Markets
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT (ECMT)
The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) is an inter-governmental organisation
established by a Protocol signed in Brussels on 17 October 1953. It is a forum in which Ministers
responsible for transport, and more specifically the inland transport sector, can co-operate on policy.
Within this forum, Ministers can openly discuss current problems and agree upon joint approaches aimed
at improving the utilisation and at ensuring the rational development of European transport systems
of international importance.
At present, the ECMT’s role primarily consists of:
– helping to create an integrated transport system throughout the enlarged Europe that is economically
and technically efficient, meets the highest possible safety and environmental standards and
takes full account of the social dimension;
– helping also to build a bridge between the European Union and the rest of the continent at a
political level.
The Council of the Conference comprises the Ministers of Transport of 39 full Member countries:
Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, FYR Macedonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the
Russian Federation, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the
United Kingdom. There are five Associate member countries (Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and
the United States) and three Observer countries (Armenia, Liechtenstein and Morocco).
A Committee of Deputies, composed of senior civil servants representing Ministers, prepares
proposals for consideration by the Council of Ministers. The Committee is assisted by working groups,
each of which has a specific mandate.
The issues currently being studied – on which policy decisions by Ministers will be required –
include the development and implementation of a pan-European transport policy; the integration of
Central and Eastern European Countries into the European transport market; specific issues relating to
transport by rail, road and waterway; combined transport; transport and the environment; the social costs
of transport; trends in international transport and infrastructure needs; transport for people with mobility
handicaps; road safety; traffic management; road traffic information and new communications technologies.
Statistical analyses of trends in traffic and investment are published regularly by the ECMT and
provide a clear indication of the situation, on a trimestrial or annual basis, in the transport sector in
different European countries.
As part of its research activities, the ECMT holds regular Symposia, Seminars and Round Tables on
transport economics issues. Their conclusions are considered by the competent organs of the Conference
under the authority of the Committee of Deputies and serve as a basis for formulating proposals for
policy decisions to be submitted to Ministers.
The ECMT’s Documentation Service has extensive information available concerning the transport
sector. This information is accessible on the ECMT Internet site.
For administrative purposes the ECMT’s Secretariat is attached to the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Publié en français sous le titre :
INTÉGRATION DES MARCHÉS DES TRANSPORTS TERRESTRES EUROPÉENS
Further information about the ECMT is available on Internet at the following address:
http://www.oecd.org/cem/
© ECMT 2000 – ECMT Publications are distributed by: OECD Publications Service,
2, rue André-Pascal, 75775 PARIS CEDEX 16, France.
FOREWORD
Over the last decade ECMT membership has more than doubled to its present 39 full members.
As a political organisation for transport authorities, ECMT has a key role in the integration and
development of the European transport system. The organisation contributes to these objectives in
various ways, through information exchange, policy dialogue and the formulation of political
agreements on policies and measures. The annual Ministerial Council provides a valuable opportunity
to give a political impetus to the process of integration and to resolve practical difficulties.
While the broad policy approaches are converging in terms of adherence to market principles and
gradual harmonisation of laws, there are significant differences between countries and there are also
obstacles and difficulties to closer integration. There are many topics that are relevant to the
integration process in the transport sector, including infrastructure standards and financing, legal
harmonisation, development of business and logistics practices, and overcoming obstacles (such as
border crossings for example).
This collection of papers represents recent ECMT work on some of these topics. Some are the
output of Working Groups and others are contributions from individual experts. The chapters stand
alone but there is a coherent message on the need to work on several fronts to improve the integration
of markets and to open opportunities for trade and social contacts. The papers, as well as the
conclusions, recommendations and formal Resolutions, were presented in Warsaw to the ECMT
Ministerial session in 1999. They are the basis for an ongoing discussion and contribute to the
integration of transport markets and the gradual achievement of transport policy convergence in
Europe.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I. MAIN ISSUES AND TRENDS...................................................................... 7
1. Introduction and background.................................................................................................. 9
2. Macroeconomic framework.................................................................................................. 10
3. Transport trends in transition countries................................................................................. 12
4. Investment trends and infrastructure needs........................................................................... 15
5. Obstacles to more efficient transport.................................................................................... 17
6. Modal issues.......................................................................................................................... 18
7. Directions for further work................................................................................................... 20
8. Conclusions........................................................................................................................... 21
CHAPTER II. PAN-EUROPEAN PROCESS OF LEGAL HARMONISATION
AND ADJUSTMENT OF TRANSPORT SYSTEMS.................................. 23
1. Introduction........................................................................................................................... 25
2. Involvement of European countries in the integration process in the transport sector......... 26
3. Progress in the ECMT Member countries in harmonising and approximating their
national legislation with EU law.......................................................................................... 28
4. ECMT’s role in providing political support for transport law harmonisation
and approximation process in Europe.................................................................................. 29
Recommendations on the Pan-European process of legal harmonisation
and adjustment of transport systems..................................................................................... 30
CHAPTER III. EMERGING TRADE AND TRANSPORT LINKS
BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA.............................................................. 31
Background ................................................................................................................................. 33
A. REGIONAL FLOWS: NEW ORIENTATIONS IN A CONTEXT OF GLOBALISATION
AND THE OPENING OF EUROPE............................................................................................. 33
1. The context of sharply increased globalisation and European openness.............................. 34
2. The rebirth and recognition of regional flows....................................................................... 38
3. Multi-regional co-operation in a European transport area.................................................... 42
B. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SURFACE TRANSPORT ROUTES BETWEEN
EUROPE AND ASIA.................................................................................................................... 47
1. Introduction........................................................................................................................... 47
2. Results................................................................................................................................... 51
3. Recommendations................................................................................................................. 63
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C. TRANSPORT BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON RAIL........... 65
1. Introduction........................................................................................................................... 65
2. Euro–Asian railroad development......................................................................................... 67
3. Transport costs to Far East destinations................................................................................ 70
4. Commercial and economic criteria for assessing interest in individual routes..................... 71
5. Conclusions and Recommendations..................................................................................... 72
CHAPTER IV. OBSTACLES TO TRADE AND GOODS TRANSPORT.......................... 73
A. THE REMOVAL OF OBSTACLES AT BORDER CROSSINGS
FOR INTERNATIONAL ROAD GOODS TRANSPORT.......................................................... 75
1. Introduction........................................................................................................................... 75
2. General Analysis................................................................................................................... 76
3. Findings................................................................................................................................. 78
4. Recommendations................................................................................................................. 81
B. THE REMOVAL OF OBSTACLES AT BORDER CROSSINGS
FOR INTERNATIONAL RAIL GOODS TRANSPORT............................................................ 87
1. Introduction........................................................................................................................... 87
2. Within the European Union and EFTA Region.................................................................... 88
3. Frontiers Between EU and Central and Eastern European Countries and within CEECs.... 93
4. Between CEECs and CIS or Baltic States............................................................................. 94
5. Monitoring of waiting times at borders................................................................................. 95
6. Recommendations................................................................................................................. 96
C. COMBATING CRIME IN TRANSPORT................................................................................. 105
1. Theft of goods and vehicles and assaults on drivers........................................................... 105
2. Fraud in transit regimes....................................................................................................... 109
3. Suggestions for a new stance by ECMT Council of Ministers of Transport...................... 113
Resolution on the Removal of Obstacles at Border Crossings
for International Goods Transport...................................................................................... 115
Resolution on Crime in Transport.............................................................................................. 119
CHAPTER V. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS (PPPS) IN TRANSPORT
INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING.......................................................... 121
1. Policy Issues........................................................................................................................ 123
2. What is a PPP?.................................................................................................................... 123
3. Why PPP?........................................................................................................................... 124
4. Experience with PPPs......................................................................................................... 124
5. Possibilities, limits and obstacles for PPPs......................................................................... 125
6. Role of Government............................................................................................................ 126
7. How to develop a project.................................................................................................... 128
8. Some key lessons and issues............................................................................................... 128
Conclusions and Recommendations on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
in Transport Infrastructure Financing................................................................................. 153
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Chapter I
MAIN ISSUES AND TRENDS
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