Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in maritime transport

Transcription

1 Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in maritime transport EUROPEAN COMMISSION Dimitrios Theologitis Head of Unit Maritime Transport & Ports Policy, Maritime Security 1

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3 The Mediterranean is a key sea-lane for the world s seaborne transport system In volume, 30% of the world sea-borne trade originates or is directed to Mediterranean ports or passes through the Mediterranean In addition to ships in transit, more than 2,000 ferries, 1,500 cargo ships and 2,000 commercial crafts (300 of which are tankers) operate permanently in the Mediterranean There are about 200,000 large craft operations between Mediterranean ports crossings. 3

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5 The Mediterranean is also one of the major shipping routes for oil From the Arabian Gulf, through the Suez Canal, the loading terminals from the Middle East and from the Black Sea, through the strait of Dardanelles (crude oil) Moreover, there are a significant number of refineries in the region and a heavy network for distribution of oil refined products (including very heavy «dirty» products). The most important oil traffic lane (90% of tanker traffic) connects Suez and the Sidi Kerir terminal in Egypt with Gibraltar, passing between Sicily and Malta and then following the coasts of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Overall, some 20-25% of the world s sea-borne oil traffic transits the MED. 5

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8 A modern maritime transport system must be sustainable from an economic and social as well as an environmental viewpoint Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in maritime transport 8

9 Barcelona process: Union for the Mediterranean Joint declaration of the Paris summit of 13 July 2008 (extract): The Mediterranean is a sea that joins, not separates, its people. It is also a highway for commerce. Easy and safe access and flow of goods and people, on land and sea, is essential for maintaining relations and enhancing regional trade. The development of motorways of the sea, including the connection of ports, throughout the entire Mediterranean basin as well as the creation of coastal motorways and the modernisation of the trans-maghreb train, will increase the flow and freedom of the movement of people and goods. Particular attention should be devoted to cooperation in the field of maritime security and safety, in a perspective of global integration in the Mediterranean region. 9

10 Euro-Mediterranean transport cooperation so far Intensive Policy Dialogue for Transport established under the Barcelona process: Euro-Mediterranean Transport Ministers Conference Euromed Transport Forum (political body) Thematic Transport Working Groups Priorities fixed at the 1st Marrakesh Conference (2005) Regional Transport Action Plan (adopted 2007) 200 million Commission funding on transport projects Regional Mediterranean projects including SafeMed I and II and MEDA Motorways of the Sea Projects 10

11 EU - EuroMed Transport Project Partners : Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey 11

12 Regional Transport Action Plan Adopted at the 8th EuroMed Transport Forum in May 2007, in includes 34 actions in different sectors : Maritime transport and ports Road transport: harmonizing international road freight Railway transport: interoperability and structural reform Civil aviation: opening-up markets and making air transport safer and sustainable Developing integrated multimodal services and issues 12

13 Priorities for maritime transport and ports: A) Improving the efficiency of ports: 1. Institutional reform (port authorities) 2. Simplification of customs procedures 3. Reduction of dwell times in container terminals 4. Implementation of the IMO-FAL Convention B) Reforms in the shipping sector: 1. Removal of factors distorting competition 2. Accomplishing the liberalization of international maritime transport services 3. Encouraging the renewal of the fleet 13

14 Priorities for maritime transport and ports: C) Regulatory reform on safety and security: 1. Ratification and implementation of IMO and ILO Conventions 2. Implementation of the ISPS Security regulation, at the Flag and Port levels 3. By 2013, removal of all Mediterranean countries from the Black List of the Paris MoU D) Technological apparatus: 1. Implementations of VTS or VTMIS in all major MED ports coverage of all coastal areas 2. Introduction of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) in port management operations, including customs 14

15 More than 300 ports in the region new hubs in Morocco, Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia, adding capacity to ports in Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain 15

16 EU Ports Policy Communication (October 2007): European s port performance and Hinterland connections are a key issue for the efficiency of the EU Transport Policy as a whole The Commission intends to evaluate ports hinterland connections status and needs and their impact on a balanced network of traffic flows on the occasion of the mid-term review of the trans-european transport network in 2010 The Mediterranean dimension will be fully taken into account 16

17 Trans-European Transport Networks 17

18 An EU financed project being implemented by the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) It involves several actions to assist the improvement of the safety of navigation through the development of traffic monitoring systems. This includes the compilation of an inventory of available equipment and data exchange systems in Mediterranean Countries. The expertise assembled by EMSA on this (SafeSeaNet) as well as on the use of ICT (including GNSS) for improving the efficiency of sea / land interfaces will be used appropriately. 18

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20 Maritime Safety The Maritime Policy aims to provide a coherent framework, which creates synergies between different uses of the sea and resolves potential conflicts - An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union «BLUE PAPER» (2007) 20

21 Integrated Maritime Policy next steps Building on all those elements, the Commission is preparing now An Integrated Maritime Policy for the Mediterranean. The aim is to enhance all partners' capacity to face the challenges of: globalisation and competitiveness, climate change, degradation of the marine environment, maritime safety and security, and energy security and sustainability. 21

22 Thank you for your attention Dimitrios Theologitis Maritime Transport & Ports Policy, Maritime Security 22