The European Parliament,

–   having regard to its resolution of 7 July 2000 on the Commission communication to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions "The Development of Short Sea Shipping in Europe: A Dynamic Alternative in a Sustainable Transport Chain - Second Two-Yearly Progress Report"(1),

–   having regard to its resolution of 12 February 2003 on the Commission White Paper "European transport policy for 2010: time to decide"(2),

–   having regard to the Commission White Paper "European transport policy for 2010: time to decide" (COM(2001)0370 – C5-0658/2001),

–   having regard to the Commission communication "Programme for the Promotion of Short Sea Shipping" (COM(2003)0155),

–   having regard to the Commission communication on short sea shipping (COM(2004)0453),

–   having regard to the Commission communication "Community guidelines on State aid to maritime transport" (C(2004)0043),

–   having regard to the outcome of the informal Transport Council of 9 and 10 July 2004,

–   having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A6-0055/2005),

A.   whereas short sea shipping is the waterborne transport of cargo and passengers by sea or inland waterway and part of the logistic transport chain in Europe and the regions connected to Europe, and whereas short sea shipping is an integrated part of the logistic transport chain between supplier and user and is a means of waterborne transport in geographical Europe whether intra-Community or between the European Union and third countries, such as countries on the Mediterranean or on the Black Sea,

B.   whereas the newly conceived trans-European network of 'Motorways of the Sea', particularly the 'Motorways' in the Baltic, Western Europe, South-East Europe and South-West Europe, should have the aim of concentrating the movement of goods on maritime logistic routes in such a way as to improve existing short sea shipping services or create new, viable, regular and frequent short sea shipping services for the movement of goods and passengers between the Member States, so as to reduce road congestion and improve transport links with peripheral or island regions and States,

C.   whereas short sea shipping, which accounts for more than 40% of intra-Community traffic, forms an integral part of the European transport system given that short sea shipping means the movement of cargo and passengers by sea or inland waterway European ports or between those ports and ports situated in non-European countries with a coastline on the enclosed seas bordering Europe,

D.   whereas short sea shipping also offers significant potential for passenger transport,

E.   whereas short sea shipping needs to be developed to fulfil its economic and commercial, social and environmental role; whereas national governments, together with regional and local authorities, will have to provide the necessary political, economic and financial support to achieve this goal, in cooperation with the industries involved,

F.   stressing that, in view of its potential in terms of compatibility with the environment, combating the congestion affecting many roads, and limiting costs, short sea shipping is capable of becoming an even more important link in the intermodal transport system in Europe, with a promising future, if a series of Community, national, regional and local measures are taken by the public authorities and by the private sector in order to develop it fully,

G.   whereas short sea shipping has an important role to play in the economic and social development of all European regions, particularly coastal regions and outlying maritime regions, and, consequently, for Community cohesion,

H.   whereas the development of short sea shipping also affords a unique opportunity to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the maritime sector in the years ahead,

I.   whereas, by fostering trade, short sea shipping also promotes the social and economic growth of third countries bordering the peripheral maritime regions and interested in links with the infrastructure of the European transport network,

J.   reiterating the idea that, even though the maritime and logistical industry is chiefly responsible for developing short sea shipping, intervention on the part of European, national and regional institutions is nevertheless essential to create favourable conditions for such development; whereas there have been some positive initiatives, such as the definition of national focal points, agreements on Community legislation in relation to the Marco Polo programme and the simplified use of IMO-FAL forms (International Maritime Organisation - Facilitation of international transport) ,

K.   welcoming the regional initiatives to promote short sea shipping and create short sea shipping links, such as the initiative for the Mediterranean region involving Spain, Italy, France, Portugal and Greece, and the initiatives taken by Member States to promote and implement the concept of Motorways of the Sea in the four areas defined by Decision No 884/2004/EC(3), in particular the initiatives in the Baltic Sea region, the initiatives taken by the countries of the Mediterranean Arc including France, Spain, Greece and Italy and the Atlantic Arc Commission,

1.  Calls for short sea shipping to be promoted more strongly as a credible, sustainable and safe link in the European transport system which is well integrated in the transport chain thanks, for example, to inland waterway transport and rail links, in order to reduce congestion; calls for the modal shift from road transport to short sea shipping to be encouraged and for links to be improved with outlying and island areas and states dependent on maritime transport and between regions separated by natural barriers, whilst strengthening cohesion within the European Union and between the Union and its neighbours;

2.  Calls for the administrative procedures which hinder the development of short sea shipping to be reduced as much as possible without compromising aspects relating to security and safety, and particularly procedures which disrupt the logistical process and weaken the competitive position of this mode of transport by comparison with road transport; considers that procedures should be simplified and made easier, in particular by making full use of electronic communication possibilities;

3.  Calls for the development of high-quality corridors for short sea shipping between European Union Member States, with the full participation of all interested parties, public and private, where it is possible to make appropriate use of the instruments recently created by the European Union, in particular those relating to the trans-European transport network and the Marco Polo programme;

4.  Calls for priority to be given to investment in infrastructure in order to improve access to ports from both land and sea, including for example cross-border projects within the trans-European transport network;

5.  Supports, in this context, the Commission programmes aimed at simplifying the legal framework applying to short sea shipping and inland waterway transport, encouraging the creation of one-stop shops organised under private or public law in accordance with the legal situation in each Member State by simplifying administrative and customs formalities and through multimodal partnerships, for example between road hauliers and maritime carriers, which will also enable small and medium-sized undertakings to take full advantage of intermodal transport;

6.  Stresses the need for cooperation between all interested parties, both public and private, in promoting and developing the quality of short sea shipping operations at regional, national and European level;

7.  Stresses the potential of short sea shipping as a complementary mode of transport available very quickly and at low cost pending completion of certain trans-European transport network railway infrastructures; stresses, for example, the pressing need for alternative means of transport between France and Spain pending the opening, in about 2020, of a connection between Montpellier and Figueras;

8.  Calls for short sea shipping to be promoted as an environmentally-friendly mode of transport and consequently for the establishment of Motorways of the Sea with solid environmental requirements;

European uniform system of liability:

9.  Calls for fresh consideration to be given at Community level to unifying liability systems for the multimodal chain, particularly by evaluating the various possible civil liability models and taking an active part in the work being undertaken at international level (in particular within the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)) with the aim of a worldwide and/or European uniform system of liability which is tailored to the needs of intermodal transport in Europe and is a more uniform, simpler and more advantageous system;

Intermodal Loading Units (ILU):

10.  Stresses the need to settle the issue of the standardisation of ILUs, developing an acceptable standardisation system allowing the most widespread and effective use of loading units, with interoperability being ensured between all modes, and particularly between maritime transport, inland waterways, rail and road transport;

11.  Recalls in this connection its position of 12 February 2004(4) on a first reading of a proposal for a directive on intermodal loading units that a European intermodal loading unit should be created, combining the advantages of a container with those of a swap body and thereby maximising intermodality; urges the Councilto adopt a Common Position on the proposal so that the legislative procedure can be completed as soon as possible;

Customs:

12.  Recalls that, as a maritime freight transport mode, short sea shipping is covered by Community customs legislation;

13.  Declares itself in favour of optimum use of the exemptions offered by Community customs rules and the promotion of customs facilities operated under simplified systems for goods which may be moved freely within the framework of authorised regular shipping services;

14.  Invites in this context all parties concerned to develop and use the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) which has been introduced by the customs administrations and which is likely to make customs operations for short sea shipping more efficient and less lengthy;

Electronic communication:

15.  Calls for the setting-up of further electronic offices at sea ports where all mandatory formalities can be completed in a single operation;

16.  Calls on the Member States to consider the possibility of offering electronic communication equipment to their ports, with the necessary Community funding, using a centralised system of electronic communication wherever possible (one-stop-shop);

17.  Stresses that, in order to speed up the development of electronic communication, the setting-up of electronic port communities and their networking within the Union, and if possible also with States adjoining the Union, should be proposed and promoted throughout the European Union, with account being taken of best practice already developed in several Member States;

Support structures for short sea shipping:

18.  Welcomes the European Short Sea Network action plan and calls on the promotion centres to implement it as quickly as possible;

19.  Appreciates the important work being carried out by national short sea shipping promotion centres and their European network, and calls on the Member States to support these offices in appropriate cases, in accordance with Community legislation;

20.  Stresses that a strategic environmental impact assessment of the planned Motorways of the Sea must be performed jointly by Member States and the Commission; considers that this EIA should examine the environmental impact not only of the route itself but also of port developments and the impact on transport movements in the hinterland;

21.  Calls on the Commission to accompany its promotion of short sea shipping by proposing improvements in social standards for employees in this sector;

Environmental aspects:

22.  Recalls the need to promote the positive environmental image of short sea shipping, particularly as regards water and air pollution, and therefore to lay down minimum environmental requirements such as the use of low-sulphur fuel and limits for emissions (of SOx, NOx, CO2, etc.) into air and water; considers that greater attention should also be devoted to promoting the Clean Ship concept adopted at the fifth North Sea Ministerial Conference held in 2002;

23.  Stresses nevertheless the need for stricter Community legislation on gaseous emissions and water pollution generated by short sea shipping;

24.  Reiterates the need to encourage and continue research into less polluting fuels;

25.  Reiterates the need to update statistical data on the growth of the various modes of transport in Europe, especially data on the origin and destination of goods transported by land, in order to help in the intermodal shift to sea transport;

Motorways of the Sea:

26.  Recognises the great importance of the concept of Motorways of the Sea and their ability to become a useful tool for promoting short sea shipping, making it possible to provide encouragement, primarily by cofinancing infrastructure measures in appropriate cases, for the modal shift from road to sea and to improve accessibility between outlying and island regions and central market areas in an appropriate manner;

27.  Notes the current debates on the "Motorways of the Sea Quality Label" which could be developed for intermodal operations using short sea shipping and meeting a number of quality criteria; notes that the Motorways of the Sea Quality Label could be awarded to existing high-quality operations and to other operations where commitments are given to achieving a required quality standard, with or without support from public funds granted in accordance with Community rules, notably the competition rules;

28.  Calls for the adoption of effective, clear and adequate financing arrangements for actions linked to Motorways of the Sea and short sea shipping lines, allowing the optimum level of complementarity or indeed additionality of financing so as to enable lasting and viable new lines to be set up (which, however, must not on any account be detrimental to existing short sea shipping services) where necessary with the involvement of public services, in compliance with Community rules;

29.  Urges that aggregation of demand should be included as a priority criterion in the conditions envisaged in the Community guidelines on State aid to maritime transport;

30.  Calls for clarification of the Community rules applicable to the signing of agreements initiating the exploitation of Motorway of the Sea operations and the competition-related conditions for national public financing of short sea shipping projects and Motorways of the Sea;

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31.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

(1) OJ C 121, 24.4.2001, p. 489. (2) OJ C 43 E, 19.2.2004, p. 250. (3) 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). (4) OJ C 97 E, 22.4.2004, p. 612.