Commission staff working document

In the Baltic Sea region, transport is particularly important as the distances – internally, to the rest of Europe and to the wider world – are very long and the conditions for traffic are often difficult (forests, lakes, snow and ice in the winter, etc.). Raw materials and manufactured goods deriving from the rich natural resources in the northernmost parts of the region are attractive on the world market. This region, which is partly located on the periphery of the economic centre of Europe, depends strongly on foreign trade in goods and on an international exchange of knowledge and services. Thus a well-functioning transport system, combined with greater attention to the spatial development and location patterns, is of vital importance for its prosperity and economic growth.

The geography of the Baltic Sea region makes transport particularly challenging. The improvement of internal and external transport links, increasing the efficiency and minimising the environmental impact of transport systems, should contribute to higher competitiveness of the Baltic Sea region, and increase its accessibility and attractiveness.

One of the main elements of the EUSBSR is the potential to generate added value for the region through the coordination of activities aimed at facilitating border crossing. Of particular interest are activities concerning border crossing infrastructure and procedures on the border between the EU and its neighbouring countries. The region benefits from transiting freight flows and from higher mobility among EU and non-EU citizens. Regional initiatives that aim to remove bottlenecks should receive adequate attention and support.
The further development of a sustainable transport system in the macro-region is one of the key objectives of the strategy. Actions in the transport area have an important impact on the environment and the economy, thus contributing to other goals of the strategy as well.

The recent drive for innovation and environmentally-friendly transport solutions has become evident through green corridors initiatives, which bring together various stakeholders and actions in order to provide greener international logistics services.

A comprehensive system for the design, the monitoring and the follow-up of indicators and targets will be set up in 2013, under the responsibility of the priority area coordinators. When they are still missing, targets and deadline, baseline, and statistics/information sources related to the above indicators will be defined.

Macro-regional cooperation should increase on transport issues for example on the interoperability of transport systems, icebreaking, co-modality, transport research and development, the application of new solutions in particular in traffic management systems (air, road, rail, maritime), the promotion of joint actions (e.g. on road safety) and the sharing of best practices.

In particular, both the TEN-T core and comprehensive network should be implemented on time, with due priority given to the TEN-T core network corridors.

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  Timely completion of major infrastructure projects in the macro-region, including:
  

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  Upgrading of road, rail and maritime infrastructure in Sweden and Finland across borders on the Nordic Triangle multimodal corridor;
  
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  Rail Baltica linking Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (as well as Finland through a rail-ferry service);
  
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  Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link between Denmark and Germany with the improved access to railways from Copenhagen and Hannover/Bremen via Hamburg (a part of Green STRING Corridor);
  
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  Railway axis Gdańsk-Warsaw-Brno/Bratislava-Vienna (Rail freight Corridor No 5);
  
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  Motorway axis Gdańsk-Brno/Bratislava-Vienna;
  
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  Railway axis Stockholm-Malmö-Copenhagen-Hamburg-Innsbruck-Verona-Palermo (Rail freight corridor No 3).
  

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  Railway axis Bremerhaven/Rotterdam-Terespol (Poland-Belarus border)-Kaunas (Rail Freight Corridor No. 8);
  
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  Via Baltica linking Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia;
  
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  TEN-T core network East-West connections through the Baltic States and in the north of the region;
  
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  The Bothnian Corridor (divided between the Swedish side and the Finnish side), which connects the Northern Axis to the Nordic Triangle and to Rail Baltica;
  
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  Northern Axis;
  
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  Links with the Barents region;
  
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  Multimodal (North-South Transport Axes: from Scandinavia-Germany/Poland to the Adriatic Sea).
  

The Northern Dimension policy (Northern Dimension Partnership on Transport and Logistics) is a suitable platform for cooperation regarding development of major transport connections and freight transport logistics. Special attention should be given to removing non infrastructure-related bottlenecks, such as those associated with border crossings. Member States should also explore options for new connections to the East and Far East (the gateway to Asia).

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  Make full use of cooperation with the Northern Dimension Partnership on Transport and Logistics. The purpose of this partnership is to identify appropriate priorities in terms of infrastructure, interoperability and border crossing facilitation that could strengthen the transport system, primarily in the Baltic Sea area, thus identifying possible sources of financing (national funds, EU funds, international financial institutions) that could support the implementation of such projects. Lead: NDPTL secretariat. Deadline for progress review: 2014.
  

Freight transport solutions can be supported through a number of initiatives, e.g. by removing non infrastructure-related bottlenecks, promoting inter-modal connections, developing the Green Corridor concept by implementing specific projects, developing infrastructure, supporting logistics service providers, establishing coordinated electronic administrative procedures or harmonising control procedures.

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  Development of green corridors network implies an effective implementation of EU regulations, restrictions and incentives. The main aim is to make transport system efficient and effective thus reducing the external effects, emissions, noise, accidents and congestion (several green corridor projects and initiatives are currently running: COINCO North II, GreCor, the cluster of transport projects on sustainable, multimodal and green transport corridors). Lead: East-West Transport corridor Association. Deadline: 2015.
  

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  Easy Way programme (use of intelligent transport systems for more efficient transport operations, e.g. deployment of ITS Services on TEN-T network in the Baltic Sea region in order to facilitate passenger and freight transport). Lead: Baltic Easy Way Partners Steering Group. Deadline: to be determined.
  

Through, inter alia, identifying and implementing the Motorways of the Sea⁶⁰ and Marco Polo actions; developing ports and their adequate connections to the hinterland, in particular by rail and inland waterways; increasing the competitiveness and efficiency of sea shipping through the prompt introduction of EU Maritime Transport Space without barriers and through the gradual introduction of e-freight and e-maritime concepts; supporting safe, energy efficient and sustainable short sea shipping and port operations.

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  Baltic Motorways of the Seas network links the Baltic Sea Member States with Member States in Central and Western Europe through sustainable transport links, including the route through the North Sea/Kiel Canal/Danish straits. Essential elements in the Motorways of the Sea projects are, inter alia, improved road and rail infrastructure that links the port with the hinterland, improved infrastructure within a port, ITS solutions, environmental measures and activities related to winter navigation. Several Motorways of the Sea projects are currently running (in particular Karlshamm – Klaipeda link, as well as the Karlskrona-Gdynia links). Lead: The Baltic Motorways of the Sea Task Force. Deadline for progress review: 2015.