Given the projected increase in demand for transport in the enlarged European Union, as well as the constantly rising expectations regarding its quality and efficiency, defining a strategy and future directions for transport development is becoming a necessity. Reducing road transport and improving the state of the natural environment in relation to the transport system as a whole, by shifting some freight from road transport to maritime, rail, and inland waterway transport, are the main tasks that the Community countries have set for themselves for the coming years. In line with the concept of sustainable development of individual transport branches, the European Union is taking a number of actions aimed at changing the above proportions while simultaneously raising the standards of transport services provided.
The introduction of a number of pilot programs by the European Commission is intended to create a single, fundamental direction for transport policy, which also includes newly acceding countries such as Poland. These directions are determined, among other things, by creating a common transport policy that emphasizes certain areas of activity mainly related to ecology, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, noise reduction, congestion, and others. Priority is given to investments in modern logistics and transport solutions, i.e., the construction of combined transport terminals, logistics centers, and the standardization of intermodal loading units. These solutions are intended to increase the quality of services provided, their comprehensiveness, as well as to minimize the negative effects of conventional transport. Actions taken in this regard, aimed at changing the structure of transport, result in the implementation of a number of projects and programs financed from EU structural funds. One such pan-European project is the Marco Polo program, the goal of which is to support commercial ventures in shifting some of the cargo carried by road transport to other modes of transport. The Marco Polo program is a continuation of the PACT program, which ended at the end of 2001, thanks to which over 167 specific projects were implemented, including new combined transport connections.
In its 2001 White Paper, the European Commission recorded a package of measures aimed at promoting the development of rail and combined transport in Europe. One of the very important indications of the European Commission is also the recommendation to allocate public funds for terminal investments (including logistics centers) and for improving infrastructure access to rail transport terminals.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 3/2004.