Legislative Actions
Implementation of the Directive on certain reporting formalities for ships arriving in and/or departing from ports of the Member States (IMO-FAL).
This directive requirs Member States to accept the standard International Maritime Organisation (IMO) FAL forms when it is possible to obtain the relevant arrival/departure information for a ship from these forms. This means that the multitude of different national forms will be replaced by one common set of forms. The Directive entered into force from 9 September 2003.
Implementation of the Marco Polo programme
The Marco Polo and Marco Polo II programme, with an average annual budget of 18.75 million, is aimed at shifting 12 billion tonne-kilometres a year of road freight to short sea shipping, rail and inland waterways.
Standardisation and harmonisation of intermodal loading units
The multitude of different configurations of intermodal loading units (containers and swap-bodies) creates delays when moving from one mode of transport to another. The Commission has presented a proposal for a Directive (COM(2003) 155 final) which will help decrease friction costs and enable short sea shipping to acquire a larger share of the swap-body market.
Development of 'Motorways of the Sea'
Motorways of the Sea should make it possible to bypass land bottlenecks in Europe as part of comprehensive door-to-door logistics chains, by offering efficient, regular and frequent services that can compete with road, particularly in terms of transit time and price.
Improvement of the environmental performance of Short Sea Shipping
Maritime transport is, in general, less harmful to the environment per tonne or passenger carried. A modal shift to short sea shipping could, for example, contribute to fulfilling the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol.
Technical Actions
Guide to Customs Procedures for Short Sea Shipping
The Commission has published a Guide to Customs Procedures for short sea shipping which has a dual purpose: firstly, to explain the Customs rules, indicating opportunities for using simplified procedures (the basis for the second objective) and, secondly, to identify specific needs for further simplification.
Identification and elimination of obstacles to making Short Sea Shipping more successful
Since 1999 the Commission has been making a list of the factors hampering the development of Short Sea Shipping. These obstacles can be classified into five categories: its old-fashioned image, its complex administrative procedures, the lack of efficiency at ports, inconsistency in the application of rules and procedures among Member States and the fact that it is not integrated into the intermodal logistics chain.
Alignment of the national application of, and computerisation of, EU Customs Procedures
The 'eCustoms' initiative is aimed at speeding up and simplifying the procedures involved in declaring cargo. One of the first tasks in this initiative is to implement the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS), which will replace the paperwork required by the Single Administrative Document (SAD) procedure, in some 3 000 Customs offices in 22 countries.
Research and Technological Development
The objectives of this research are to improve the quality, safety, security and environmental performance of maritime transport. A Thematic Network for short sea shipping has been established within the framework of the Framework Programme , to carry out research directly related to short sea shipping.
Operational Actions
One-Stop Administrative Shops
'One-stop administrative shops' in ports are aimed at simplifying the formalities relating to the arrival, departure and clearance of ships. The aim is firstly, to limit the number of administrative authorities boarding and checking every ship, or at least to coordinate their activities, and secondly, to offer port users a single contact point or help-desk for administrative formalities.
Ensuring the vital role of Short Sea Shipping Focal Points
It is necessary to ensure continuous cooperation between the Focal Points and the Commission by organising regular meetings and also to ensure a continuous flow of information via the internet-based tool 'CIRCA' (Communication and Information Resource Centre Administrator). In tandem with this, the accession countries need to be involved in this work in order to raise their awareness of the importance of short sea shipping.
Maintaining the efficient operation and guidance of Shortsea Promotion Centres
These centres are driven by business interests and offer a practical tool to promote short sea shipping at national level. The national centres are presently being integrated into the European Short Sea Network (ESN) which provides a common tool for the promotion of short sea shipping in Europe. The aim of this network is to exchange information and best practices and also to provide practical advice covering the various stages of a short-sea journey.
Promoting the image of short sea shipping as a successful transport alternative
Short sea shipping needs to acquire a more modern, dynamic image by highlighting its current potential, i.e. its speed, reliability, flexibility, regularity and high degree of cargo safety.
Collection of statistical information
Europe-wide statistics on short sea shipping trade are not sufficiently detailed. The objective is to collect information on short sea shipping from the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) until the Directive on maritime statistics provides sufficient information to enable comparisons to be made.