Maritime Trade and Transport - HWWI

and the already existent network of rivers and canals has grown through the accession countries
from the Danube basin to the Black Sea. In view of this, in its 2001 white paper on European
transport policy, the EU Commission already declared intra-Community sea transport
and inland waterway transport to be two key components in intermodalism. Establishment of
the so-called “motorways of the sea” is therefore essential. By 2010, transnational sea transport
connections are to be created that – like conventional highways – function as part of an intermodal
transport chain, have high frequency, and can handle large cargo volumes. Obvious examples
would be the routes between southern Sweden and Hamburg or between southeast
England and Duisburg. Expansion in sea links are expected especially to prevent bottlenecks
in the Alps and the Pyrenees. For example, 75% of wood is still transported between Finland
and Italy via Germany and the Alps, although transport by sea would be feasible. 70
The “motorways of the sea” concept was given concrete form through the amendment of
the TEN (Trans-European Networks) guidelines in 2004. Three main goals were defined:
Concentration of the flow of goods on sea-based logistics chains and the improvement in or
the creation of new links – that are regular and more frequent and can bear greater loads –
for cargo transport between the member states.
Greater logistical integration of short sea shipping throughout the transport chain.
Reducing road traffic and/or improving links (e.g. countries at the outskirts of the EU).
Especially for long distances, based on short sea shipping and including rail and inland waterway
transport, an efficient combination of infrastructure and service is to be created in the logistical
transport chain. Through its quality, efficiency and regularity in regard to transport
costs and time, it is to provide a competitive alternative to road transport. The Integrated
European Action Programme for Inland Waterway Transport (NAIADES) was established by
the EU Commission to foster various plans to expand the waterway network in line with the
list of the Trans-European Networks.
Inland waterway transport is also attracting greater attention in Germany again. To develop
a waterway network that will meet the needs and will be viable in the future, funds for the
maintenance and expansion of public waterways will be augmented for the first time since
2000. For fiscal 2006, an increase in investments in federal waterways by €50 mn to approximately
€457 mn is planned. The ports are also to become more competitive internationally.
By the end of 2007, therefore, according to the “Master Plan for Merchandise Transport and
Logistics,” a national port concept will exist that is designed to improve collaboration among
seaports. The recognition that goods do not make their way by themselves from the road to the
water, or from the water to the road, resulted at the end of 2005 in the “Initiative for Inland
Waterway Shipping and Logistics,” founded jointly by the German industry associations
Bundesverband der Deutschen Binnenschifffahrt, Bundesverband Öffentlicher Binnenhäfen,
and Deutschen Speditions- und Lagerverband.
70 Rapid expansion of sea and coastal shipping would depend on the creation of a uniform single market.
Due to international regulations – shipping traffic from one member state to another is considered
external traffic – this has not yet been tackled.
122 Berenberg Bank · HWWI: Strategy 2030 · No. 4