Baltic Gateway Quick Start Programme
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Trafikudvalget TRU alm. del - Bilag 306 Offentligt Final Report Baltic Gateway Quick Start Programme Promoting Maritime Related Intermodal Transport in the South Baltic Sea Area Final Draft Version 2006-02-02 Project Part-financed by the European Union www.balticgateway.se “In an ideal world, Europe will invest 600 billion euros to complete the Trans-European Transport Network. Investments in new infrastructure are expensive, take time to complete and are not always immediately welcomed by the general public. Without losing sight of our long-term objectives, we have to recognize our responsibilities from today on to find solutions, which make it possible to safe- guard our quality of life and stimulate economic activity everywhere in Europe. If we don’t have all the resources we need to complete the task, then we must do our best with what we do have. A practi- cal and inexpensive solution is to promote logistical services using intermodal transport“ “Indeed, for the success of the motorways of the sea, it is necessary to have non-congested ports with good infrastructure, offering quality services with good intermodal connections to the inland transport network. It is just as important to convince the shipping lines that it is profitable to provide regular and frequent services. Member States have therefore to finance better the network of short sea ship- ping and intermodality promotion centres“ Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the European Commission, Commissioner for Transport, Context ministerial conference on the motorways of the sea, Ljubliana, 24 January 2006 Title: Final Report: Baltic Gateway Quick Start Programme. Promoting Maritime Related Intermodal Transport in the South Baltic Sea area. Version: Final Draft Text completed: 2 February 2006 Prepared by: Baltic Gateway project secretariat Published by: Baltic Gateway, c/o Region Blekinge, 371 32 Karlskrona, Sweden Printed by: Psilander grafiska, Karlskrona, Sweden The report can be downloaded from: http://www.balticgateway.se This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The con- tents of this document are the sole responsibility of Baltic Gateway and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union. The paying authority, Investitionsbank S-H, is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained in this report. FINAL DRAFT Joint Political Statement on the commitment of the South Baltic Sea regions to implement the Baltic Gateway Quick Start Programme Political statement Joint Political Statement on the commitment of the South Baltic Sea re- gions to implement the Baltic Gateway Quick Start Programme We, the leading political representatives of the proposal to extend the major trans-European South Baltic Sea regions, assembled at the transport axes to neighbouring countries and Baltic Gateway conference ‘A Quick Start regions. Programme for the South Baltic Sea area’, organised in Rostock, 23-24 February 2006, We acknowledge that a well functioning agree to continue the joint co-operation based transport system is essential for sustainable on the following points of understanding: economic growth and the well-being of all citizens in this part of the world. We recognise the unique challenges and Better integration of national and regional net- opportunities facing our regions as global works will foster cooperation and integration trade and contacts continue to increase within EU, and with neighbouring countries across borders and continents. and regions. A practical and inexpensive solu- Globalisation of the economy and European tion is to connect the maritime- related inter- integration has already resulted in structural modal transport system in the regions around change, which influences natural, economic, the South Baltic Sea. This will bridge the gaps cultural and social conditions in our regions. between our countries and regions, and cope Our geographical location offers both opportu- with the challenge of developing an efficient nities and hindrances when managing rapidly gateway for trade by sustainable transport growing flows of cargo transport, passing modes and services. through our regions and cities. As we are in- evitably dependent on maritime transport ser- We conclude that complementary soft and vices, and facing common threats like global hard transport measures in combination are warming, safety and security, we recognise needed to realise the growth potentials in new possibilities related to the revolution of the South Baltic Sea area. industrial production, logistic chains and the Outcomes from several trans-national coopera- information technology. We conclude that tion efforts, including those co-funded by the the transport system in the South Baltic Interreg IIIB programme for the Baltic Sea Sea area requires specific attention, which Region, have taught us that fast improvements motivates joint regional initiatives across natu- are needed to develop a coherent and efficient ral and administrative borders, maritime-related inter-modal transport system in the South Baltic Sea area. This includes the South Baltic Sea area is a global improved knowledge and skills to support con- growth area, which offers challenging oppor- nectivity among all actors involved in inter- tunities for business renewal and economic modal transport chains, efficient use of growth. information and communication technologies in ports and their networks, as well as im- We acknowledge European goals and pri- proved inter-modal services which will provide orities for more efficient use of existing transport We share the goals of the Lisbon process, the resources. However, there is also a need for European policy for cohesion and sustainable increased standard and capacity in terminals growth, and related European policies includ- and transport infrastructure within the ports ing the European transport policy. We wel- and along the hinterland connections. come the decision on the TEN-T priority axes and projects, which includes several projects of We have identified a trans-national Quick vital importance to our specific geographic Start Programme, which includes Euro- area. We also welcome the High Level Group pean, national and regional transport and development investment plans, and com- We agree to promote the Baltic Gateway plementing actions to strengthen the gate- Quick Start Programme, as a package of priori- way function of the South Baltic Sea area. tised transport-related projects for improved accessibility and cohesion, in our communica- At last year’s Baltic Gateway political confer- tion with European and national authorities. ence, we decided to prepare a joint implemen- tation plan for an effective transport system in We are motivated to strengthen our own efforts the South Baltic Sea area. Accordingly, the in realising the actions. We also intend to initi- Baltic Gateway Quick Start Programme has ate negotiations with private stakeholders and been developed in a close political dialogue relevant financial institutions regarding im- between the co-operating regions in the South plementation of the projects included in the Baltic Sea area and incorporates the results of programme. The Baltic Gateway PLUS-project discussions with European and national au- provides opportunities to elaborate feasible thorities and private stakeholders. strategies further and to investigate various options for implementation and financing. We agree on the priority actions included in the Baltic Gateway Quick Start Programme. The political co-operation, initiated in the Bal- tic Gateway project, should be continued and We endorse the Baltic Gateway Quick Start strengthened. We look forward to a report on Programme, described in detail below, the the progress achieved at a political follow-up result of a joint trans-national planning debate meeting in 2007. among the co-operating regions. …………………………………… …………………………………… Frank Szymanski Bernth Johnson Minister Chairman of the Board Joint spatial development department of Ber- Region Blekinge lin and Brandenburg …………………………………… …………………………………… Mads Lebech Georgij Boos Chairman Governor Greather Copenhagen Authority Kaliningrad Oblast …………………………………… …………………………………… Anders Åkesson Zigmantas Benjaminas Kazakevicius Chairman of the Board Kaunas County Governor Regional Council of Kalmar County Kaunas Region …………………………………… …………………………………… Vytautas Rinkevicius Maris Dadzis Governor Chairman Klaipeda region Kurzeme region …………………………………… …………………………………… Helmut Holter Jan Kozłowski Minister Marshal Land Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Pomeranian Region …………………………………… …………………………………… Dietrich Austermann Uno Aldegren Minister President of the Regional Executive Board Land Schleswig-Holstein Region Skåne …………………………………… …………………………………… Bent Normann Olsen Gintaras Gibas County Mayor Vilnius County Governor Storstrøms Region Vilnius Region …………………………………… …………………………………… Andrzej Ryński Zygmunt Meyer Marshal Marshal Warmia-Masuria Region Western Pomerania Region FINAL DRAFT Baltic Gateway Quick Start Programme Promoting Maritime Related Intermodal Transport in the South Baltic Sea area CONTENTS OVERALL CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................... 12 CONCLUSION 1 - THE SOUTH BALTIC SEA IS A GLOBAL GROWTH AREA................................. 12 CONCLUSION 2 - THE SOUTH BALTIC SEA IS A EUROPEAN GATEWAY................................... 14 CONCLUSION 3 - THE SOUTH BALTIC SEA TRANSPORT SYSTEM REQUIRES