Abstract: in This Paper the Authors Analyzes the Possibilities and Needs of the Development

CONTRIBUTIONTO LOGISTIC TRAFFICMODEL DEVELOPMENT IN

CROATIA

Maja Lamza-Maronić[1], Zdenko Segetlija[2], Jerko Glavaš[3]

J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek

Faculty of Economics, Osijek , Croatia

Abstract: In this paper the authors analyzes the possibilities and needs of the development of a logistic traffic model in the Republic of Croatia in respect to the requirements of the country s surroundings, and especially in the view of the requirements placed before Croatia as conditions for its admission to the European Union. The analysis of the said issue is intended as a contribution to the establishing of existing and required conditions and essential changes and adaptations of the logistic infrastructure for the formation of logistic traffic model in the Republic of Croatia and for their integration into international – especially European logistic traffic systems.

Key words: logistic traffic model, logistic infrastructure, the business logistic system, the Republic of Croatia

INTRODUCTION

In this paper, we will analyze the current situation and the possibilities for the development of a logistic traffic model in the Republic of Croatia with respect to its economic orientation and new requirements placed before Croatia regarding its admission to the European Union. The aim of this anylysis is to point at necessary reforms in the traffic and in the total macrologistic system of the Republic of Croatia under the influence of European integration processes, which could serve as the basis for further research.

REQUIREMENTS PUT BEFORE THE MACROLOGISTIC SYSTEM

While micrologistic systems are involved in solving the problems of a single company, and metalogistic systems include a number of companies cooperating in the logistic channel, macrologistic systems are concerned with the problems of a country s entire economy.

However, in the formation of macrologistic systems there is cleary a conflict between the goals of the economy as a whole and the goals of a single business entity. In the same way, a macrologistic system also needs to realize the goals outside of the traffic economy.

Closely connected with macrologistic is the international logistic system, with its own specific characteristics. Many of the specific characteristics that differentiate national from international logistic systems are, namely, of macrologistic origin.

In the research into the structural components of the systems of macrologistic, one must start from the components of material infrastructure, which include, first of all, traffic and communication network. Components of logistic material infrastructure certainly have the most comprehensive and the most permanent influence on logistic processes.

Requirements placed before the construction of a macrologistic system of product distribution can be classified as ( Pfohl, 2000, 340-349 ):

a)requirements based on the division of labor,

b)requirements based on the types of product,

c)requirements based on the goals of the whole economy.

These requirements portray a national economy s development level.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE MACROLOGISTIC SYSTEM OF THE REPUBLICOF CROATIA

The importance of the construction of an adequate macrologistic system in the Republic of Croatia is constantly growing, primarily due to the rapid development of transportation technologies and the changes in the directions and channels of modern traffic routes around the world.

Slika 1. Karta autocesta u Republici Hrvatskoj (kategorizacija)

Izvor: (20.06.2006.)

On the other hand, having in mind the favorable geographic and traffic position of Croatia, traffic activity and road infrastructure are exceptionally important factors in the overall economic and social development of the Republic of Croatia. Croatia is unique country in Europe in its natural and geographic characteristics; it is the only country that is both Pannonian and Mediterranean, and that at the same time connects the south east of Europe with Asia Minor ( Transport and Communications, 2005.).

However, the current state of traffic in Croatia is not satisfactory, especially in ports, sea and river shipping, and on the railroads, as well as regarding the share of combined transport.

The Republic of Croatia is situated at the crossing of transport routes; one of them connects Western and Central Europe with the South- Eastern Europe and the Near East, and the other connects the Baltic Sea, across the Danube basin, with the Adriatic Sea. These two Trans- European traffic routes provide the conditions for traffic evaluation of the Republic of Croatia ( Božičević, Perić, 2001, 753), but they also impose a certain obligation to make the best possible use of this favorable position of Croatia in its economic development. Consequently, the adjusment of the quality of traffic and of road infrastructure on these routes, with respect to the crossing of traffic corridors from the Central European ( Central Danube Basin ) and Pannonian region with those from the Adriatic region, arises from the above as the country s further commitment. These crossing routes are of importance both for the Republic of Croatia, and Europe, because they are the easiest and the shortest connection of the central part of Europe with the Adriatic Sea and they open the Adriatic region towards Europe. In all this, special importance also belongs to the connection of the Danube Basin countries With the Adriatic, so that in the Republic of Croatia there are two longitudinal routes and four transversal routes connecting the Danube Basin countries with the Adriatic.

In view of the above, in the present conditions, macrologistic system of the Republic of Croatia needs to be developed differently than so far; on one hand, because Croatia is no longer a part of Yugoslavia ( which preferred the longitudinal connections in the direction northwest – south – east ), and on the other hand, because great changes had taken place in other parts of Europe. Namely, the two comprehrensive trends of changes in Europe in the 1980 s and 1990 s had been:

a)completion of the internal market within the European Union, and

b)the opening of Central and Eastern Europe.

Both these development directions have led to new challenges and new assumptions for the formation of European logistic systems.

Anyway, the inclusion of companies from countries in transition into the international market is accompanied by growing complexity of logistic activities and by an increase in logistic costs ( Šamanović, 2003, 27 ).

Namely, in the present conditions, market- oriented economic systems are also developing in Eastern Europe; and the common interest is to improve the connections within the entire European traffic network and to create a unique traffic system. At the pan- European conference of the ministers of traffics in 1994, nine corridors were defined, and at the pan- European conference in 1997, corridors marked as VA,B and C, IX A and B, and X were added to the already existing nine corridors. Of special importance for the Republic of Croatia are the corridors V A and B, as well as the corridors X and VII ( Transport and Communications, 2005.).

Because of all this, a high level road infrastructure is one of the basic conditions for the introduction of the Republic of Croatia into the highly developed Europe.

According to the analysis of the UN European Commission for Europe ( Božičević, Perić, 2001, 754 ), the standard of the road infrastructure in Eastern Europe is low and its density is lower in comparison to Western Europe, while the railroad network – although with the sufficient density and capasity – is outdated. Something similar could also be said for the Republic of Croatia.

Aside from this, the road and railroad infrastructure are not equally developed in all parts of Croatia, so that, along with the existing investments, this calls for additional future investments into the infrastructure, and requires the connecting of the coastal region with the continental part of Croatia ( Transport and Comminications, 2005.)

In Europe, however, a number of different traffic systems development projects are being realized.

In the mid-seventies, ten European countries have launched the TEM Project ( trans- European North – South Motorway Project ) connect the diametrical points in the North and South of the European continent, including the route Danube Basin- the Adriatic. This way, the Republic of Croatia is being included in the main road system of Europe. From the standpoint of the mentioned requirements regarding the kind and quantity of distributed products, this is essential for further economic development of the Republic of Croatia.

At present, the project of Advanced Integrated Motorway System in Europe – AIMSE is being developed. The Republic of Croatia is not in this project, because it has lacked two important directions: a motorway from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, and a branch of the TEM leading from Budapest, via Varaždin and Zagreb, to Rijeka.

Furthermore, plans have been made for the construction of the pan- European traffic Corridor Vc, for which the interest has been shown by Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This Corridor is the shortest connection between Central Europe and Adriatic and it runs along the section Budapest – Osijek – Sarajevo – Ploče.

It should be noted that the road traffic in the Republic of Croatia has developed faster than other branches, and that the motor pool has developed faster than the road network.

Of importance for the Republic of Croatia are the research works initiated by the Pentagonal on the traffic corridors connecting Budapest With Trieste via road and rail, as well as the plans for the traffic connecting of the Pannonian valley and the Po valley in Italy in the realization of which there are differences in Croatian and Slovene views ( Božičević, Perić,2001, 756f ).

It must be specially emphaszided that the multimode transport in the Republic of Croatia (as well as in other countries in transition ) is presently not given the necessary attention.

However, for the Republic of Croatia ( regarding its geographical traffic position ), international multimodal transport is of special significance. The reason for this is the fact that traffic can no longer be observed as a set of different branches, because every transport branch is in fact a part of a unique traffic system ( Nikolić, 2003.).

In the light of the above, the ongoing debate about the modern traffic system must include the concept of sustainable development beause of its important role in the economic development, and influence on the quality of the environment and, generally, because of its influence on the health of the people.

THE NEW TRAFFIC POLITICS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Essential for the Republic of Croatia as a candidate for admission into the European Union – from the point of view of the development of a macrologistic system – is the „ White Book of the European Commissin from 12 th September 2001; The European Traffic Politics to the Year 2010: Directives for the Future „ ( SCADPlus, 2003.) With this book, Bruxelles has for the second time ( the first was in 1992.) determined all plans and intentions of the new traffic politics in the European Union. ( Jakovljević, 2002.).

Slika 2. Trans-European North – South Motorway Network

Izvor: (23.06.2006.)

In this connection, it must be observed that initiatives and suggestions for the improvement of the quality of transport are always based on the decrease of the road traffic in favor of the rail transport of passengers and goods.

However, transportation politics, together with the fiscal, has, so far, seemed to be the least efficient in relation to other integration processes of the European uniting.

The mentioned documentcontains facts about the road traffic, emphasizing the analytical data proving that the road transport has become stronger than any other branch of transport. The deficiencies of such development of road traffic are, for example : creation of road jams, growing traffic insecurity on the roads, ecologic problems caused by the pollution of air and of the environment along the roads, etc. As an answer to theseweaknesses of road traffic, the state should raise the road tax; actually, the road haulers should pay real allowances for the expenses they cause by polluting the atmosphere and the environment, for damages caused by traffic accidents, for the costs of road construction and maintenance, etc.

Of course, the White Book also envisages other operations for the purpose of the improvement of the road traffic quality: raising the fuel tax, installing new chronotachographs, limitatin of driving time for the vehicles, arranging special stops for vehicles and drivers, fixing work timetables for drivers, and the like. While some of mentioned problems can be easily solved through legal and legislative interventions, other problems are much more difficult to solve, especially those concerning ecology and road security.

The European Union has designed a number of preadmission programs to help the candidates in their preparations for membership ( Global Role ..., 2004.). Such is, e.g., the PHARE program which is the oldest and best known. It directs and regulates the financial and technical cooperation of candidate states. In addition to developing institutions assisting the nationl and regional administrative bodies, and regulatory and supervising bodies in their getting acquainted with the goals and procedures of the European Union, there are also numerous investment lines offered for the adjustment of industry and of the more important infrastructure of the candidate states to the European Union standards ( e.g. on: environment, transport, industrial plants, product quality standards, work conditions).

INSTEAD OF THE CONCLUSION

Development of the logistic traffic model in the Republic of Croatia should – in the conditions of new economy – be regarded primarily from the position of internationalization and globalization of business operations and from the viewpoint of the reached levels of development in information and communication technology. This means that the Republic of Croatia will be included in international, i.e. in global chains of creation of value.

In that sense, the Republic of Croatia needs to join the process of creation of the new European macrologistic traffic model. With respect to the current import orientation of the Republic of Croatia, satisfying the demands for specialization and centralization of production would change the situation more in favor of the foreign centers of value creation chains. However, both the distribution of quantities and the development of decentralized places of production – where Croatian territory could also be taken into consideration – require a highly developed logistic infrastructure, because of the logistic costs of production factors procurement.

In relation to all of the above, the question may be raisedwhether the Republic of Croatia – on the basis of the presently undertaken investments – will be able to develop its logistic industry in such a way that it becomes the leading economic activity. In this context, we must certainly consider the conditions of sustainable development and coming changes resulting from the possible lack and / or considerable rise in the fuel prices.

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Božičević, J.; Perić, T., (2001), „Razvitak hrvatskog gospodarstva sa stajališta razvitka prometa“, Ekonomski pregled, 52, (7-8): 753-773.

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Olga W. Lemoine, Tage Skjoett-Larsen

Reconfiguration of supply chains and implications for transport: A Danish

study
International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management;

Volume:34 Issue:10; 2004 Research Paper

[1] Prof.dr. Maja Lamza – Maronić, Faculty of Economics Osijek,

[2] Prof.dr. Zdenko Segetlija,Faculty of Economics Osijek,

[3] Jerko Glavaš, B.Sc.,Faculty of Economics Osijek,