The Freight Logistics Action Plan
Freight transport logistics play a key role in economic and social terms by ensuring European competitiveness and contributing to growth and employment. Thus, efficiency has to be maintained since the world of industry and business depend on the transport of raw materials and finished goods across the EU and beyond.Logistics industry is contributing to 14% of GDP and is still on the rise. Consequently, the surge in containerized trade and liner shipping has brought about high congestion in seaports and port-hinterland connections.
Facing the need for a coherent EU approach to logistics considerations, the European Commission launched the Freight Logistics Action Plan to improve the efficiency and sustainability in freight transport in Europe. A communication about the Action Plan was issued in June 2006 and the initiative was both saluted by the European Parliament in 2007 and the European Economic and social Committee.
The Freight logistics Action Plan sets up short- to medium-terms actions:
- E-freight and intelligent transport systems (ITS)
Advanced information and communication technologies (ICT) can be useful in order to develop co-modality, though improvements are needed for standardization of information exchanges and market actors’ disparate capabilities but also for data security and privacy issues. The e-freight would be the electronic version of the paper which usually track and trace the freight. This concept could lead to «the internet for cargo»: services provided by freight transport operators would be available and compared online and administrative matters would be simplified.The Intelligence Transport Systems (ITS) strategy should be develop to better manage infrastructure and transport operations in the field of road transport with specific requirements such as for navigation systems, digital tachographs and tolling systems.
In the context of e-freight:
-A road map for the implementation of e-freight should be developed in collaboration with stakeholders, the concept of «the internet for cargo» must be expanded and identification of the problem areas where EU action such as standardization is required by 2009.
-A standard for information flows to ensure the integration and interoperability of modes at data level and provide an open, robust data architecture primarily for business-to administration and administration-to-administrationdata flows has to be found by 2001.
-A mandate work on a standard data set to describe freight, including for regulatory requirements (while taking into account the current requirements for hazardous goods, live animals, etc.) and technologies such as RFID (radio frequency identification) has to be issued by 2001. A proposal on e-maritime must be made by 2009.
In the context of the ITS action Plan:
-A framework for the development of ITS applications addressing alsofreight transport logistics, including monitoring dangerous goods and liveanimals transport, tracking and tracing, and digital mapshas to be established by 2009.
-A regulatory framework for the standardization of functional specifications for a single interface (on-board unit) for the provision and exchange of business-to-administration and business-to-business information has to be established by 2010.
-Work towards interoperability in Electronic Fee Collection (directive 2004/52/EC) must accelerate and incorporate the necessary components into the single interface by 2008.
- Sustainable quality and efficiency
Continuous bottleneck exercise: this is necessary to give an overview of specific obstacles that hinder freight transport logistics in Europe. Industries and public authorities’ representatives have helped in that way by proposing solutions. There is no deadline for this action but the first results should be issued by 2008.
Freight transport logistics personnel and training:Many areas of freight transport logistics are lacking of skilled personnel. The Commission will work with the European social partners and other relevant stakeholders to draw up a list of minimum qualifications and training requirements at different levels of specialization to be incorporated into a framework that can ensure the mutual recognition of training certificates by 2009.The Commission is to launch a dialogue with the European social partners to find ways to improve the attractiveness of transport logistics professions, and highlight opportunities for targeting EU Cohesion Policy interventions towards logistics training from 2008 on.
Improving performances: a core set of generic indicators should be established in consultation with the stakeholders and would best serve the purpose of measuring and recording performance (e.g. sustainability, efficiency etc.) in freight transport logistics chains to encourage a switch to more efficient and cleaner forms of transport and generally improve logistics performance. The Commission will then consider incorporating them into a code of best practice or recommendation by the end of 2009.
Benchmarking intermodal terminals:a set of generic (dynamic and static) benchmarks for terminalshas to be elaborated, together with industry by 2010, starting from multimodal inland terminals, and incorporate them into a code of best practice or recommendation anddisseminate information about them so that it would allow further specification at local level.
Promotion of best practice:there is a lack of knowledge concerning multimodal freight transport using. The role of the Shortsea Promotion Centres and their European network to inland transport logistics should be extended continuously and a network between logistics institutes and promote industry initiatives to exchange experience and disseminate best practice should be established by 2010.
Statistical data:Relevant indicators and means of measurement need to be developed to assess Europe’s logistics market. The Commission together with the stakeholders will review the availability of and determine the requirements for data on freight transport logistics across modes and assess improvements to the collection of statistical information by 2009.
- Simplification of transport chains
Simplification of administrative compliance:The simplification and decentralization of exchanges of freight-related information can substantially reduce the cost of regulatory requirements, especially when using information and communication technologies.A single window (single access point) and one stop-administrative shopping for administrative procedures in all modes should be created and operational by 2012.The Commission will work on a “European Maritime Transport Space without Barriers” where both the ship’s journey and goods could be reliably and securely tracked. A legislative proposal should be made by 2008.
Single transport document:The EC will work towards the establishment of a single European transport document which could be used forall carriage of goods, irrespective of mode. In consultation with interested parties, the Commission will examine the details and added value of establishing such a document but also the possibilities to make it optional and in an electronic format. The Commission will then consider making an appropriate legislative proposal by 2009.
Liability:The absence of uniform and cross-modal liability regime leads to friction costs in multi modal transport. The Commission is working towards new solutions at a European level. The need for introduction within the EU of standard (fall-back) liability clause should be assessed. Consultations must be conducted by 2008, and a possible proposal made in 2009. The need fora legal instrument to allow full coverage of the existing international, mode-based liability regimes over the entire multimodal logistics chain should be assessed. Consultations must be conducted by 2009, and a possible proposal made in 2010.
Security: As far as the supplychain security for external trade is concerned, the Customs Code (Regulation(EC)648/2005) was revised and the concept of Authorized Economic Operator was introduced, also laying down minimum requirements for safety and security from 2008 onwards. A balance has to be drawn between security procedures fulfilling the highest requirements and the free flow of trade. Smart technologies can be used to avoid delays.European standards - in line with existing legislation, international conventions and international standards - in order to facilitate the secure integration of transport modes in the logistic chain must be developed by 2008. In the context of the work on guidelines and minimum standards for maritime and port security matters, simplify port access requirements should be simplified by 2008.
- Vehicle dimensions and loading standards
It is necessary to consider the effects that any modification to the current limits might have on road safety, energy efficiency, CO2 emissions, noxious emissions, road infrastructure and intermodal transport operations, including combined transport. The options for a modification of the standards for vehicle weights and dimensions should be studied and the added value of updating Directive 96/53/EC should be considered by 2008. The proposal on Intermodal Loading Units (COM (2003) 155 final) to technical progress must be updated by 2007. A mandate for standardizing an optimal European Intermodal Loading Unit that can be used in all surface modes must be established by 2007. The compatibility of loading units used in air transport and other modes should be examined, and, if appropriate, proposals be made by 2010.
- «Green» Transport corridors for freight
Green transport corridors will reflect an integrated transport concept where short sea shipping, rail, inland waterways and road complement each other to enable the choice of environmentally friendly transport.They could be used to experiment with environmentally-friendly, innovative transport units, and with advanced ITS applications. This objective is promoted by other initiatives like the freight-oriented railway network, motorways of the sea and NAIADES. The opportunities offered by the TEN-T guidelines on the development and the integration of multimodal transport chains should be taken into account.
Green transport corridors should be defined and cooperation between authorities and freight transport logistics operators be organized in order to identify improvements to ensure adequate infrastructure for sustainable transport by 2008. Green corridors must be reinforced in the TEN-T and in the Marco Polo priorities by 2010. A freight-oriented rail network should be developed by 2008 and corridors structure made by 2012. The establishment and recognition of Motorways of the Sea through, among others, a better co-ordination of different funding sources must be promoted by 2008. The NAIADES programme for inland waterway transport must be fully implemented by 2013.
- Urban freight transport logistics
Freight transport logistics has an essential urban dimension. Distribution in urban conurbations requires efficient interfaces between trunk deliveries over longer distances and distribution to the final destination over shorter distances. In addition, the distribution process between production centres and customers inside an urban area needs to be efficient and clean.The Commission will encourage the exchange of experiences of representatives of urban areas to help establish a set of recommendations, best practice, indicators or standards for urban transport logistics, including freight deliveries and delivery vehicles. TheUrban Transport Action Plan will be issued in 2008.Recommendations of commonly agreed benchmarks or performance indicators to measure efficiency and sustainability of delivery and terminals and, more generally, in urban transport logistics and planning should be made by 2011.The freight part of CIVITAS towards better co-ordination, or integration, between passenger and freight transport, between interurban (longdistance) and urban transport logistics should be reinforced by 2010. This can lead to an integrated “CIVITAS Freight”.
In a nutshell,the actions outlined above are designed to help the freight transport logisticsindustry towards long-term efficiency and growth. The Members States have to participate and help throughout the process. The EC will make a report on the progress made by the implementation of the Action Planin 2010 which will help to draftthe future actionsin order to match freight transport logistics policy with the economic context and technological developments.