Several negative characteristics of the European Transport System such as the increasing external costs of the continuously augmenting share of road transport mainly in Freight Transport, due to the improvement of road infrastructure, facilities and integrated services provided by road hauliers, has lead the EC to take actions in order to rebalance the transport modes. It is believed that through the transport modes balance and the enhancement of Combined and Maritime Transport, the European Transport policy will efficiently tackle the severe problems encountered from the extent use of road transport, without affecting economic growth, indissolubly connected to Transport development. The present paper deals with one these measures initiated by the EC and known as the “Sea Motorways”. This term appeared for the first time in the new White Paper of Transport “European Transport policy 2010: Time to Decide” the perspectives of their implementation generally in Europe and more specifically the opportunities and threats created for the region of the South East of Europe. (Author/publisher)
Abstract