Translation of "Table ronde sur la voie maritime " (French → English) :

1. Commends the analysis undertaken by the Commission in its communication and welcomes the fact that, during the two years under consideration, the short sea shipping sector has made favourable progress, which should be further encouraged, along the lines of the network of round tables organised since 1997 within the framework of the Forum of Maritime Industries and the strengthening of the European dimension in assessing and developing potential in all EU Member States involved in cabotage;

24. Urges the public sector to promote the use of short sea shipping in practical terms, i.e. through the establishment of round tables on short sea shipping and/or promotion bureaux and, where appropriate, regional centres; in this respect, obstacles and their impact must be clearly defined and addressed, primarily on a local/national basis;

promoting door-to-door package solutions with integrated facilities, such as one-stop shops, through the co-operation between the different transport modes and the different players in the logistic management of supply chain, through the establishment of best practices, through the examination, with a view to their introduction, of measures such as benchmarking and key performance indicators, through the collection and dissemination of data and information on short sea shipping i.a. using EUROSTAT, and through the ...[+++]active use of the co-operation framework provided by the round-tables and the focal points of the Member States and other national initiatives to promote short sea shipping such as national short sea shipping information offices;

2. Whereas account should be taken of the work (2) undertaken since the Round Table of May 1997, of the communications of the Commission which have resulted from that work, and of the discussions at the Round Table of 26 February 1998 (3); whereas the Commission considers it necessary to recommend that measures be taken as regards dialogue between professional organisations and consumers, the monitoring of the transition to the euro, especially by the creation of observatories, and as regards training and education; whereas the Euro ...[+++]pean Parliament has encouraged the Commission to continue this work (4);

Noting in particular that practical consultations in round tables, or equivalent structures, on short sea shipping, have proved to be very useful in identifying problems, finding practical solutions and promoting short sea shipping in general;

The ESC proposes: - enabling short sea shipping to compete on equal terms with the other transport modes through transparency of subsidies and future internalization of external costs: the role of the European Commission in defining and implementing this idea will be crucial; - full integration of short sea shopping in the trans-European networks as an equal partner with the other transport modes; - working out practical solutions to administrative problems affecting short sea shipping (e.g. customs/transit procedure); - upgrading the role of small and medium-sized ports to relieve congestion ...[+++]in large ports and main roads; - improving and expanding the study of the eight trade corridors; - a clearer image of short sea shipping as a commercially attractive alternative mode of transport; - continuing support for and coordination with the MIF Short Sea Panel and support for the work of the Round Tables; - concentration on the social dimension of the short sea sector (and especially on training).