EC Approves Modal Shift to Water
The European Commission has given Italy approval for a 240m subsidy scheme for the next three years to encourage the transfer of heavy goods vehicles from road to sea. The EC will grant subsidies to road haulage companies which make use of existing or new maritime routes as alternatives to roads.
The notified scheme will be applicable to regular maritime routes between two or more European ports. Transferring road traffic to maritime transport is one of the measures to combat road congestion proposed by the EC’s 2001 White Paper on European Transport Policy. The new scheme will cover both accompanied and unaccompanied transport.
In addition, subsidies will be granted to complementary measures destined to encourage forms of associations between small and medium sized companies with the specific aim of using alternatives to road transport. Training measures to promote the access and use of the maritime lines can be subsidised as well as the acquisition of electronic equipment (both hardware and software) designed to optimise the transport chain in conditions of maximum safety.
The beneficiaries of the subsidy will have to commit themselves to use the maritime services during the three years after the scheme ends.
MJInformation No: 20703
Related Articles
MARINE CONSTRUCTION
POWER & PROPULSION
ENVIRONMENT