Mots clé policies integration; inter-institutional cooperation; sustainable transport; modal split

Within modal split considerations in the pan-European context, maritime transport is meant to cover short sea shipping and ferry boat services as well as inland water transport around and between European countries providing viable alternatives for European goods transport by road and rail (ocean shipping is thus not relevant in this context). Within the EU, such transport accounts for nearly half of total intra-European goods transport. Inland water transport is important only along a number of transport corridors, such as the Rhine valley, and accounts for around 6% of total goods land transport in EU countries. There is still a very considerable potential to increase use of this mode of transport not only in Western Europe (motorways of the sea), but also by rehabilitating the very extensive inland water transport systems in Eastern European countries and in the Russian Federation in particular.

In principle, maritime transport could be the least polluting mode of transport. Therefore, this mode could contribute to sustainable transport as it can achieve low air and noise emissions per ton of freight transported. But ships and the development of the required inland and port waterways may have major environmental impacts on water quality, biodiversity, landscape and recreational value of natural resources. Ships have also become the single biggest source of sulphur dioxide (SO2) in the EU because the maritime sector is lagging behind land-based transport industries in terms of environmental performance. Marine fuel currently has a maximum sulphur content of 0.5 or 500,000 parts per million (ppm) compared to petrol for cars that will only have 10 ppm as of 2007 in the EU. Important SO2 emissions along specific transport corridors could significantly enhance the incidence of asthma, bronchitis and heart failure. They also contribute to acidification which remains a serious problem for lake and forest ecIn principle, maritime transport could be the least polluting mode of transport. Therefore, this mode could contribute to sustainable transport as it can achieve low air and noise emissions per ton of freight transported. But ships and the development of the required inland and port waterways may have major environmental impacts on water quality, biodiversity, landscape and recreational value of natural resources. Ships have also become the single biggest source of sulphur dioxide (SO2) in the EU because the maritime sector is lagging behind land-based transport industries in terms of environmental performance. Marine fuel currently has a maximum sulphur content of 0.5 or 500,000 parts per million (ppm) compared to petrol for cars that will only have 10 ppm as of 2007 in the EU. Important SO2 emissions along specific transport corridors could significantly enhance the incidence of asthma, bronchitis and heart failure. They also contribute to acidification which remains a serious problem for lake and forest ecosystems, particularly in northern Europe. Also the contribution of inland water transport to total nitrogen oxide (Nox) emissions in certain countries is increasing.

Therefore, the reduction of NOx emissions and sulphur content in fuel are important maritime policy objectives that, given the international nature of such transport, can only be addressed effectively at the international level, possibly within the United Nations Convention for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Annex VI, 1997).