Medigate Manifesto

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Rising to the Mediterranean Freight Transport Challenge The Medigate Manifesto

description

EU-Mediterranean Freight Transport program, MEDIGATE

Transcript of Medigate Manifesto

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Rising to the Mediterranean Freight Transport Challenge

The Medigate Manifesto

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MEDIGATE

Executive Summary 2

Objectives of the MEDIGATE MANIFESTO 3

The Institutional Context of the MANIFESTO 4

The Current Scenario 6

Recommended Measures & Actions 10

PROCEDURESANDPERFORMANCESTANDARDS 12

COOPERATIVEACTIONS 14

INFRASTRUCTURECAPACITYBUILDING 20

INTERMODALTRANSPORTSOLUTIONS 24

INTER-PROFESSIONALCOMMUNICATIONANDTRAINING 28

TABLE OFCONTENTS

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ThemainaimoftheMEDIGATEprojectistofacilitateintermodaltransportthroughcollaborationbetweenthestakeholders,publicbodiesandexperts.In this regard, the project has comprehensively assessed the currentsituation inorder tounderstand theobstacles thatparticularlyhinder thedevelopmentofintegratedandcooperativeapproachesamongmultimodalplatformsintheMediterraneanarea.TheobjectivesofthisManifestoarealsotodefinethecontextforcooperationin the freight transportation industrywithin theMediterranean, todiscusscurrentpracticesandfutureundertakingsandtoidentifythebenefitsaswellastheimpedimentstomultimodalplatformsbearingfreighttransportation.Its expected benefits include a better understanding of the needs andpriorities of various stakeholders involved in the freight transportationdomain, identification of opportunities and challenges in implementingadvancedinitiativesandpolicies,andthedefinitionoftheroleoftheregionalandnationalgovernments.Thecharacteristicsof theMediterranean frameworkcall for theprovisionof specific and adapted solutions to the transportation system as aninternational logistics platform and especially considering its socio-environmentalimpact.TheMEDIGATEManifestoisthereforeastrategicdocumentwhichseekstocontributetothefollowingobjectives:• The setting up of a comprehensive frameof reference as concerns thenecessity, the extent and the efficiency of measures and actions in thedomainoffreighttransportintheMediterranean.•ItseekstoencourageallstakeholdersinvolvedintheMediterraneanfreighttransportdomain (stakeholdersandpublicauthorities) to improve theco-ordinationoftheiractionsandinvestmentsandforthispurposeitseekstohighlightthebenefitsofcoordinatedco-operationbetweeneveryparty.TheMEDIGATEManifestohasbeenconceivedbearinginmindthebackgroundoftheincreasinglysaturatedcapacitiesofMultimodalplatforms:•Itrecommendstheemployingofcooperativemodelsamongfreightvillagemanagers,portterminalmanagers,portauthoritiesandpublicauthorities.• It clearly fosters the deployment ofmore efficient operational/businessmodelsand• It provides a frame of reference for infrastructuremanagers, terminalownersandauthoritiesfordecisionsonlandplanning,investmentandthefinancingofinfrastructure.

intermodal transport

transport intermodal

Recent developments in the area of the Mediterranean offer both, newopportunitiesandchallengestowardtheimplementationofaframeworkofmultimodaltransportintheMediterraneanarea.Culturalandgeographicalfactorshavegiventhisareaastrategicroletoplay.Indeedstrictlyspeaking,theMediterraneanSea issurroundedbycountries thatarenotpoliticallyframedbyauniqueentity,asagainstthecaseoftheEuropeancontinent.Globally,thisSeaencompassesthemaintraderoutesthatpassfromrightfrom the SuezCanal to the Strait of Gibraltar. Although the countries oftheMediterraneanarelocateddirectlyonthistradecorridor,noneofthemhasbeenabletorepresentasignificantsharecontributingtotheimportofthegoodstowardtheNorthofEurope.However,theimplementationoftheEuro-Mediterraneanpartnershipwillcreateoneofthelargesttradeareasintheworld.ThispartnershipaimsatstrengtheningtherelationsbetweentheEuropeanUnionandothernon-membercountries thatare located intheMEDA-region.The expected benefits from the MEDIGATE Manifesto include a betterunderstanding of the needs and priorities of the stakeholders involved,identification of opportunities and obstacles in the implementation ofcooperative policies and finally business actions for the freight transportsector.Thisstrategicdocumentoffersbackgroundinformationtoallstakeholdersin Mediterranean freight transport domain. The Manifesto also providesinformation targeted at the current situation within the region and theactionsthatneedtobeundertakeninordertofacilitatecooperationamongstakeholdersinvolved.Theseelementssupportthepresentationofcurrentaswellasemergingcooperativestrategies,theyfacilitatethenetworkingofmultimodalnodesandtheroleplayedbypublicauthorities.Atthecoreofallitsactivities,theMEDIGATEprojectdeliversrecommendationsthataregatheredwithinthisManifesto.Thus, the MEDIGATE Manifesto is a point of reference to infrastructuremanagers, terminal ownersandusers aswell aspolicymakers that areresponsible for handling and implementing decisions on land planning,investmentsandthefinancingofinfrastructure.The MEDIGATE Manifesto therefore seeks to encourage all multimodalplatform managers, decision makers and intermodal stakeholders toimprovetheco-ordinationofvariousactionsandinvestments,particularlythoseataninternationallevel.Itisfutheraimedathighlightingthebenefitsofwellco-ordinatedandlong-termco-operationtoeverypartyinvolved.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

OBJECTIVES OF THE MEDIGATE MANIFESTO

MEDIGATE

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compétitivité

order for such infrastructure to be implemented at themost at effectivepoints.Often,thelogisticsservicesectorisasectorwithmanysmallandmedium-sized enterprises. In many countries, public authorities are concernedabouttheviabilityandsurvivalofsuchenterprises,andtheywanttoensuretheir survival through the provision of awareness programs, educationand expansion of the resource base. Public authorities usually supportthe development and deployment of such initiatives. So they should beconcernedwithhowtheymaybeusedeffectively.Forallthesereasons,publicauthoritiesshouldhaveaclearunderstandingofadvancedlogisticsandmustconsiderproactiveactionsto increasetheeffectivenessandimprovetheeffectivenessoflogisticsserviceprovidedintheMediterraneanregion.

What can public authorities do?The most important thing that can be done by public authorities is torecognizethestrategicroleoflogisticsservicesandmultimodalplatformsduetotheirimpactonthecompetitivenessofaneconomy.Public authorities can shift from the perspective of treating individualmodes,totheapproachofintegratedmultimodaltransportationoffreight.Moreover,theycanalsoshiftfromviewinglogisticsandfreighttransportationissuesasconcernedwith infrastructure (suchas roads,ports, terminals,etc.),toviewingthemasbeingconcernedwithfacilitatingthemoreeffectiveutilizationoffacilitiesthroughoperationalpricing,coordination,informationtechnologyandothermeans.Public authoritiesmay need to change their approaches even further, inorderto“promotetheabilityoftheirindustriestocompeteinternationally,byfacilitatingadvancedlogisticsstrategiesthroughreducingbarriersthathindertheefficiencyoflogisticsandpromotionofinnovation,coordinationandadvancedserviceofferings.”Publicauthoritiescanstimulateandsupportawiderangeofeducationalofferings designed to improve the quality of their professionals and thedisseminationofknowledgeinthelogisticssector.Public authorities can play a significant role by promoting the use ofinformationtechnologythroughouttheintermodalfreighttransportsector.Particularly important in thisregardactions thatreducebarriers torapidadoption of innovations aswell as those that promote an atmosphere ofpositivemanagerialactionstoexploitcurrentlyavailableinnovations.Finally,publicauthoritiesmayintegrateintheirthinkingandresponsibilitiesoverlanduse,thelogisticsneedto“save”areaswithinwhichinfrastructurescouldbedeveloped.Thisnecessitatesa long termviewon theflowsandpotential developments of transport activity and is a must in order toimplementenvironmentalfriendlyandefficientlogisticssystems.

Publicauthorities,atbothnationalandlocallevels,oftenimposeregulations,documentation, inspection and other requirements which impact thefreighttransportproviders’capacitytooffertimely,effectiveandadvancedintermodal freight services. Furthermore many requirements affect theimportandexportofgoods.Thus, many public agencies must often inspect the documentation ofshipments and the shipments themselves, before they can be importedorexported.Theconcernsofpublicauthoritiesarevalidandusuallymustcontinue to bemet. However, there aremany possibilities for innovationin government processes togetherwith innovation in shipper or providerprocesseswhichcansignificantlyreducethetimeandcostassociatedwithdelays in the performance of inspections and other checks required bygovernments.

Why should public authorities, at the national and local level, have any interest in the Mediterranean freight transport domain?There are several important reasons as to why Public authorities, bothat national and regional levels need to be actively involved in advancedIntermodalfreighttransportation.Theavailabilityofquality-focused,cost-effectiveintermodalfreighttransportservicescanaffecttheperformanceofregionalfirmsonaglobalbattlefield.Thus,theavailabilityofjobs,thelevelsofincomeandeconomicgrowth,allsignificantlydependonlogisticscapabilities.Public authorities have an interest in promoting expertise in inter-modalfreighttransportationtostimulatethedevelopmentofup-to-dateintermodalfreighttransportationserviceprovidersandinreducingregulatoryandotherbarrierstotheabilityoftheseproviderstoofferattractiveservices.Intermodalfreighttransportationservicesandthefeespaidbytheserviceproviders for facilities, transportation, information and taxes can beimportantsourcesofrevenuetothepublicauthorities.Actions inthe intermodal freighttransportdomaincanhavearereachingconsequencesontheenvironment,onhealthandonsafety.Thus,theseareimportantconcernsforthegeneralpublic.Often, public organizations are the major providers of transportationinfrastructure that support the provision of inter-modal freight services,suchasintermodaltransferterminals,portsandsimilar.

For somemodes, the levels of congestion and the occurrence of delaysarean important issue.Therefore, public authoritiesareactively involvedinplanning,investment,pricingand/oroperationaldecisionsthatinfluencetheprovisionofcapacity,thepricingandthetimedependentavailabilityoffacilitiesandservices.Moreover,theMediterraneanregion,onbothshores,ischaracterizedbystrongissuesonlanduse.Thedevelopmentoftourism,the existence of large urban areas and the growing need for residentialzones, the agricultural land needs and the request for areas preservedfromindustrialactivitiesforenvironmentalconcernshaveallleadtofiercecompetition intheuseof land.Therefore,thedevelopmentofmultimodalplatforms(astheyarelandconsuming),needstobeefficientlyplannedin

THE INSTITUTIONAL

CONTEXT OF THE MANIFESTO

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Concerning Southern Mediterranean countries, trade with the EuropeanUnionaccountsforanimportantshare,reachingfiguresbetween60%and70%oftheirinternationaltrade.However,thevolumeofexportsfromthecountriesoftheEuropeanUniontotheSouthernMediterraneancountriesrepresentsonlyasmallfractionofEuropeanUniontrade.Thisispartlytheresult of historically privileged trade relationsbetween theNorthernandSouthernMediterraneancountries.Moreover,thesouthernMediterraneancountriesoftensufferfromlessdevelopedtransportandlogisticssystems.However,thissituationhasevolvedsignificantlyduringthelastfewyears,particularlysincethebeginningofthenewMillennium.

Some examples of this new trend are:

•Turkey is reinforcing its trade linkswith allMediterranean countries aswellaswiththenortherncountriesoftheEuropeanUnion.It isgraduallybecomingamajoreconomicpartnertotheeasternMediterraneanaswellastherestoftheMediterraneanarea;• Spain is experiencing fast growing trade with all Mediterraneancountries;•GreektradehasbeendiversifiedintheEasternMediterraneanwithEgypt,IsraelandMiddleEastcountriesasitspartners;•ThesouthernMediterraneancountriesaswellascountriesoftheEuropeanUnionareincreasinglybeinginvolvedintheprocessofglobalisation.Witha rapid increase of trade between continents, an increase of trade ofMediterraneancountrieswiththeAsiancountries,thecountriesoftheBlackSeaaswellasGulfcountriesismostofthetimehigherthantheincreaseof trade amongMediterranean countries themselves. This is why, in thelong-run it is important toreinforce logistic linksbetweenMediterraneancountries so that transport performances between these countries canchallengetheincreasinglevelofworldtrade.The quick development of maritime hubs in the Mediterranean regionreflectsthisrapidchangeofworldtrade,whichisastrongelementinthecontextofthedevelopmentofrelationsbetweenMediterraneancountries.

MEDIGATE

plateformes multimodales

multimodal platforms

cooperation

coopération

Today,theMediterraneanregionaccountsfor22countries,allofwhichhavedifferentculturalbackgrounds.ThemaincountriesofthenorthshoreallbelongtotheEuropeanUnion,whereamajorityofthewealthisgenera-ted.Today,ifamajorpartofthepopulationlivesintheEuropeancontinent,thecurrentfiguresofpopulationgrowthoftheotherMEDAcountrieswillinthenearfuturereversethissituation.

AhigherleveloftradehasbeenobservedbetweencountriesoftheEuropeanUnion in relation with the GDP level and European Union integration. Intherecentyears,tradebetweenEuropeanUnionMediterraneancountrieshasgrownrapidly,inparticular,tradebetweenItalyandSpain,whichhavebecomemajoreconomicpartners.

Figure1-HistoricalTrendandForecastofInternationalContainerTraffic(milliontonnes)Source:ReviewofMaritimeTransport(UNCTAD,2007).

Figure2-ForecastofMediterraneanContainerTraffic(TEU´s),includingtransitSource:T-Bridge(2006).

THE CURRENT SCENARIO

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Thisgrowing rateof exchangebetween theMediterraneancountries is aconsequenceofmodificationsoftheEuropeanUnionpolicies.In1995,theBarcelonadeclarationgaveanewimpulsetotheseexchanges,bydevelopingnewconcepts.

Themost important,ofall thesenewconcepts for futuredevelopmentofthisregionisdecentralizedcooperation.AlthoughtheMediterraneanregionisaneconomicandpoliticalreality,withaspecificculturalbackgroundandhistory, the region is not under a unique supranational government. Thenextmajorstepinthepoliticalwillofcollaborationistheestablishmentoftheso-calledUnionfortheMediterranean,asapoliticalcooperationinthisgeostrategicarea.TheseinitiativesallfocusonthedefinitionofthestrategicroleoftheMediterraneanintheinternationaltransportnetwork.

TheMediterraneanSeahashistoricallybeenoneofthemainglobaltraderoutesandthankstotheSuezCanal; itcontinuestobeseenasthemaininternationalflowfromtheSoutheastpass.However,withafewexceptions,theportshavenotcompletelybenefitedinthepastofthesegrowingflowstobolsterthecentralroleofMediterraneanSeaintheworldtradesystem.Themain indicators of this situation are the ports and the volumes theyhandle. The total amount handled by theMediterranean ports is roughly35MTEU,whichislessthanthatoftheadditionofthetwoofthebiggestportsworldwideandsignificantlylessthanthatinNorthernEuropeanportstogether.

Figure3-MediterraneanContainerTrafficFlowsSource:NESTEAR

Inthehinterland,theMediterraneancountrieshavedevelopedandlargelypushedtheconceptoffreightvillagesasapossibilitytopromoteintermodaltransportbutalsoasasolutiontodecongestionthecrowdedports.Italyhasbeenthefirstcountrytoactivelyfinancethedevelopmentofthese“interporti”(freightvillages),butalsoFranceandSpainhavegottentheirroletoplay.StudiesinItalyhaveshownthattheintegratedservicesthefreightvillageofferstothetransportandlogisticssectorhaveleadtoashareof60%ofthetotalintermodaltransporttobehandledinsidethesefreightvillages.

Transportationpolicyhasbeen traditionally focusedon individualmodes:trains,trucks,shipsortransitsystems.Thetimehascometointerconnectsuch systems in a seamless intermodal transportation system that isefficient, safe, flexible, and environmentally sound and at the same timemeetstheneedsofthestakeholdersinvolved.

IfinFrance,thetrafficisrelativelyconcentratedintheportofMarseilleandits extension to Fos-sur-Mer, in Italy 148 ports are scattered around thecoastwithhardlyanyspecialisationinaparticulartypeofcargo.Marseillebeingthemostimportantportforbulk,otherslikeGioiaTauro,TarantoandAlgecirasspecialiseinthetranshipmentofcontainers.

Figure4-NetworkofContainerPortsSource:NESTEARforMEDATEN-T

THE CURRENT SCENARIO

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Thetransportandlogisticsorganizationisprioryandpredominantlyturnedtoward north-south relationswithin Europe. This ismainly due to tradepattern with major trade flows between Mediterranean countries andother European countries. The flows between Mediterranean countriesthemselvesare, ingeneral,muchlessimportantthanflowsasshownbyimportance,oftrans-Pyreneanandtrans-alpinetrafficsaswellastrafficacrosstheBalkansortheAdriatic,fromGreecetocentralEurope.The growth of Mediterranean countries is rapidly increasing, often at aratehigherthanthatoftheNorth-Southflows.ThisremarkisalsotrueforrelationsbetweentheNorthernandSouthernregionsoftheMediterranean.TheNorth-SouthflowsarepredominantbetweenMaghrebcountriesandsouthernMediterraneancountries.ThereisalsoanincreasingvolumeoftradebetweenEasternandWesternMediterraneancountrieswhereasthevolume of trade between the Southern neighbouring countries remainslimited.ThefactthatthesecountriesareoftenseentobecompetingforNorthernEuropeanmarketsshouldnotcontinuetobeamajorimpedimentfortradebetweenthesecountries.

Another important fact surroundingMediterranean logistics is the rapiddevelopment of world trade with the development of international hubsin the region. The Feeder system supporting intercontinental lines isstructuring maritime services within the Mediterranean region with animportant increase of services betweenMediterranean ports. It is clearthat theMediterranean logisticsystemmustbeopentobothsystemsofmaritimetransport,whichhave,nevertheless,quitesignificantdifferencesin theorganizationof transportflowsandquality requirement.Businesscaseexamples,suchasMartinelliSpedizioneandITTTunisie,usemodernrollingstockwith105m3trailersfortradeintheRo-Rosystem.Therefore,besides the development of the ISO container and generalization ofmaritimecontainersontransportunitsintheMediterranean,forgeneralcargoandhighvolumegoods,therearemarketsegmentsthatwillrequireRo-Roofservices.SuchademonstrationofthefutureofsuchservicesistheimplementationoftheMotorwaysofthesea.

Some of the current impediments to achieve “seamless”Mediterraneanintermodal freight transportation service are categorized and brieflydiscussed in this section. The MEDIGATE activities have lead to theidentificationofthefollowingcriticalpoints:

•Lackofadequateinfrastructure,whichlocationhastobedefinedinviewoftheshortterm,midtermandlongtermvision,suchasnewlarge,well-located multimodal platforms; shortage of new loading and unloadingequipment; poor landside access, including larger capacity and betterdesigned access roads, improvements of railway networks; and waterdepthsatportsthatwillhandlethelargestcontainershipsthatwillservetheseports.

•Congestion,suchasthatonaccessroutes,bridgesandtunnelsservingintermodalrailandportterminalslocatedinlargeurbanareas.Delayonaccessandmajortruckingroutesincreasescostsandadverselyaffectstheabilitytoprovidereliablejust-in-timeservice.

•Operationalinefficienciescausedbytheneedforbetterlocatedrailfreightroutesandextensionofhighcapacityrailservice;theneedfornewfacilitiesformanagingandtrackingshipments,pre-clearance,schedulingequipmentusage,andtheneedforbettermanagementofinter-modaloperationsandimprovedcoordinationamongmodes.• Complex, changing and fragmented regulations for developing newinfrastructure.This leads to delays, inefficiencies or incorrect engineering of theinfrastructuredeveloped.

• Institutional relationships, that impede the efficient interconnectionof modal freight transportation; lack of good private and public sectorrelationships in terminal planning and operations to allow for publiclyfundedprojectstocomplementprivatesectorinitiatives;

• Lack of competent staff at any level of qualification for multimodaltransportandlogisticsprocess,suchasexpertsofthedifferenttransportmodesintegrationincooperationwithbothpublicandprivatepartners.

Alleviating some specific impediments will help to reduce some of thedeficiencies listed earlier and provide faster, more reliable and morecompetitivefreighttransportationintheMediterraneanDomain.

RECOMMENDED MEASURES &

ACTIONS

MEDIGATE

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The problem areas... Aswithalladministrativeprocedures,themoresimplifiedtheyarethegreaterthetimesavedandthemoreefficientthecontrol.Whenspeedisappliedtoprocessingcustomsprocedures,theresultsarebeneficial.Outdatedadministrativepracticesandeconomicconcernsno longer in tunewith today’smarket-driveneconomiesinhibitprogress.Revisionofsuchproceduresisnecessary.

Today,globalindustrystandardsdonotactuallyexist.Whatexistareseveraldistinctcategories,eachwiththeirownindividualstandards.Disparityofstandardsamongcountriesfurthercomplicatesproceduresonaninternationalbasisandcanresultinseriousdelaysinthecargotransportchain.

Althoughtheneedsofindividualshippersvarysignificantly,door-to-doorintegratedservices are increasingly becoming the cargo industry standard because of thevalue-addedguaranteesthattheyoffer.

Multimodal nodes are often perceived as critical points responsible for cargodelays.Delaysarisebecauseofvariousprocessesandbusinesspartnersinvolvedinthetransportchain,e.g.customsandsanitarycontrols,conditioning,collection,groupingandbreakingupofloads,containerizationandpalletization.

Themostobviouswaytoimprovecargoflowistoensurethatfreightmovesquicklythroughports,freightvillagesandintermodalterminalsbyreducingstockingtime,aprocessthataddscostbutnocustomervalue.

Recommendations• Streamlining of processesInordertomeetmarketrequirements,allcargooperators,especiallyMultimodalTransport Operators (MTO) and forwarders must attempt to speed up cargothrough-putbystreamliningprocesses,eliminatingredundancies,reducingcostsandintegratingtheirservices.Time-definiteserviceswithsetlevelsofqualityandperformancearenecessarywithanaimtoprovidingaseamlessproductcoveringphysicalhandling,informationflowsandlegalliability.

• Matching of customers’ needsToachieveimprovementsinthemultimodal industryperformancestandardsandthustoenhancecustomersatisfaction,itiscentralthatsurveysofcustomerserviceperceptionsareundertaken.Thisshouldbeachievedbyanalyzingcustomerneeds.Once customer needs are identified, appropriate standards can be defined andspread.

• Simplification of Customs proceduresAllfutureactionsmustnaturallybebasedonanewinternationalcooperationand a continuous dialogue among customs authorities and stakeholdersof the freight transport industry.Therevisionofprocedures, facilitatedbytoday’stechnology,canbeeffectivelyconductedtomeettoday’sneedsandatthesametimeensureeffectivecontrol.

•Itcanbeaccomplishedthroughthewidespreaduseofnetworktechnology,e.g., XML, EDI, Internet, etc., and establish compatible links betweendifferentnetworks.Effectivenetworkingofcomputersystemsenablesthepre-clearanceofshipments.Dataaccessedbyvariousoperatorswithinthetransportchain,canbeprogressivelyupdatedenablingrapidprocessinguponarrivalinthedestinationcountryandevendirectdeliverytotheconsignee.Certaindatamaybeguaranteedconfidentialbyrestrictingaccess.

• Recognizing accepted standards worldwide with the creation of aninternationalcustomstariff,simplifiedandlimited,offeringastandardizedclassificationofcertaingoods.

•Reductionofpaperworktoaminimum,substitutingitwithelectronicdataexchange,thusautomatingcontrolandfollow-up.

• Encouraging and promoting the modernization of the custom’sphilosophy

Therefore Mediterranean transport stakeholders, whoever they may be,haveto fosterthefreight transport industrysupporting it inbecomingfarmorecustomerfriendlyandlessfocusedonitsownprocessdifficultiesifitexpectstogrowandattractnewmarkets.

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InMorocco, the port of TangerMED is another example of what can beexpected in thenext fewyears.TheEuropean InvestmentBankEIB,withits initiative to promote theMediterraneannetwork of logistic centres, isencouragingthisdirectionandsupportsthecreationofaproperfinancialandinstitutionalcontextforsuchanevolutionwithadequatePublicPrivatePartnerships(PPP).

Cooperativeactionscanbesupportedby the introductionofstandardsofdataexchanges.ThisallowsaneasyintegrationofalargenumberofexistingIT-systemsandeliminateshighinvestmentscostsforadaptingthepersonalsolutionstothebroaderneedsofthemultimodaltransportoperators.Suchastandardisationalsodecreasesthebarriersfacedbysmallercompaniesinenteringthismarket.

Reducing barriers faced by SMEs

A special emphasis should be placed on integrating small andmedium-sizedcompaniesintotheMediterraneantransportnetwork.SME’splayanimportantroleinthisbusinesssector.Portandfreightvillageinfrastructuremustbeintegratedintotheurbantransportsystem.Theyarenaturallyhubsorgatewaystowardstheinner-citydistributionsystemActionstoaggregateflowsfromSMEsshouldthusbesupported inorderto achieve the critical mass for intermodal services. Clusters of SMEsoperating in the samemarket could be implemented by themultimodalnodesallowing:•Mutualisationofthetransportdemand;•Balancingoftheflows;•Mutualisationoflogisticsservices.Onthesupplyside,theSME’sneedsupportactionsfortheirintegrationintothesupplychains.

The problem areas...MultimodalFreighttransportbydefinitioninvolvesalargenumberofactorsand thus raises the complexity for organising transport. The demand forefficient and reliable logistics solutions (operational and infrastructural)furtherincreasethechallengeswithwhichmultimodaltransportoperatorshavetocope.Such a network of actors automatically generates a certain amount ofconnectionandcollaboration.However,thesearecurrentlyinsufficient,astheinvolvementdoesnotcoverallthestakeholders.Several trends that increase the complexity of the logistics chain arementionedbelow:

•Theirgrowinginternationalization

•Theincreasingneedformultimodaltransportwhichnecessarilyrequestmorecoordinationthantheuseofasingletransportmode

• The fact that trade increasingly concerns products to be integrated inanotherindustrialprocess

•Thespreadingof leanmanagementand just in timemanufacturingcutdown stocks and therefore increase the consequences of delays in thetransportchain

• The shift of many industries to a pull-based supply chain whereprocurement,productionanddistributionaredemanddriveninduceahighlevel of reactivity from the logistics and transport services providers.Thiscomplexityhastobehandledbynumerousstakeholders,locatedinvariousplaces,handlingdifferentresponsibilitiesandthereforenotalwayssharingthesameobjectives.Thedegreeofcooperationinordertoefficientlymeettherequiredlevelofperformanceissignificantlyhigherthaninthepast.

RecommendationsCooperation between actors/stakeholdersSo far, the vision of the Mediterranean logistics actors is more inclinedtowards challenge of European and world trade. The awareness of theimportanceoftheMediterraneanlogisticmarketmustbestimulated.AfirststepiscertainlytoimprovetheconnectionbetweenMediterraneanlogisticplatformsandMediterraneanports,whichwillatthesametime,reinforcethepositionoftheMediterraneanregionaswellasitslogistics.Thestakesbehind it are clearly the development of the economic activitywithin theMediterraneanregion,theindustrialandlogisticactivitiesincludingthoseinvolvedinMediterraneanandworlddistributionofgoods.Inthefuturethedevelopment of a network of multimodal platforms should facilitate thedevelopmentofMediterraneanDistributionCentres(MDC)withhighervalueaddedtothelogisticsbusiness,incompetitionwithEuropeanDistributionCentres (EDC) thathaveso farbeenconcentrated in theNorthernrange.ThegrowingroleofInterportoBologna,oftheZALinSpain,ofClesudandDistriportinMarseillesillustratesuchanevolutionthathasobviouslybeenacceleratedduringthelastfiveyears.

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• Coordinated master plansOntheveryfirstlevel,thisstartswithwiderviewsforthepublicpolicies.Intheir conception, suchpublic policies shouldnot be limited to theborderoftheircompetence,butshouldbeintegratedinnationalandinternationalmasterplansinordertobecoordinatedwiththeotherinitiativestaken.ThiswilleventuallyleadtoaspecialisationofservicesandthusstrengthentheroleoftheMediterraneanasaninternationaltransporthub.AfirststepinthisregardcancurrentlybeobservedwiththestrategicallylocatedportsofAlgeciras,MaltaandGioiaTauro,whichhavean important role toplayastranshipmentport.ThedefinitionofMediterraneantransportcorridorscouldadditionallyfostertheneededcollaborationandcooperativeactionsof the transport sector.Indeedthetrans-Europeantransportnetworkis,ifanalysedfromaregionalpointofview,onlyweaklyreflectingthecurrentandfuturetrafficflowsofthisregion.Finally,aMediterraneantransporthubalsobringsopportunitiestotheislands.Theirintegrationininternationaltransportisrelativelylow,butopportunitiesexistforthemastranshipmentports,whichcansignificantlyimprove their connections with the continent, whereas continental portswouldkeeptheirroleasagatetowardstheNorth-Europeanmarkets.

A specificity of Mediterranean multimodal platforms ThisspecificitywillresultfromthecombinationoftransportlogisticsneedsofMediterranean regions (MEDOCCregionsandsouthernMediterraneanregions)inasocioeconomicenvironmentalcontextoftheMediterranean.This context is changing very fast and Mediterranean logistic platformsmustboth:•Adapttoitand•StimulateMediterraneanlogisticdevelopment.

Figure6-MapIndicatingthemainmultimodalnodesintheMEDOCCareaSource:NESTEAR

Figure5–BestPracticesAxisAnalysisSource:MEDIGATE2008

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plateformes multimodales

multimodal platforms

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NSTodosodifferenttypesofmodelsareavailable:

• Models of regional logistic plans: TheseplansincludeMediterraneanlanduseconstraintsforaccessibilitytomajorurbanareas,whicharealsoimportantMediterraneanportssuchasGenoa,Barcelona,Marseilles,Algiers,Tunis,Tangier,Casablanca,Valencia.In thesemodels, the land use constraintsmight imply different types oflocationsforMediterraneanplatforms.

•locationsclosetotheportwhenlandisavailable(exFosortosomeextendBarcelona)

• locationsclosetomajorhinterlandtownsas it is thecase forBologna,Milan

•locationsintheregionoftheportasisinthecaseofNaplesormaybetosomeextendGenoa,andLaSpezia.AnotherobjectiveisthepromotionofregionalactivitiesincludingSME’sforwhicha largevarietyofservicesandconnectionsareproposed in logisticplatforms.

• Models of intermodal platforms along the European Union corridor, servicing Mediterranean ports: These services might include different types of techniques: transport ofmaritime containers, swap bodies and trailers according to the locationoftheterminalorthespecialisationofterminalswithinaregion:BolognaInterporto,CIMinNovara,St.CharlesinPerpignansuchexamples.

• Models of integration in world logistics: ThisconcernsinparticulartheredistributionofimportscomingfromextraEuropeanUniontrade.ThisisinparticulartheroleofEDC,whichisalsoatypeoflogisticplatform.OtherexamplesincludeDistriportandZAL.

• And finally models for Mediterranean logistic network: Thisisaconceptthatisyettodevelopandwillresultin:

•effortsmadenotonlyinexchangesofexperiencesbutalsoonharmonisationofservices,exchangesofinformationandcommontraining

• and implementation of decentralised cooperation involving institutionalactorsandtransportoperators.

This is also the main objective of MEDIGATE, consistent with theMediterranean action plan (RATP) which has just been published (Nov2007)bytheCommission,aswellastheEIBstudyonthepromotionofaMediterraneannetworkoflogisticplatforms(January2008).

Figure7–SynthesisofMainInteractionsSource:MEDIGATE2008

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competitivenesscompétitivité

opportunités

opportunities

coopération

•Europeancontinentallogisticswhichmustbeagaindividedbetween:Anorth-southlogisticsbetweensouthernEuropeanregionsandnorthernEuropeanregions,A south - south logistics between Mediterranean regions with expecteddevelopment of intermodal services (which are presently at a fairly lowlevel) including maritime motorways of the services (which are alreadyexistingintheAdriaticSeabutlimitedtosomeshipaxservicesinwesternMediterranean).

•Mediterraneantransport logistics inrelationwithMediterraneanRo-Roandfeederservices:Mediterraneanlogisticsissofarnothighlydevelopedandthemostdynamiccomponentoftheworldmaritimelogisticevolution;in SouthernMediterranean countries theMediterranean logistics shoulddevelop beyond the organization of the ports, in relation with inlanddistribution and organisation of city logistics. In order to do so severalEuropeanUnionmodelsareavailable,withcentresclosetoports(Marseilles,Barcelona)andinaddition,withlogisticcentresclosetomajorurbanareas(Milano,Bologna, Torino andNapoli).Decentralised cooperation betweenactorscanbeveryusefulasdemonstratedwithintheTunisconference.Sofar,theMediterraneanactorsdonotthinkmuchintermsofMediterraneanlogistics,andtheproposalofanetworkoflogisticplatformsassuggestedintheMEDIGATEandEIBstudyshouldhelptomoveinthisdirection.Suchanapproachisnecessaryifthe“dilution”ofMediterraneanlogisticswithintheglobalisationprocessistobeavoidedandtoreinforcerelationsofproximitybetweenMediterraneanregionsinordertopreserveregionalidentitiesandsustainabledevelopment.

•TheglobalreinforcementstrategiesoftheMediterraneanportranges,inthenorthernandsouthernMediterraneancountriesincludetheimplementationof largedistributioncentres.Thereare indeednewmultimodalplatformsof activities, generating added value and employment: for this type ofdevelopmentexchangesofexperiencescanbeveryuseful.

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The problem areas...The development and funding of such infrastructures is generally thedecisionofpublic,nationalorlocal,authorities.Theirdecisionsaregearedtosatisfynationalinterestsandtheneedsofthefreighttransportindustryarenotalwaysconsideredamajorpriority.

Theprovisionoftheheavyinfrastructure,roadwaysandrailnetworks,aswellasincreasedmultimodalplatformcapacity(portterminals,freightvillagesetc.)requireadvancedplanningandmajorinvestment.Carefulattentiontodetailsiscrucialduringtheplanningprocesssothatcostlyerrors,thatareextremelydifficulttorepair,areavoided.

Transportation is an asset-based, network-operating business. However,the“network”viewofthesystemisnotalwaysgranted,especiallyregardingthedevelopmentofthedifferentelementsofthisnetworkasawhole.

Intermodal logistic platforms, from origin to destination, have beendeveloped toprovide thenecessary infrastructures toensure the smoothflowofcargoalongthetransportationchain.

Recommendations• Fostering the liaison between freight villages and portsThecooperationoffreightvillagesandportsisakeyfactorforcollaborativeandefficientactions.Thefreightvillagesareanefficientmeanfortheportsto decrease congestionwithin their area. Indeed, theportshave recentlyexperiencedarapidgrowthoftrafficvolumes,whichrapidlyfilledthelimitedareainsidetheports.Offeringintegratedservices,givestheportsthepossibilitytoeasilyevacuatelargepartsof thecargoandtousebiggermeansof transport,especiallytrains.Suchconnectionsdoexist,ashasbeendemonstratedbythecaseofadailyraillinkbetweentheInterportofBolognaandtheportofRavenna,80kmfaraway.Otherinitiativesexisttodevelopsuch“backports”,especiallybecausealargenumberofportsdonothaveanyavailableareaaroundtheportitselfinordertoincreasethedemandedcapacity.ThepromotionofanetworkoflogisticcentresintheMediterraneanregion,whichistheobjectiveofMEDIGATE,isveryimportanttoconductamultilevellogisticapproachwithadistinctionbetween:

•Regionallogisticswhichmustbepartofalanduseregionalplanforgoodaccessibilityandrespectofenvironment.Theregionallogisticsplanobjectivemustalsobethepromotionofregionalactivityandexports.Connectionswithislandsmustnotbeforgotten,withservicesadaptedtoIslandsconstraintssothatcostoftransportcanbereducedandtheaccessibilityimproved.

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• Improvement of multimodal interfaces and their connectorsIntegration between the nodes of multimodal transport needs animprovementofitsconnectorssincethesenodesserveasthegatewaytothemainmultimodalcorridors.However,todaythesepointsarealsoobservedasbeingsourcesofinefficienciesinmultimodaltransportchains.These inefficiencies lead to higher costs, which in turn decrease thecompetitiveness of multimodal transport. The improvement of suchinterfaces will also bridge the communication gap among the differentactorsinvolved.Thestrengtheningofroadandrailwaylinksamongthemultimodalplatformsisoneoftheinfrastructuralpriorities.Investmentsneedtobecarriedoutinordertogiveeverytransportmodeanequalchance.Thiswilleventuallyleadtocompetitionbetweenthemodesinwhichthebestadaptedsolutionswillwinovertheothers.

Thesmalldistancesthatareusedtofeedthemainnetwork,usuallylocalstreets and with lower design standards, are an important part of thetransportnetworkandgiveanincreasedcompetitiveadvantagetothelocalindustry.Theseconnectorsneedtobeincludedfromthebeginningintheplanningprocess.Suchconnectorsarenotnecessarilylocalroads,butmayalso be rail tracks that lead for instance from the port area to themainrailway-lines. They directly influence the accessibility and capacity of thenode.

As used by the first and last-mile operators, they are critical parts insupportingthemultimodaltransportchains.

transport intermodal

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Figure8-Portsandinfrastrucutreconnections-Provence-Alpes-Côted’AzurSource:MEDIGATE2008

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The problem areas...Essentially,problemslieinguaranteeingthesmoothandrapidtransferofcargofromonemodeoftransporttoanother.Lackofstandardizationleadsto multiple and often, non automated handling operations (conditioning,groupingandbreakingupofloads,containerizationandpalettization),thusaddingsubstantialcoststotheinitialtransportprice.Tokeepabreastwiththeworld’smarketingandtradetrends,thedevelopmentof international hub and spoke networks now constitute themainstay ofthe international aviation network. This network is at the core of today’sintermodallogisticplatforms.Roadandrailnetworkscompletethepicturebyprovidingaccesstotheseplatforms.Environmental pressures, congested railway and road spaces anddiminishing terminal capacity constitute limitations which, although notspecifictocargotransport,areparticularlypenalizingtothelatter.Moreover,mixedpassengerandcargooperationsaretiedwithpassengerschedules,causing traffic jams and general congestion, often within urban areas,furtherpenalizingcargotransport.

Recommendations•PolicyframeworkbearingthepromotionofintermodalityFreighttransportbeingcharacterisedbyintermodality,themainobjectiveistheeliminationofdisruptionsbetweendifferenttransportmodeswithinthelogisticschainandthecoordinationofdifferentmodesaccordingtotheirspecificity.Aspreviouslynoted,freighttransportisnotalwaysapriorityforgovernmentsandorganizationaldecision-makers.Passengerissuesoftenconstitutetheirprimaryfocus.Therefore,apreciseassessmentbythepublicauthoritiesoftheindustryrequirementscouldconstituteanimportantsteptoward implementing an appropriate transport policy. One pillar of thispolicycouldbethepromotionofnewintermodalinfrastructure,equipment,andloadingtechniquesaimedatsolvingcongestionproblemsthatdonotadverselyimpacttheenvironment.

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Figure9–BusinesscasesclassificationbytypeofprojectSource:MEDIGATE2008

• Define Intermodal Mediterranean CorridorThe trans-European transport corridors only scarcely cover theMediterranean area. For this reason, the Mediterranean area needs todefineitsownmajortransportcorridorsandinvestinaninlandbackbonefor improving theeconomicallynecessary transport infrastructureand itsmanagement.Suchabackbonetothetransportationsystemneedstobedefinedbyalltheinvolvedcountriesandwillneedsimilar investments,asneededbyotherEuropeaninitiativesofthiskind.Thiswilladditionallyfosterconnectionsandrelationsbetweentheconcernedregions.

Figure10-Possible“BackboneIntermodalCorridor”Source:NESTEAR

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• Access to multimodal transport

Due to its complex nature, road transport is generally preferred tointermodal transport solutions, especially for smaller companies. Evenfor operators that are specialized in this field cross-border intermodaltransportisachallengethathastobefacedonadailybasis.Thisconflictswith the increased competitiveness ofmultimodal transport solutions onlongdistances.

For historical reasons, the rail networks have been adapted to strictlyinternalneeds.Electrification isoneof the variousdifferences thatareamajorissuetoday.Thegaugemayalsochangefromonecountrytoanother.Althoughthesearehighhurdles,mostofthemcanbeovercomebyusingrollingstock thathasbeenengineered, toadapt to theneedsofdifferentcountries.

However,fororganisingsuchtrans-nationalconvoys,itisstillnecessarytocontactdifferententities.Thiscanbeimprovedbyallowingforthereservationofacompletepathatuniquepointsofaccess.

Furthermore,thisuniquestopwouldincludegettingpathsthatareterminal-to-terminalandthecompositionofasetofpaths,inordertoincreasetheoverallefficiency.

Figure12-ActiveaccessibilitytoMedigatenodesfromEmiliaRomagnaSource:MEDIGATE2008

Themultimodalofferoftransportservicesshouldbecomemoretransparentand available on the web. Timetables should be publicly available thuseasingthesearchofcargo.Mechanisms to provide flexibility of transport must be promoted by thetransportoperators.The total costs of the services formultimodal handling should bemademoretransparent.

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The problem areas...CommunicationPoor or inadequate communication between the various partners alongthelogisticschainhasledtoproblemsintheindustry.Thisisparticularlytrue concerning intermodal transport which involve by definition severalstakeholder.Indeed,intermodalityleadstoinvolvemoreoperatorsthatoftenhavedifferentprocessandmanagementhabits.As theneedsofmarketsevolve, service providers, namely forwarders and carriers, should andmusttakenoteofmarketchangesandadapttheirservicesaccordingly.Inparticular,intermodaltransportchainsrequestmorecoordinationbetweenmodesandstakeholdersandespeciallyaskforoperatorsenabletopilottheentirechain.Inter-professionalrelationships,especiallywithregardtotraditionalfreightservices, need to be clearly redefined in order to precise the roles andresponsibilitiesofeachstakeholder.Moreover,becauseof thecomplexityofthechains,themanagementoftheinformationisofgreat importance.Despite the vital and valuable role of forwarders in the freight transportbusiness,manyagentsareunnecessarilywaryofinvolvingshipperfreightrelationshipsbecausetheyregardthisareaastheirspecialpreserve.Therefore, a common and coordinated communications policy toward allactorsofthetransportchains,withregardtothetreatmentoftheshipperandforwarderbusinesspartners,isamajorissuetothemutualdevelopmentofbusinesspartnerships.Furthermore, limited use of technology coupled with outdated practicesmeansthatvitalshipmentinformationisnotreadilyaccessibletorelevantstakeholderswithin the traditional freightmarketsandconsequently, thequalityofservicesuffers.

TrainingFacingmoreandmorecomplexandintertwinedissues,thetransportsectorisconfrontedtoashortcomingin intermodaltransportqualifications.Thissituationconcernedthethreemainfunctionsrelatedtotheactivitythatareplanning,organisationanddevelopment.Consideringthesecategories,thejobsassociatedsuchastheplatformsmanagers,landplannersorprojectleadersinregionalauthoritiesaredeeplyinvolvedinthedecisionalprocesses.Theirdecisionwillaffecttheentirelocaltransportsystemforlong-term.Now the transport and logistics industry lacks of professional managerstacklingthepracticesandcultureofthedifferenttransportmodesandabletoensureaseamlessintegrationofthedifferenttransportservices.Todevelopacommonvisionamongalltransportmodesoperatorswouldcertainlyeasethedevelopmentofsustainabletransportservices.Moreover multimodal transport development require knowledge and/orexperienceaboutspecificconditionsthattraditionaltransportdispatchersdonotmaster.Inparticular,regulatoryissues,technicalandtechnologicalaspectsandastronggeographicaldimensionareneeded.Logisticsregionaldevelopment and platforms location have to be designed and organisedaccordingtoapreciseanalysisoftherelatedlabourmarketconditionsandthepresenceofrequiredstaffintheclosestarea.Accessibilityforworkers

remainsofgreatimportanceforlowqualificationstargetedworkers.Well-trainedoperatorsinhandlingandforkliftdrivingareoneconditionforthe performance of platforms. Concerning management and technicianslevels of qualifications, combined competencies for the platforms andmultimodal transport’ development are requested: strategic know-howcombined with operational competencies and knowledge related to theprocessescombinedwithproductsspecificawareness.Atlast,thetransportand logisticscompetenciesarenotasdeveloped in thesouthernshoreoftheMediterranean as in the northern one. This has been identified as ashortcomingforanefficientserviceintegrationwithinthearea.

Recommendations• Training on the specificities of the Mediterranean transport issues ofthedifferentmodeswill ease thedevelopment of a shared vision amongall stakeholders, being private operators or public authorities, enablingtheestablishmentofefficient intermodal transportservices.Todevelopacommunityof visionamong the transportcommunity isoneof themajorgoaloftheMedigatetrainingsessions.Indoingso,itmayhelptheoperatorsinbetterservingtheneedsandinterestsofbothfinalclientsandauthoritiesand evolve as the industry voice in expressing its position on policiesand regulations affecting the cargobusiness. For an improvement of thecooperation between operators and policymakers, the training solutioncouldofferaneutralplacetomeetandtoprovidedataandinformationforabetterunderstandingofeachgroup’sconcerns;sometransversaltrainingmodules(promotionofmultimodaltransportinthearea,forexample)couldbeproposedinseveralregions.

•Improvedcommunicationbetweenfreightoperators,dedicatedtocustomersatisfaction,isvitalincreatingstronganddurableindustrypartnerships.

• Diverse communications methods should be employed, e.g., internetlinks,e-mail,interactivetalkgroups,regularlyscheduledmailingsorfaxedcommunicationtodisperseindepthinformation.

• Creating and managing communication alliances among cargotransportation representatives will create more opportunities to furtherdevelop the freight transport industry resulting in an increased marketshare(withothertransportmodes),profitabilityandcustomersatisfaction.At regional level, an initial training system has to be strongly supportedordevelopedwhereverneeded.An improved training infrastructurecouldprovide efficient operators for the development ofmultimodal transport.As a consequence thiswill contribute to the attractiveness of a regionalterritoryandimplementavirtuouscirclebenefittingtotheentireregionaleconomy.

• Training effort should be implemented on transport in the southernMediterranean countries in order to accompany the development of thetradewithinthenorthernandsouthernshore.

•Finally,thefreightindustryshouldbepromotedthroughinterprofessionalcommunicationasakeytransportsystem.

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Interreg III-B Programme - Western Mediterranean

Interconnections dans l’espace Medocc pour promouvoir le transport intermodal et l’intégration à travers les nœuds intermodaux

[email protected] www.medigate-project.eu