Parity of Access Synthetic Report Ljubljana

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ESTIA – SPOSE PARITY OF ACCESS SYNTHETIC REPORT Magda PITSIAVA, Professor TEL/AUTh

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STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION European policies and international initiatives for the ESTIA_SPOSE area Overview of the supply of transport infrastructure in Southeast Europe Analysis of transport infrastructure problems and prospects Spatial typologies

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European policies and international initiatives for the ESTIA-SPOSE area The European policy towards SEE is anchored in two strategies: accession to the European Union (involving Bulgaria and Romania) and the Stabilization and Association Process (SAP) to prepare for eventual membership in the EU (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro). The SAp provides a framework for the development of privileged political and economic relations between these countries and the EU and concludes to specific bilateral agreements.

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Transport Strategy for south East Europe The strategic document Transport and Energy Infrastructure for South East Europe jointly prepared by DG Tren, DG External Relations and the Europe Aid Cooperation Office, provides a common ground for the development of a multimodal transport infrastructure network adjusted to the expected requirements of passenger and goods transport in the area. Analytically: The decisions of the Pan-European Transport Conferences, in particular those held in Crete and Helsinki, concerning the concept of Pan-European transport corridors and areas. A number of these Corridors cross or concern the Balkan region: Corridors IV, V, VII, VIII, X and the Adriatic-lonian Area.

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Transport Strategy for south East Europe The activities carried out by the United National Economic Committee for Europe (UN-ECE) in the mid 90’s concerning European Agreements on main international traffic arteries The transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment (TINA) in Central and East Europe concerning accession countries. The systematic “Western Balkan Infrastructure Inventory” financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB), as a database for the development of the transport network planning process.

European and international initiatives for the ESTIA-SPOSE area : 

European and international initiatives for the ESTIA-SPOSE area The Central European Initiative (CEI) The Central European Initiative (CEI) is composed of 17 Member States and its main aim is to bring the countries of Central and Eastern Europe closer together and assist them in their preparation process for EU membership. In the field of transport has a special focus on the promotion of intermodal transport and the construction of the required infrastructure facilities as freight traffic guarantees the largest revenues and is going to increase considerably in the region during the next decade.

European and international initiatives for the ESTIA-SPOSE area: 

European and international initiatives for the ESTIA-SPOSE area The Stability Pact for South Eastern The ‘Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe’ was adopted at the EU’s initiative on 10 June 1999 and is a framework agreement on international co-operation to develop a shared strategy among all partners for stability and growth. The Infrastructure Steering Group (ISG) was set up following a meeting of Stability Pact Working Table II. The objective of the Group is to facilitate the development of regional infrastructure in South East Europe. The Group consists of experts from the European Commission, World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Council of Europe Development Bank and the Office of the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact. Its work is part of an overall effort to integrate the countries of South East Europe amongst themselves and to the EU through developing infrastructure within a regional approach, instead of a national level.

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Transport Infrastructure Regional Study - TIRS TIRS was undertaken in the context of the Stability Pact and constitutes actually the first phase of a longer exercise (2001-2002), which was financed by the French Government. The study area encompasses seven countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the FRY, the FYROM and Romania. The main objectives of the study are: To identify major international and regional routes in the region, To define a coherent medium term network to be used as a framework for planning, programming, To co-ordinate infrastructure investments and To define short-term priority projects suitable for international financing.

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The Regional Balkan Infrastructure Study - REBIS REBIS (2003) was financed by EU Commission and covers the Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYROM and Serbia and Montenegro, including Kosovo and was supervised by the ISG and the main objective are: the development of a regional core network and the identification of projects suitable for international co-financing. REBIS has investigated 150 transport infrastructure projects of which 60 were ranked as priorities and 20 were examined in pre-feasibility studies.

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Overview of the supply of Transport Infrastructure in SEE Unequal development of the road network between the European Union and the ESTIA-SPOSE region (limited presence of motorways). Density (km of network per 1000 square km) that is around 40% of the European Union average. The densest railway network (km of network per 1000 square km), that of Romania, hardly exceeds the 50% of the network density of European Union. There is an adequate supply of airports. In maritime transport, the Southeast Europe is a significant junction of waterways since there are ports located in Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean and Black Sea.

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Southeast Europe Core Transport Network It was firstly developed in the European Commission’s working document of 15 October 2001 on transport and energy infrastructure in SEE. It was further clarified and elucidated by the TIRS and REBIS technical studies of 2002 and 2003. Finally, it was confirmed by the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Development of the SE core regional transport network (June 11, 2004).

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Southeast Europe Core Transport Network The multimodal core transport network includes the main corridors which cross the region, and routes between the five capitals of the region and the cities of Banja Luka, Podgorica and Pristina. It also links these cities to the capitals of the neighbouring countries and connects to the strategic ports at the Adriatic Sea. The network includes the river Danube, the ports of Durres, Rijeka, Split, Dubrovnik, Ploce, Bar and Vlore and the airports of the five capitals and of Banja Luka, Split, Dubrovnik, Nis, Pristina and Podgorica. The core network includes 4300 km of railways across the five SEE countries, 6000 km of roads, major ports and airports and the inland waterways Danube and Sava.

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Main Features of the Road network The geometrical characteristics of the road Core Network varies substantially – from narrow 2-lane roads in many areas to 4-lane roads and motorways at main links. There are 1008 km of motorways (two-by-two lane divided highways) concentrated in Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Generally, the roads have sufficient capacity to carry the present and estimated short- to medium-term increase in traffic, but over 70% of the roads are in need of some form of pavement renewal. The state of the network is very uneven, although in general it shows a serious lack of periodic and current maintenance. The failure by the various administrations to provide routine and periodic maintenance has resulted in a general degradation of pavements.

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Main Features of the Rail network The railway network of the region consists of some 9000 km of lines, of which only 612 km have double track and 3333 km (37%) are electrified. The railway network generally has sufficient capacity. However, most lines need modernisation, and there is a severe backlog in maintenance, which in some areas reduces the operational capacity and travel speed substantially. 85% of the network is single track, and only 10% is classified as being in good condition. The main challenge - in the short term - is to restore original design speeds and technical standards of the network. Many lines are in poor condition, which implies that operation speeds are below the original design speed.

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Waterway Transport – Inland waterways The inland waterway navigation presents many advantages: the transportation cost is lower than that of the trucks and even of trains, particularly when large distances are concerned; the effects on the environment are much less detrimental. The Danube is the main inland waterway in the region, constituting the Pan-European Corridor VII. Although traffic has fallen sharply over the past decade, due to the economic crisis and the war, the river remains an essential transport link for Europe, particularly after the construction of its link with the Rhine-Main. The main international ports are Belgrade and Novi Sad. Contrary to the Danube, the status of the Sava river is yet unresolved.

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Waterway Transport – Sea ports The ports of the Adriatic sea (Rijeka, Split, Ploce, Dubrovnik, Bar, Durres) They are small ports involved in short sea shipping and the traffic includes petroleum products, some solid bulk cargo in small quantities. The ports on the Black sea (Varna, Constantja) They are larger and are involved in deep sea and short sea traffic. Traffic mainly consists of bulk cargoes but also general cargo. Their greater importance, compared with the Adriatic ports, is due to more industrialized hinterlands.

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Air Transport There is an extensive air route network in the region, including international airports in each country. Air traffic has been heavily reduced in the mid-nineties and although is increasing, it still remains low compared with traffic in the rest of Europe. All airports are suitable for the traffic volumes they attract but they need in the mid term to be modernized, especially the safety-related infrastructure (i.e. air traffic control systems). The airports and civil aviation sectors have been subject to a number of comprehensive studies, in particular the Air traffic infrastructure Regional Study, carried out by Nordic Aviation Resources AS.

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Multi modal Transport In the countries of SE Europe, inter-modal transport is still limited, and constitutes less than 0.5% of total goods transport and the existing inter-modal terminals are largely under-utilised. The main reasons for this situation is: There is no clear policy in the area, nor any fiscal or other incentives which promote multi-modal transport. The organizational framework is complex, and the roles of the parties are still unclear.

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Multi modal Transport According to REBIS study in the short term large investments should be avoided and focus should be on: The development of coherent policies which could include liberalisation of combined transport operations, fiscal incentives in favour of combined transport. The development of market strategies which will lead to a concentration of traffic on a reduced network. Clarification of the roles and functions of the participants - including the combined transport operators, the railways and the ports - and improving relations between them.

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Analysis of Transport Infrastructure : Problems The main problems related to transport infrastructure are: balance of transport modes, cross-border connection, financial and institutional difficulties coordination of planning authorities and extreme network fragmentation.

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Analysis of Transport Infrastructure : Border Crossing Problems Main problems are long waiting times and unpredictable customs procedures at some stations. EU Commission financed several studies and projects with main objective to reduce waiting times in the borders by institutional changes and the use of best practices and modern technology (TTSFE program). According to this program, the main problems related to border crossings are: Customs Law Related Problems Communication Related Problems Customs Procedures Related Problems Customs Personnel Related Problems Logistical Problems at the Customs Stations Customs Service Work Methods

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Other problems related to transport infrastructure Among the most critical institutional problem is the reduced capacity of most of the states or of the state-owned companies to generate the necessary funds to operate, maintain and renew transport facilities. The principle reason for lack of maintenance are that the region’s governments generally have not adopted fiscal measures, which may provide the necessary.

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Other problems related to transport infrastructure Political agendas dictate infrastructure improvements, irrespective of real traffic demands (with Pan-European Corridor network being a focus). One nation’s priorities adjacent to a border may not accord with the perceived requirements of its neighbor's border infrastructure. As a consequence infrastructure improvements adjacent to borders are developed at different time scales which result to extreme network fragmentation. There is no clear strategy and prioritization for infrastructure development (there are cases where the donors made the suggestions for the direction of development of the sector in the last decade).

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Other problems related to transport infrastructure The share of traffic taken by railways is limited and dropped severely last years (as an example rail passenger traffic dropped by 90% in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 70% in Serbia from 1990 to 2001). All railway companies are now facing severe financial difficulties. Operating costs have been recurrently increasing in recent years in all the networks. Therefore, in the short term, the railways need to accelerate the restructuring process and develop focused and market-oriented business strategies in order to take a greater share of traffic. The unbalanced share of traffic among different modes of transport and the limited inter-modality in the countries of SEE, results to more expensive transport considering as transport cost and the externalities as well.

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Strategic priorities for the development of transport infrastructure and prospects There are four main shifts determining the trends and prospects of transport infrastructure: The shift of national transport politics from the railway to the roads (attracting private investments). The shift from public to private and individual transport which have environmental, energy efficiency and social consequences The shift from domestic to international transportation with special attention to the cross border connections The shift from construction of road networks linking the ESTIA-SPOSE countries to the Eastern Europe to the construction of new transport connections with Western Europe countries and between the ESTIA-SPOSE countries themselves.

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Strategic priorities for the development of transport infrastructure and prospects Priorities defined by the first ESTIA project the development of gateway cities the development of combined transport centers the development of the rail network on the principle of sustainable and balanced development of transport infrastructure the development of sea routes and air connections on the same basis as above priority to the reconstruction of bridges, especially in the Danube it is important to take into account the differential time horizons for the European integration of the ESTIA countries (e.g. Albania, FYR MACEDONIA) for the planning of infrastructure networks finally, priority should be given to the improvement of the existing networks and their compatibility with the existing European networks before any new developments.

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Strategic priorities for the development of transport infrastructure and prospects Priorities defined by the VISION PLANET project A consistent and comprehensive All-European Transport Network. Multimodal transport is particularly important in the VISION area (a network of logistic centers serving multimodal transport is to be established. Border crossings and ports are important nodal points of this network). The opportunities for and benefits of public-private partnership are to be utilized in transport network development. In the case of some VISION countries, motorway construction programmes need some reconsideration. It is urgently necessary to standardise the technical, qualitative security and signaling systems of transport networks.

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General prospects for Transport Infrastructure With a view to improving efficiency in the transport sector: There is a need for substantial reform and institutional development at the national level through the introduction of market mechanisms, modern operating practices, infrastructure financing and management, strengthening of institutions through improved legislative and regulatory frameworks, restructuring of the sectors, including the eventual privatisation of some assets, and introduction of new technologies. Development, within a regional framework, of a sound investment program base on the co-operation among the countries of the region and with the Member States and Candidate Countries of the European Union.

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Spatial typologies and territorial indicators in relation to the parity of access Spatial differentiations and main spatial typologies (according to the ESPON study 1.2.1 ‘Transport services and networks: territorial trends and transport supply of infrastructure for territorial cohesion’) Typology A relates the infrastructure endowment with the density of population Typology B combines accessibility and economic performance Typology C assesses transport externalities produced by road traffic flows

Typology A: Regional Infrastructure Endowment and Population Density: 

Typology A: Regional Infrastructure Endowment and Population Density Typology A is based upon the comparison between the infrastructure network density (the total length of the main road & railway network divided by the Nuts 3 surfaces) and their potential use level (calculated as the Nuts 3 inhabitants divided by the total length of infrastructures). Infrastructure endowment types

Typology A: Regional Infrastructure Endowment and Population Density: 

Typology A: Regional Infrastructure Endowment and Population Density In the "A" quadrant (infrastructural density below average datum, but with a good use level), there can be found the peripheral regions, dominated by small cities, characterized by a low population density and rural settlements. In the "B" quadrant there are potentially congested regions, presenting a deficit in the infrastructural equipment with a high settlement density resulting of a long-term economic growth development. In this condition traffic congestion is widespread (an example in the ESTIA-SPOSE area is the Attiki region in Greece). In the "C" quadrant fall situations where we find a good infrastructure density with a high settlement density. In these situations there is not a structural but a conjunctional deficit. In the "D" quadrant we can find big cities or metropolitan areas, but also polycentric areas with medium-sized cities.

Typology B: Accessibility and Regional Economic Performance : 

Typology B: Accessibility and Regional Economic Performance According to report of the ESPON project the most straightforward way to classify regions by accessibility is the familiar central-peripheral dichotomy (a number of classes from very central to very remote). A more sophisticated way of classifying regions by accessibility is to take also their economic performance into account. The most affluent and productive regions (Munich, Frankfurt, Paris and Düsseldorf) are also most central and the most peripheral regions with poor accessibility are among the poorest regions. However, there are regions in which the GDP index is much higher than the accessibility index (regions in the four Nordic countries and some rural regions in France and Spain) and regions in which the GDP index is below the accessibility index (nearly all regions of the accession countries and some old-industrialized regions in Germany and Belgium).

Typology C: Regions Suffering from Transport Externalities: 

Typology C: Regions Suffering from Transport Externalities The Typology aims to put forward the potential impacts and externalities linked to freight transportation by truck. The conjunction of spatial extension of the phenomenon (proportion of NUTS 2 areas located at less than 1 km of a road axis) and the intensity (expressed in number ton/kilometers) permits to evaluate the potential spatial impact of externalities linked to freight transportation. where A, B, C present the NUTS with a proportion of covered surface >20%, 10%< .. <20% and <10% respectively and 1, 2, 3 the NUTS with total number of tons*kms >20 millions, between 5 and 20 and < 5 millions respectively.