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| Marco Polo Programme | |
|---|---|
| Name | Marco Polo Programme |
| Established | 2007 |
| Dissolved | 2013 |
| Funding | European Commission |
| Region | European Union |
| Parent | European Commission |
| Successor | Connecting Europe Facility |
Marco Polo Programme was a European Union initiative aimed at shifting freight from road to alternative transport modes, notably rail and inland waterways. It operated under the auspices of the European Commission and interacted with institutions such as the European Parliament, Council of the European Union, and national authorities across the European Union. The programme co-financed projects engaging firms like Deutsche Bahn, RheinCargo, and consortia involving ports such as Port of Rotterdam and Port of Antwerp.
The programme targeted modal shift by supporting logistics innovations involving rail freight, short-sea shipping, inland waterways, and intermodal hubs like Betuwe Route connections to the Port of Rotterdam. It was framed within EU policy instruments including the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and aligned with strategies promoted by the European Environment Agency and directives from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport. Stakeholders included incumbents like CP Group and municipal authorities such as City of Hamburg and Region of Flanders.
Objectives encompassed reducing heavy goods vehicle traffic on trans-European corridors such as the A2 motorway (Poland) and the Autobahn A1 (Germany), cutting emissions reported under Kyoto Protocol commitments, and improving freight reliability on corridors similar to the Baltic–Adriatic Corridor. Scope covered pilot actions with operators like SNCF Logistics, shipping lines such as Maersk Line, and logistics providers such as DHL Supply Chain and Kuehne + Nagel. The programme funded measures related to terminals like Bettembourg Terminal and projects interfacing with the European Investment Bank.
Established in 2007 by decision of the European Commission following discussions in the European Parliament and recommendations from the Committee of the Regions, the programme emerged after studies by agencies including the European Environment Agency and research from institutions such as Joint Research Centre (European Commission). Key milestones involved calls for proposals published during presidencies of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Notable expansions coordinated with the TEN-T revision and consultations involving national ministries like the Ministry of Transport (Italy) and Bundesministerium für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur (Germany).
Funding mechanisms combined grants from the European Commission budget lines with co-financing by private firms and national authorities such as Région Wallonie and Flanders Government. Administrative oversight was provided by the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) and later by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA)]. Project selection used criteria aligned with studies by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and audits by the European Court of Auditors. Financial partners included the European Investment Bank and regional development banks like the KfW.
Supported projects ranged from rail shuttle services launched by SNCF Logistics and ÖBB Rail Cargo Group to short-sea shipping corridors involving operators such as DFDS and P&O Ferries. Intermodal terminal upgrades occurred at sites like the Helsinki Multimodal Terminal and Gdynia Container Terminal, while inland waterway initiatives connected nodes such as Port of Duisburg and Port of Antwerp-Bruges. Collaborative initiatives included partnerships between ports, shippers like Unilever, retailers such as Tesco (company), and freight forwarders like DB Schenker Logistics.
Evaluations by the European Court of Auditors and independent consultants such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte assessed impacts on traffic volumes on corridors including the Rhine–Alpine Corridor and the North Sea–Mediterranean Corridor. Reports measured reductions in heavy goods vehicle-kilometres on routes like the E40 and estimated greenhouse gas savings relevant to European Green Deal objectives. Case studies highlighted modal shift successes involving operators like Captrain and terminal operators such as Hupac Intermodal.
Critiques came from stakeholders including national transport associations and NGOs such as Transport & Environment, pointing to limited scalability compared to programmes like Marco Polo II (hypothetical) debates in the European Parliament. Challenges included competition law concerns raised in deliberations with the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition, difficulties in integrating operations across borders involving authorities like the Swiss Federal Council and logistical fragmentation criticized by firms such as Logistics UK. Other barriers involved infrastructure constraints on corridors like the Brenner Pass and interoperability issues flagged in studies by the International Union of Railways.
Category:European Union transport policy