The Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) has coordinated a conference on the evolutions and problems of the transport sector in the Black Sea area. All ministers present at the reunion have signed an agreement for increasing the exchange flow and facilitating freight traffic between Europe and Asia.
During the conference held by the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in Sofia on April 15, 2010, transport ministers discussed current progress and future issues in the transport sector of the Black Sea area. A joint declaration was signed in the end that includes the ministers’ commitment to focus on simplifying the procedures of using the transport networks of the BSEC member states with the set purpose of strengthening the exchange flow and facilitating the transport of goods between Europe and Asia.
Facilitating traffic through modern and compatible equipments and harmonised procedures at border crossings for achieving a reinforced cooperation between interested countries are vital in transport development. To this end, a series of severe measures is to be made and implemented to render international traffic more efficient.
The ministers have decided to explore the opportunities of improving and developing road, sea, air and railway transport infrastructures to ease passenger and freight flow between member states. Another significant element of the joint declaration is the ministers’ decision to consolidate collaboration in the sector of civil aviation and to consult competent authorities in exploring the possibility of elaborating an Integrated Maritime Strategy.
Transport ministers have agreed to implement innovating transport solutions, as well as intelligent systems so as to improve the efficiency of both international and
regional transport systems.
BSEC prioritizes infrastructure development plans
Since its establishment, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) has been paying a special attention to cooperation in transports and aims at promoting the efficient use of intra-regional transport and increasing the transport capacity in the Black Sea area. Since 1992, BSEC has established a Work Group for the elaboration of plans and projects on transport and communications. This BSEC branch has regularly set meetings and is run by a coordinating country.
Until April 2011, the transport department coordinator is Romania.
All projects in this sector contribute to the extension of the Trans-European network and to the development of the transport connections in the Eurasian region.
Thus, the Transport Action Plan developed by BSEC determines the main directions of transport cooperation between BSEC member states with the purpose of achieving a very efficient regional transport system which combines national transport programmes with the projects of Pan-European corridor development. This Plan should be considered a general cooperation framework in transports within the BSEC area, which means national measures will be accompanied by regional efforts in the field, so that all objectives could be achieved. The plan represents the first step for carrying on cooperation at regional scale.
The programme aims at promoting a sustainable transport which fulfils economic, social, environmental and safety demands in the BSEC countries to reduce regional gaps and connect the BSEC infrastructure to the Trans-European and Pan-European Network and Eurasian corridors through programmes and projects which link Europe and Asia.
Infrastructure projects are being reviewed and prioritized, while the railway infrastructure rehabilitation, modernisation and construction are divided into short, medium and long term projects, so as to encourage the adoption of efficient safety and environment measures.
Moreover, a special attention is granted to financing infrastructure construction projects and rolling stock and equipment acquisition. To this end, BSEC focuses on the collaboration with the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank.
Main BSEC directions for transport cooperation
– Elaborating concrete measures for prioritizing the implementation of rail transport infrastructure development projects at international level in the Black Sea area.
– Creating favourable conditions for national, international and private investments, especially for the cooperation between the private and the public sectors for the financing and operation of transport networks.
– Developing and levelling specific legislation and the improvement of cross-border crossing operations
– Coordinating measures on the operation and interaction of different transport modes
– Promoting transport safety conditions
– Launching new technologies that develop and accelerate transport process and information exchange
– Establishing logistics centres
– Cooperating in other common interest issues
by Pamela Luică
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