| Programmes and Funds Keyword Index | ||||
| Marco Polo | ||||
| Sustainable Transport | ||||
Website: ec.europa.eu/transport/marcopolo/index_en.htm
In its White Paper - European Transport Policy for 2010: time to decide, the Commission proposed to take measures which should make the market shares of the modes of transport return, by 2010, to their 1998 levels. This will prepare the ground for a shift of balance from 2010 onwards.
One measure to achieve this objective is the establishment of the Marco Polo Programme with its adoption on 22 July 2003. The Programme's objective is to reduce road congestion and to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system within the Community and to enhance intermodality, thereby contributing to an efficient and sustainable transport system. To achieve this objective, the Programme supports actions in the freight transport, logistics and other relevant markets. These actions should contribute to maintain the distribution of freight between the various modes of transport at 1998 levels by helping to shift the expected aggregate increase in international road freight traffic of 12 billion tkm per year to short sea shipping, rail and inland waterways or to a combination of modes of transport in which road journeys are as short as possible.