The package of measures consists of proposals for improving logistics, for a rail network that gives priority to freight, and for a European ports policy. The Commission's objective is to promote the creation of a European freight network on which freight transport could be more competitive in terms of journey times, reliability and capacity than it is at present.
It is estimated that the volumes of goods transported in Europe will increase by 50% between 2000 and 2020. The problems of congestion, climate change, energy supply and security will become all the more acute. The EU is therefore advocating concentrating long-distance transport in "green corridors", i.e. freight transport corridors such as rail routes and inland waterways which are characterised by low impact on people and the environment.
Source and information: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/logistics/freight (de/fr/en), www.umweltruf.de/news/111/news0 (de)