Browne welcomes EU shipping initiative

John Browne, Minister for State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, has welcomed moves to develop short sea transport corridors which could offer Ireland significant advantages.

The recent signing of the Amsterdam Agreement by all EU Member States will switch focus from road transport to shipping routes, particularly short haul between Ireland the EU.

The Minister said: “The Amsterdam agreement, which Ireland fully supported, sets out to further promote short sea shipping as a credible, environmentally friendly, sustainable and safe part of the European transport system, that is well integrated in the transport chain.

"It is focused on reducing congestion, enhancing modal shift from road to short sea shipping and/or to improving connections with peripheral areas and between areas divided by natural barriers.”

The agreement aims to reduce administrative procedures that hinder the development of short sea shipping.

A key feature of the agreement is the focus on the development of high quality short sea corridors between European Union member States with full participation of all interested parties, public or private. Appropriate use is to be made of the instruments recently set up by the European Union, particularly the Trans European Transport Network and the Marco Polo programme.

Minister Browne has asked the State maritime development body, the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO), to investigate the potential under these forthcoming programs to enhance Irish short sea trade corridors and to report back its findings to his Department.

The European Union is still very dependent on maritime transport with some 43% of its internal trade carried by sea, representing more than 1 billion tonnes of freight per year loaded and unloaded in EU ports.