1. The Marco Polo programme: key for sustainable mobility

2. annual freight transport growth much higher than overall economic growth road +35%, short sea shipping +31%, inland waterway +9%, rail +6% short sea shipping: strong, sustained dynamism inland waterway: considerable unexploited potential rail: halted relative decline since 2001, higher increase in states with early market opening environmental impacts of transport remain high: 1% of GDP, road congestion cost 1% of GDP MACO POLO - MARKET CONTEXT

3. 2001: Transport White Paper: intermodality as key concept (shifting the balance, linking the modes) 2003: MARCO POLO programme (2003-2006) to support intermodal services and alternatives to road-only transport until commercial viability 2006: Keep Europe Moving - Mid-term review of 2001 White Paper co-modality: promotion of optimal use and integration of modes (continuity of policy, no U-turn) logistics: using existing capacities more efficiently, cutting costs, reducing environmental impact MARCO POLO – POLITICAL CONTEXT

4. MARCO POLO I MARCO POLO I (2003 – 2006) : shifting freight off the road to more environmental friendly transport modes – modal shift Budget: 102 million 4 Calls for proposals published 3 different action types: Modal shift actions, Common learning actions and Catalyst actions

5. Call 2003Call 2004Call 2005Call 2006 Available budget (in M)1520.430.735.7 Committed budget (in M)1320.421.418.9 Received proposals92626348 Concluded contracts131215 Contracts cancelled before ending220n.a. Average subvention per contract (in M)11.71.41.3 Planned freight to be shifted (in billion tkm) 12.414.49.511.5 Environmental benefit (in M)204324245241 External costs saved per subvention15.715.911.412.7 MARCO POLO I – OVERALL RESULTS

6. MARCO POLO I – GLOBAL OBJECTIVES

7. Marco Polo I Call 2003 New modally shifted routes SSS: Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Atlantic & East Sea Rail: NL/BE to South Eastern Europe

8. Marco Polo I Call 2004 New modally shifted routes SSS: in the same geographical areas Rail: more widespread + DE to IT 1 IWW

9. Marco Polo I Call 2005 New modally shifted routes SSS: also Baltic Sea Rail: also FR, Scandinavia & new East-west corridors

10. Marco Polo I Call 2006 New modally shifted routes 1 IWW: river Elbe Rail: BE, ES, RO well presented

11. MARCO POLO I – TRANSPORT MODES

12. MARCO POLO I – ACTION TYPES

13. MARCO POLO I – SHIFTED TKM PER 1 GRANT

14. MP I – GOOD CHANCES FOR GOOD PROJECTS

15. MARCO POLO II Continuing Marco Polo I with larger scale and scope Duration: 2007-2013 Budget: 450 M more than twofold increase of annual budget Larger possibility to finance infrastructure – if linked to the service Larger geographical scope – close third countries 5 action types; 2 new innovative ones: Motorways of the Sea Traffic Avoidance Actions

16. objective: shift international increase in road freight off the road (road freight transport estimated growth of 20.5 billion tkm/year in EU-25 in the period 2007 to 2013) risk funding, business-driven all segments of international freight (except air) services only <> no research, studies or (core) infrastructure MARCO POLO II – Key Features

17. legal entity: commercial undertakings only (private or public) eligible for participation: EU-27 Member States close third countries eligible for EC-funding: EU-27 Member States EFTA & EEA States after conclusion of specific agreement Candidate and close third countries after Memoranda of Understanding European dimension international routes (EU Member States and close third countries) min. 2 undertakings,1 of them in EU – but exceptionally also1 EU MS MARCO POLO II – Key Features

18. Eligible costs: only costs incurred after submission date of the application – even if the action starts earlier No profit allowed: during the (accumulated) years for funding – does not exclude the possibility to show profit sometime in the period Viability: - the project should show profit and continue after MP funding No state aid allowed: maximum combined public grant allowed = maximum subsidy rate of eligible costs of each action type (35% - 50%) MARCO POLO II – Key Features

19. No unacceptable distortion of competition: - a detailed justification must be given! Credibility essential: proven by letters of intent/commitment, good business plan, market study etc. – presently the main reason for failing the evaluations! Financial capacity: last annual financial statement Technical capacity: track records and experience of all partners, CVs etc.

20. MARCO POLO II – Key Features Modal shift actions New or significantly enhanced existing transport services Robust, not necessarily innovative: just shift freight off the road Maximum subsidy of 1 per 500 tkm shifted Minimum grant threshold: 500 000 or 250 M tkm shifted Subsidy rate up to 35 % Maximum duration 3 years

21. MARCO POLO II – Key Features Catalyst actions Overcoming structural market barriers Highly innovative: causing a real breakthrough Subsidy rate up to 35% Minimum grant threshold: 2 M Maximum duration 5 years

22. MARCO POLO II – Key Features Common learning actions Improve co-operation and sharing of know-how Mutual training: coping with an increasingly complex transport & logistics market Subsidy rate up to 50% Minimum subsidy threshold 250 000 Duration up to 2 years

23. MARCO POLO II – Key Features Motorways of the Sea frequent, large volume intermodal services based on SSS Subsidy rate up to 35% Maximum subsidy of 1 per 500 tkm shifted Minimum subsidy threshold 2,5 M - at least 1.25 billion tkm to be shifted per contract Duration up to 5 years

24. MARCO POLO II – Key Features same general objective of sustainable efficient transport but different approach funding is fully complementary MARCO POLO IITEN-T Transport servicesInfrastructure Ancillary infrastructureStrategic infrastructure Modal shift objectiveCreation of transport network Private sector drivenPublic sector driven Bottom-up (undertakings)Top-down (Member States) Short-termLong-term Motorways of the Sea

25. MARCO POLO II – Key Features Traffic avoidance actions - innovative integration of production and transport logistics – less empty runs, reduction of volume/weight etc. Subsidy rate up to 35% Actual, measurable and sustainable traffic avoidance of at least 10% of the freight volume Maximum subsidy of 1 per 500 tkm (or 25 vehicle- km) Minimum subsidy threshold 1 M - at least 500 M tkm (25 M vehicle- km) to be avoided per contract Duration up to 5 years

26. MARCO POLO II – Key Features Infrastructure required for timely completion of new modally shifted transport service Works are completed within 24 months after start of action Transport service starts within 3 months after the completion of the works Other EU funding, especially TEN-T funding, is excluded Total aid (state aid and EC funding) not more than 50% of eligible costs For all action types except MOD and CLA actions Ancillary infrastructure – Funding rules

27. MARCO POLO II – Results of Call 2007 2007 Received Proposals55 Subvention requested 93 M Selected proposals27 (49%) Subvention requested by selected projects 58 M Budget available 56 M Very good chances for good proposals!

28. MARCO POLO II – Results of Call 2007

30. Marco Polo I Call 2007 New modally shifted routes Very evenly distributed map: except for the East Mediterranean area which is not covered Almeria

31. MARCO POLO II – Whats next? Next Call for proposals beginning 2008; deadline March/April – almost no changes compared to Call 2007 1 st quarter of 2008: transfer of Marco Polo project management to EACI – Executive Agency of Competitiveness & Innovation

32. Thank you for your attention! MARCO POLO Help Desk http://ec.europa.eu/transport/marcopolo/index_en.htm Email: tren-marco-polo@ec.europa.eutren-marco-polo@ec.europa.eu Phone: +32 (02) 29-96448 Fax:+32 (02) 29-63765