1 INTRODUCTION

While the administrative structures of countries

hindered the creation of an efficient transport

network, the global phenomenon of congested road

system must be considered and tackled similarily

through inland infrastructure development and

alternative approaches, like the European Union’s

programs of promoting the advantages of short sea

shipping as efficient alternatives to road transport.

Short Sea Shipping is a concept actively promoted by

the European Union as an efficient alternative to road

congestion and bottlenecks. This mode of transport

has many other advantages, like being

environmental-friendly and economic.

2 SHORT SEA SHIPPING DEFINITION

There is no universally accepted definition to describe

Short Sea Shipping. In general, the term of Short Sea

Shipping is referring to the use of vessels to carry

cargo or people to or from a destination that is not

across an ocean. Short Sea Shipping involves the

movement of cargo or passengers by water over

relatively short distances and it can be made within

lakes and river systems, and along coastlines. The

European Commission defines Short Sea Shipping as

the movement of passengers and cargo by sea within

Europe, both inside and outside the EU, as well as to

and from all ports in the Mediterranean, the Baltic

and the Black Sea. Short Sea Shipping is the

waterborne transport of cargo and passengers by sea

or inland waterways as part of the logistic transport

chain in Europe and the regions connected to Europe.

Maritime and Logistics Perspectives on Short Sea

Shipping Sustainable Sollutions to Road Congestion

A. Baylon

Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific, Mariveles Bataan, Philippines

C. Dragomir

Constanta Maritime University, Constanta, Romania

ABSTRACT: The paper presents the European Union’s approach to promote the advantages of short sea

shipping as efficient and sustainable alternative solution to the global issues of road congestion. European

Commission has made Short Sea Shipping one of the major priorities for European transport and maritime

industries have made it one of their key areas for development. Short Sea Shipping plays an important role in

reaching the objectives of the European Transport Policy, as it can help curb the forecasted substantial increase

in heavy goods vehicle traffic, rebalance the modal shares and bypass land bottlenecks. In the paper are

presented the advantages of Short Sea Shipping and the measures adopted by the European Union in order to

better promote the use of this mode. Short Sea Shipping needs to be developed within an integrated and

participatory approach, with the reliable involvement of stakeholders from the entire sector in order to fulfil its

economic, commercial, social and environmental role.

http://www.transnav

.eu

the

International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 14

Number 1

March 2020

DOI:

10.12716/1001.14.01.02

Short Sea Shipping is a sustainable transport link

in the door-to-door supply chain and an integrated

part of the logistic transport chain between supplier

and user. It accounts more than 40% of intra-

Community traffic and it forms an integral part of the

European transport system given. Short sea shipping

also offers significant potential for passenger

transport. Short Sea Shipping generally refers to the

movement of cargo and passengers by water between

points situated within relatively close proximity to

one another. This may include domestic as well as

international maritime transport along coastlines, to

and from nearby islands, or within lakes and river

systems. Domestic, coastal or inland shipping are

terms used to describe Short Sea Shipping.

3 SHORT SEA SHIPPING APPROACH FOR

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT

A total of 40 % of all trade within the European Union

is now carried by sea, surpassed only by road

transport. But the potential of Short Sea Shipping is

much greater, due to the fact that it could take

substantial volumes of goods traffic off Europe’s

congested roads and ease major road bottlenecks.

Sea transport is an efficient solution to the

problems from road haulage. Short sea Shipping

produces fewer polluting emissions than any other

mode of transport and, for passengers, has a death

rate only a fraction of those of other modes.[1].

Maritime transport is a fully integrated component of

door-to-door intermodal transport services and a

major contributor to sustainability, cohesion, and

competitiveness. Specifically, Short Sea Shipping has

the potential to accommodate much of the anticipated

growth in freight without increasing pressure on

Europe’s already crowded roads.

A major issue that we are confronting today is

global warming and water transport is considerably

more environmentally friendly and sustainable than

motor vehicle transport. Road transport accounts for

almost 80 per cent of transportation related

greenhouse gas emissions. The emission rates per ton

kilometre of cargo carried by water are attractive from

the point of view of dealing with climate change.

Maritime traffic has a distinct energy-saving

advantage over competing modes of transportation.

Congestion reduces the efficiency of vehicles and

correspondingly increases the amount of pollution

emissions from the atmosphere. The sea transport

involves a low emission of environmental non-

friendly gases compared with train and road

transport. Nicole Trepanier, in the study „Le TMCD

en Europe: un enjeu environnemental?” [2] presents

the following statistics concerning the gas emissions

from the means of transport. Carbon emissions (CO)

from maritime transport are 2.4 times lower than the

emissions from train transport and 5.5 times lower

than the emissions from road transport. Emissions of

CO2 from maritime transport are 3.4 times lower than

the emissions from train transport and 6.3 times lower

than the emissions from road transport. The emissions

of NOx in maritime transport are twice lower than the

emissions resulting from train transport and 3.1 times

lower than the ones resulting from road transport.

The use of Short Sea Shipping can have a positive

effect on climate change if some of the projected

growth in freight and passenger traffic can be carried

by the marine mode.

Among the benefits of an effective short sea

shipping network is that increasing capacity is largely

a matter of increasing the size or number of ships in a

rotation. That means unlike adding road capacity,

which often makes congestion worse for months or

years while construction is under way, building new

ships does not affect the service network in use.

The sea transport is suitable for transport in every

part of the globe, for example in the Northern part of

Europe, where usually train or road transport has no

access on the ice perimeter. The goods can be

transported with a large range of specialized ships.

Depending on the characteristics of the freight, after

arrival, they can be deposited in special places in the

port perimeter or they can enter directly in the

production cycle, in the factories near the port area.

Road infrastructure construction and expansion is

expensive and disturbing for local residents whereas

sea transport can accept more traffic without adding

infrastructure with expensive costs.

The development of Short Sea Shipping is an

opportunity to create a large number of jobs and

employment in the maritime sector in the future and

present period.

By fostering global trade, Short Sea Shipping also

promotes the social and economic growth of third

countries bordering the peripheral maritime regions

and interested in links with the infrastructure of the

European transport network.

All the advantages of the maritime transport

indicate the great significance of this activity for the

economic agents, national economies and the

environment.

4 EUROPEAN UNION’S INITIATIVES FOR

PROMOTING THE ADVANTAGES OF THE

SHORT SEA SHIPPING

The European Union has carried out a substantial

amount of work on the subject since the early 1990s

resulting in Short Sea shipping becoming a key EU

transport policy priority. EU institutions and industry

launched a joint approach in 1992 on the promotion of

Short Sea Shipping. In Europe the main focus has

been on promoting Short Sea Shipping as a mean of

relieving congestion on European roads and

bypassing natural bottlenecks such as tunnels through

mountain ranges. The density of the population and

the presence of substantial river systems in Europe

make Short Sea Shipping is a viable transportation

alternative. In Europe the focus is on moving cargo

from road to water and creating “Motorways of the

Seas” primarily for the carriage of containers and Ro-

Ro traffic.

The European Commission had an active policy to

promote Short Sea Shipping. In 1999 it presented a

Communication with a comprehensive approach to

increase the use of the mode. Furthermore, the recent

European Commission White Paper on European

Transport Policy for 2010 emphasised the role of Short

Sea Shipping in maintaining an efficient transport

system in Europe now and in the future.

In order to support Short Sea Shipping there were

established a number of initiatives being advanced in

the EU. They include integration of Short Sea into the

logistical door-to-door transport chain, removing

administrative bottlenecks such as customs forms that

result from the variety of different countries in the

Union, improving environmental performance,

identifying suitable corridors, and studying the issue

of greater standardization in handling ocean shipping

containers.

5 OBSTACLES FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF

SHORT SEA SHIPPING

TA number of obstacles still impede the further

development of Short Sea Shipping. [3] First, many

commercial players still view it, wrongly, as an old-

fashioned mode of transport. Second, full integration

of Short Sea Shipping into door-to-door

multimodality remains to be accomplished. Third, the

complexity of documentary and administrative

procedures in Short Sea Shipping is a fact that needs

to be examined and tackled. Fourth, the efficiency of

ports, port services and port-hinterland connections

needs to be enhanced. The Community is in the

process of pursuing solutions to a number of these

obstacles.

According to several analyzed reports on short sea

shipping, the European Commission is convinced that

co-ordinated efforts at all levels (Member States,

regional, local, industry and Commission) will

substantially help accelerate the growth of Short Sea

Shipping, alleviate obstacles and allow Short Sea

Shipping to become a true success story of the 21st

century. Even though the maritime and logistical

industry is chiefly responsible for developing Short

Sea Shipping, intervention on the part of European,

national and regional institutions is nevertheless

essential to create favourable conditions for such

development. Until now, there have been some

positive initiatives, such as the definition of national

focal points, agreements on European Union

legislation in relation to financing programmes and

simplified IMO-FAL (International Maritime

Organisation - Facilitation of international transport)

forms required when ships enter or leave ports. The

Commission is engaged in strategies to identify

critical bottlenecks against the widespread use of

Short Sea Shipping, as well as possible solutions. For

example, the documentary and administrative

procedures in this type of transport differ widely

between Member States and between individual

ports[4]. Furthermore, the Commission has proposed

possible simplifications on customs rules for Short Sea

Shipping.

Currently there are being developed several

projects regarding investments for adaptation of

terminals at each port, introduction of new and

upgraded trailers for rapid loading and unloading,

and improvement of a ‘tracking and tracing’ system

for the exchange of consignment data with customers

via electronic data interchange (EDI) or the Internet.

For example, a two-year EU-sponsored project has

shifted 18.25 million tonne-kilometres per year of

heavy goods traffic off roads between northern Italy

and Greece. The daily voyages in each direction offer

cost reductions to customers in the chemicals, food-

processing, machine-tool and consumer-goods

sectors. This positive market response is likely to

encourage similar operations, removing more trucks

from long-distance routes.

Intermodality – the easy transfer of goods and

passengers between road, rail, sea and air transport –

is the key to the development of short sea shipping

[5]. Sea transport is already highly competitive for

long distances. But Short Sea shipping needs to

become more attractive as an alternative for shorter

journeys. If it is to fulfil its potential, partnerships

with operators of other transport modes are vital, as

the basis for intermodal transport service packages

oriented to customers’ changing needs. Short Sea

Shipping in Europe needs to be integrated into

logistics chains in order to offer door-to-door

solutions to customers. Such logistics chains should

be managed and commercialised by one-stop shops

offering the customers a single contact point that

takes responsibility for the completely intermodal

chain. Further, the notion of competition between

modes should be replaced with complementarity

because door-to-door chains involves co-operation

between modes of transport and a win-win situation.

The European Commission has actively supported

the creation of Short Sea Shipping Promotion Centres

(SPCs) in the Member States, providing one-off

financial support for theie establishment. Independent

of individual regions or ports, the SPCs act in the

interests of all cargo-movers – whether owners,

shippers or operators. Funded by both public and

private sectors, all share the mission of demonstrating

that sea transport is reliable, safe, cost-effective and

technically advanced. The Commission has also

financed and supported the launch of the European

Shortsea Network (ESN), which links the national

SPCs to facilitate collaborations and the exchange of

experience.

The emphasis of the role of maritime transport in

the desired evolution of freight traffic in the European

Union target are (1) to reduce the saturation of the

road networks, (2) to improve access to peripheral

and island regions and (3) to encourage more

environmentally-friendly modes of transport

(Gothenburg European Council in 1998). Trans-

European Networks policy was developed gradually

during the 1990s. In 1996, the European Parliament

and the Council of Ministers adopted a decision

setting out the guidelines for the development of the

Trans- European Network in 2010. This decision was

revised in 2001 to include sea and inland ports. The

White Paper considered that one of the primary

missions of the Trans-European Network for

Transport (TEN-T) was to “relieve congestion on

major routes”.

6 FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS

Based on various readings of European reports,

internet search, observations, documentary and

content analysis, the information and data generated

have been noted and analyzed focusing on the

advantages and challenges of short sea shipping.

Sustainability in maritime sector it’s not just

marketing. Environmental regulation becomes more

comprehensive and more stringent. Ports, for

example, could distinguish it more clearly from other

industrial locations by focusing on energy efficiency,

recycling of residual materials and carbon capture,

storage and reuse – therewith promoting itself in the

global landscape. Beside such solutions, using short

sea shipping, where applicable, represents an efficient

and sustainable alternative for road transport.

Short Sea Shipping is a successful mode of

transport in the European Union. It is designed to

increase the efficiency of the overall transport system

in order to meet current and future demands arising

from economic expansion, increased trade and

population growth.

National governments and authorities, in

cooperation with the industries involved, must

provide the necessary support regarding the political,

economic and financial aspects of Short Sea Shipping.

Member States governments, including Romania,

should establish policies, programs and regulations to

help create an environment that enables Short Sea

Shipping industry to operate efficiently. The

authorities have to promote and support initiatives

and partnerships with others having common

interests and goals. There is a need to work together

with the whole transportation industry and with

other partners in order to build an integrated

transportation system.

Time is money. This is also true for ports wherein

a precise planning of processes and operations is even

more important given the enormous impact of the

tides and the costs for dockage. The Philippines, for

example, is currently investing in land transportation

to ensure goods are moved out of our ports and

delivered to the end. There is plenty of room for

consolidation in the local shipping and logistics

industry. At present, the country has more than

12,000 domestic merchant vessels operated by

thousands of companies and individuals, according to

data from the Maritime Industry Authority. We see

the benefits of consolidation, as it would entice

companies to come together to form more efficient

operations and offer better quality service in

promoting sustainable transport solutions as Short

Sea Shipping

7 CONCLUDING REMARKS

The authorities should investigate Short Sea Shipping

opportunities and application in Romania or

Philippines through regional studies (regarding

congestion, bottlenecks, traffic flows, potential

routes/corridors and potential ideas for service).

There should be organized regional workshops to

bring together parties with an interest in exploring

Short Sea Shipping opportunities.

The ultimate success depends on how shippers

and carriers respond to the challenge and whether the

economics supports establishing such enterprises.

REFERENCES

[1] General Information Brochure on Short Sea Shipping,

Directorate-General for Energy and Transport European

Commission, Energy and Transport DG, Bruxelles, 2002

[2] Trepanier, N., Le transport maritime à courte distance en

Europe: un enjeu environnemental?, Armateurs du St.

Laurent, Bulletin no.2, 2005

[3] Navarro, Robert, Final Report on short sea shipping A6-

0055/2005, Committee on Transport and Tourism,

European Parliament, 2005

[4] http://ec.europa.eu/transport/maritime/sss/index_en.htm

[5] ***, Short Sea Shipping – a Transport Success Story ,

European Commission, Energy and Transport DG,

Brussel, 2002

[6] ****, Regulation (EC) No. 1692/2006 of the European

Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 2006 OJ L

328, 24.11.2006, p 1.