Transport in Europe with special reference to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership

Abstract

The transport industry occupies an important position in the Community, accounting for 7% of its GNP, 7% of total employment, 40% of Member States' investment and 30% of Community Energy Consumption. Demand, particularly in intra-Community traffic, has grown more or less constantly for the last 20 years, by 2.3% a year for goods and 3.1 % for passengers. However, since Malta is a Mediterranean region, it is important to study the EURO-Mediterranean partnership in the transport sector. Over recent years the Community has rethought its relationship towards the Mediterranean region culminating in the development of a EURO-Mediterranean partnership, as adopted at the Barcelona Conference in November 1995. The new approach proposed by the Community is global in nature and aims at creating a free-trade area in the Mediterranean basin by the year 2010. This partnership has 3 objectives: A political and security partnership; economic and financial cooperation; and social, cultural and human exchange. [excerpt]