| The Treaty of Rome, the agreement | | | | coordinated work without congestions and |
| establishing the structure of what is today | | | | storing of goods for days without moving. |
| the EU, recognized the important role that | | | | Concluding all of the said above, Europe has |
| transport policy could play in developing a | | | | found a way to solve their transportation |
| European common market. The Treaty called for | | | | problems, although it still needs a lot of |
| the development of a common transport policy | | | | work it definitely will pay back soon with an |
| that would provide a framework within which | | | | economic growth and happier citizens. |
| member countries could develop their own | | | | |
| transport networks, while at the same time | | | | What America faces now is a real |
| improving the performance characteristics of | | | | transportation crisis. It is a matter of |
| the European transport system as a whole. By | | | | passenger carrying as well as freight |
| providing well-matched system improvements | | | | transportation. Although the statistics show |
| whose benefits will assist any individual | | | | that international trade has been growing |
| country, the EU was targeting strategic | | | | steadily in the United States, there are |
| investments whose net impact would be of | | | | issues that can not be neglected. The UE |
| benefit to the entire EU. Given that national | | | | example shows that a critical role for |
| transport networks serve as the foundation | | | | multinational efforts is to foster open |
| for the prospective European network, it is | | | | competition and open borders (for instance |
| not surprising that one of the initial | | | | between Canada and the US, or Japan and US). |
| challenges facing the EU in the transport | | | | Free access allows the market to take |
| sector was establishing the interconnection | | | | advantage of productivity economies and |
| of services and infrastructure for | | | | results in market-reflective decisions, which |
| trans-European travel. | | | | will boost American and other countries |
| | | | economies and result in overall improvement. |
| Europe is now facing a problem of managing en | | | | The European experience suggests that there |
| ever growing stream of good and freights | | | | might have to be different market incentives |
| coming in and going out of the countries | | | | and rules for different segments of the |
| inside the UE as well as in international | | | | transportation system (e.g., inter modal |
| sector when trading with foreign countries. | | | | terminals, national rail service, inland |
| Most problems however are caused by the | | | | water, etc.). The US having a lot of land |
| elimination of the borders inside Europe, | | | | unused contrary to the Europe or Japan, has |
| which led to tourists' boom, what caused a | | | | to make the most of what is has, thus |
| problem though was not tourists, but the | | | | developing railroad infrastructure and inland |
| increasing number of freight hauling | | | | water ways, through rivers and canals. Too |
| throughout all of Europe. At that time Europe | | | | much weight has been put on the roads in the |
| was not ready for such a huge change in cargo | | | | US these days and they have been damaged |
| transportation. Currently European government | | | | severely by trucks hauling tones and tones of |
| which comprises of many countries is trying | | | | goods each day. This weight has to be |
| to implement changes that would help | | | | distributed more evenly between the |
| distribute evenly the amount of cargo. The | | | | transportation channels. |
| Common Transport Policy which was introduced | | | | |
| a couple of years ago mainly focused on the | | | | Another important issue in the American |
| transport safety, rail, roads, maritime and | | | | transportation system s lack of trained |
| aviation systems; all of the constituents had | | | | personnel. In case of Europe, it has |
| also to be made interoperable and it was | | | | incorporated human resource development and |
| essential to make much better use of what | | | | training as an important component of any |
| already existed at the time. For Europeans | | | | public and private initiative aimed at |
| the issue was to reduce the use of the roads | | | | improving freight movements. This training |
| which was overcrowded due to the borders | | | | has been done primarily to raise the quality |
| elimination and to continue on the inland | | | | of life of the communities that are affected |
| water ways and railroads. The solution to | | | | by freight facilities and operations. |
| this problem would also resolve another | | | | Consequently is people working in this |
| matter of energy conservation which is a | | | | business have a better life, it will result |
| vital concern of modern Europe. This Common | | | | in a better performance. |
| Transport Policy is aimed at lowering risks | | | | |
| of those transporting goods as well, as the | | | | Overall investigation of both American and |
| new system assumes that there will be no | | | | European (international) transportation |
| bottleneck in a newly structured scheme. | | | | systems showed that they need thorough |
| According to the approximate figures with the | | | | improvements. First there needs to be some |
| use of the new policy, transporting by | | | | general strategy identified, and then it |
| railroads and inland waters ways will grow by | | | | should be implemented in regard to the |
| 15%, and the pressure on the roads will | | | | national economic/infrastructure factors and |
| reduce by 12% which would lead to a better | | | | international trends. |