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