26/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - Marco Polo receives almost €60 million in funding for this year. In 2011, €56.87 million in European funding will go to the Marco Polo programme. This programme aims to free Europe's roads of an annual volume of 20 billion tonnes of freight per kilometre. Priority will be given to environmentally-friendly projects in the maritime sector, inland waterways and railways. A call for proposals able to be financed through these funds is open until 16 January 2012. The projects selected will be unveiled in June and funding could be finalised in December 2012, with the formal signing of an agreement by the stakeholders. The selection procedure will attempt to ensure that cases of competition are avoided in the maritime sector. (MD/transl.fl)