Brussels, 28/06/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 28 June, the European Commission adopted its communication on the improvement of transport logistics. The aim, as the Commission explains, is to improve the carriage of goods in Europe through “advanced” logistical solutions, allowing greater efficiency of the various modes of transport and the combination of these modes. To achieve this, it identifies a series of very general measures and, after consulting all parties concerned, foresees the development of a logistics action plan for goods transport in 2007.
Goods transport logistics means all the methods and means used for the organisation and optimisation of the flow of goods. It covers planning, organisation, management, control and implementation of goods transport and storage activity in order to make the goods supply chain more effective. According to Commission figures, annual spending on logistics in Europe and North America amounts to around one thousand billion euros, whereas, on average, logistics accounts for “10-15% of the final cost of finished goods”. “Although the development of transport logistics is basically a matter for industry”, the Commission nonetheless considers that public authorities should “create a framework in which industrial activity can expand”. In this context, it suggests a series of somewhat vague areas (some of which are already in mid-term review of the White Paper on Transport), in particular:
- setting up a group of contact points with the Member States and industry to identify and deal permanently with the obstacles preventing faster development of freight transport logistics (“bottlenecks exercise”);
- improving the training of logistics providers and other personnel involved in the management of logistics flows. The Commission also states that it hopes to promote the development of a mutually recognisable certification as part of a voluntary scheme for specialists in goods transport logistics;
- devising indicators, especially statistics, for monitoring the market situation. In this context, the Commission plans to begin work on the necessary methods and indicators to achieve “benchmarking”;
- defining methods and indicators on assessment of logistics performance in Europe and creating a label of recognition for logistics excellence in transport and the logistics chain that could take environmental impact and best practice into account. Still with the concern to improve goods transport quality, the Commission intends to suggest an action plan for promoting the emergence of a rail network dedicated to goods carriage;
- reflecting on the “added value” of a standardised transport document for multimodal transport operations, clarifying and harmonising the different regimes of responsibility in force;
- and implement common European standards for loading units to ensure a seamless flow of cargo.