The European Commission has outlined its intentions to promote better planning in the logistics industry and its support of multimodal distribution. Speaking at the European Freight Logistics Leaders Forum in Helsinki, deputy director general of the European Commission's (EC) DG TREN department Zoltan Kazatsay said the EC wants to promote greater professionalism in logistics planning and a multimodal approach to transportation.
"Efficient logistics services make our economy more competitive.
The costs of logistics are considerable and should therefore be kept under control, in particular personnel and fuel costs," he says. "Efficient logistics should and will play a positive role in reducing air pollution and CO2 emissions produced by transport systems."
One area the European policy makers see could be improved upon is the use of IT. Kazatsay says: "IT can help make better use of transport infrastructure, reduce operating costs, improve service levels as well as security and safety and increase transparency in the market." The EC is expected to unveil its action plan for freight in the autumn. It is expected to include plans for training, green corridors for rail, 'motorways on the sea' and inland waterways and road improvements.
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