Annex V to BS/WG/T/R(2023)1

 

PLAN OF ACTION
 OF THE BSEC WORKING GROUP ON TRANSPORT 
1 JANUARY 2023 - 31 DECEMBER 2024


(Country-Coordinator: UKRAINE)

I. GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

  1. The present Plan of Action in the field of transport sets the main guidelines for enhancing mutually beneficial co-operation between the BSEC Member States for the period 2023-2024 directed towards both the integration of the national transport networks into the regional ones and further into the Trans European Transport Network and Euro-Asian Corridors, and the development of reliable, efficient, safe, integrated and sustainable transport systems in the BSEC region.
  2. The cooperation in the field of transport is vital for achieving steady, sustainable and equitable development, stability and prosperity in all the BSEC Member States. The activities of the BSEC Working Group on Transport (WGT) will be aimed at the implementation of the provisions of the BSEC Economic Agenda: Towards an Enhanced BSEC Partnership (Goal 3), resolutions of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, decisions of the Ministers of Transport of the BSEC Member States and the BSEC Public Communication Strategy. The WGT will apply its efforts to contribute to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in the BSEC Region. The recommendations of the PABSEC General Assembly will be taken into account in a due way.
  3. The Plan of Action represents consistency with the work carried out by BSEC in transport cooperation in accordance with previous action plans. In this regard, actions will be taken for the proper implementation of projects foreseen by the Memoranda on the Coordinated Development of the Black Sea Ring Highway, Development of the Motorways of the Sea and Facilitation of Road Transport of Goods; continuation of cooperation on road safety; development of intermodal transportation; strengthening transport institutional capacity; undertaking new initiatives aimed at developing modern transport infrastructure and facilitating transportation.
  4. The WGT will continue the practice of exchanging information regarding the transport national strategies and investment projects being implemented in the BSEC Member States as well as on best practices used on transport.

II. DEVELOPMENT OF ROAD AND MARITIME INFRASTRUCTURE

a/ Memorandum of Understanding for the Coordinated Development of the Black Sea Ring Highway (BSRH)

  1. The Parties to the MoU will be further encouraged to increase their efforts for further implementation of the BSRH Project. The Coordination of activities with the Steering Committee on the Development of the Black Sea Ring Highway will be achieved via interaction between the BSEC Chairmanship-in-Office, Presidency of the BSRH Steering Committee, the BSEC PERMIS and the BSRH Joint Permanent Technical Secretariat (Thessaloniki, “Egnatia Odos S.A.”).

b/ Memorandum of Understanding on the Development of the Motorways of the Sea (MoS) at the BSEC Region

  1. The Parties to the MoU will be further encouraged to apply their every effort for the elaboration of the MoS Master Plan. Coordination of activities with the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Development of the Motorways of the Sea will be achieved via interaction of the Chairmanship-in-Office, Presidency of the MoS WG, the BSEC PERMIS and the MoS Joint Technical Secretariat.

III. FACILITATION OF ROAD TRANSPORT OF GOODS

Memorandum of Understanding on Facilitation of Road Transport of Goods (FRTG) in the BSEC Region

  1. The FRTG Steering Committee will continue its work on the issues of gradual liberalization of transport, visa facilitation, monitoring of border waiting times, adherence by the BSEC Member States to major UNECE International Agreements and Conventions in the field of transport in accordance with the Time-Table on implementation of the MoU, adopted by the Steering Committee.

Development of intermodal transportation

  1. The BSEC Member States support the development of intermodal transportation in the BSEC Region. To this end, the Member States will be further encouraged to focus on the development of sustainable intermodal transport and logistics system for providing additional transport options to existing and future trade flows between BSEC Member-States, and at a global scale.

Multimodal ferry and passenger lines

  1. The interested BSEC Member States will be further encouraged to apply their efforts to adopt the final text of the Draft Memorandum of Understanding on the Development of Multimodal Ferry Lines in the Black Sea Region.

 IV. ROAD SAFETY

  1. Within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement signed between BSEC and UNECE the WGT will continue its cooperation with UNECE on implementing the United Nations Decade of Action on the Road Safety (2021-2030).

V. UTILIZING THE BSEC PROJECT MECHANISMS

  1. The WGT will encourage the BSEC Members States to utilize the BSEC project mechanisms in implementing the MoUs on the Coordinated Development of the Black Sea Ring Highway, Development of the Motorways of the Sea and the Facilitation of Road Transport of Goods in the BSEC Region. At the same time, other project proposals for the development of transport will be considered on the case-by-case basis.

VI. STRENGTHENING THE BSEC INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY

  1. In order to preserve and exploit the great potential and the gained expertise as assets for national and regional development, the WGT will continue its cooperation with other international organizations, Observers and Sectoral Dialogue Partners to BSEC.
  2. Relevant international organizations, such as UNECE, European Commission, as well as others, will be invited to attend the meetings of the WGT in order to exchange views and create synergies between the present Plan of Action and the programs and financial instruments developed by the European Union or any other international organization in the field of transport.
  3. Further actions will be undertaken for implementation of cooperation agreements signed in transport field with other international organizations, in particular:
    1. Cooperation Agreement between the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) (2 July 2001).
    2. Memorandum of Understanding between the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the International Road Transport Union (IRU) (27 September 2006).
    3. Memorandum of Understanding between the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the International Road Federation (IRF) (24 November 2006).
    4. Memorandum of Understanding between the Permanent International Secretariat of the   Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the Permanent Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Commission TRACECA (13 December 2007).
    5. Memorandum of Understanding on Sectoral Dialogue Partnership between the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the Danube Commission (8 June 2010).
    6. Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Permanent International Secretariat of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the Central European Initiative – Executive Secretariat (7 March 2011).
    7. Memorandum of Understanding between the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the International Union of Railways (3 March 2016).
  1. The Working Group on transport will:                                                                                
    1. Further direct transport activities at interaction and achieving synergy with the UNECE work on development of the BSEC Region’s transport infrastructure, in particular, within implementation of the Memoranda on the development of the Black Sea Ring Highway, Motorways of the Sea and Facilitation of Road Transport of Goods.
    2. Collaborate with IRU and BSEC-URTA on measures to further develop the BSEC Permit System and increase its geographical coverage.
    3. Further encourage the BSEC Member States to accede and implement Agreements and Conventions established under the auspices of the UNECE and the World Customs Organization (WCO).
    4. Promote innovative transport solutions and intelligent transport systems for enhancing the transport efficiency in the BSEC Region, as well as digitalization of transport documents (e-Permit, e-Visa, e-TIR, e-CMR) and other innovative solutions, which facilitate the flow of goods and passengers across borders and provide new services to the transport sector.
    5. Provide support to the measures related to the facilitation of border crossing and fast and seamless transition of goods through transport corridors, especially during the emergency situations (pandemics or quarantines, natural disasters, etc.).
    6. Promote a Single Window System, joint control procedures aimed at reducing waiting times at national border crossing points and facilitating custom checks.
    7. Interact with IRU and all parties involved on complex of issues related to facilitation of road transport of goods (taxation of road transport of goods in the BSEC Member States, monitoring border waiting times, etc).
    8. Utilize the valuable expertise of the BSEC Sectoral Dialogue Partners, in particular, BSEC-URTA, BRASS and BINSA on the issues of facilitation of road transport of goods, maritime and multimodal transportation, development of cruise, Ro-Ro, Ro-La and ferry lines.
    9. Continue to provide its support to training seminars and conferences aimed at the exchange of experiences and best practices in the transport sector among experts of the BSEC Member States, other countries and international organizations.

VII. THE BSEC COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

  1. The WGT will pay due attention to the issue of increasing the visibility of the BSEC transport cooperation. The WGT will also encourage its partners to contribute actively to this work. The WGT will support the activity of all BSEC partners involved in projects and their policies on promotion of trade and transport facilitation in the BSEC region.

VIII. IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING

  1. The Working Group on Transport, as a permanent subsidiary body of BSEC, will monitor the implementation of this Plan of Action. At the end of their term in office the Country-Coordinator should prepare an Evaluation Report on the strengths, weaknesses and lessons learned in the activity of the Working Group over the period in office.

IX. LIST OF ACTIVITIES:

* The list of activities will be updated in consultations with the BSEC Chairmanship-in-Office upon receiving proposals from the Member States and the BSEC PERMIS during the biannual period.

PLANNED

a/ Ministerial Meetings:

2024 - Meeting of Ministers of Transport of the BSEC Member States (upon the decision of the BSEC Chairman-in-Office).

b/ Meetings of the Working Group on Transport:

April 2023, Presentation of the Evaluation Report for 2021-2022 and the Plan of Action for 2023-2024

March/April 2024

c/ Meetings of other transport organs:

Steering Committee on Facilitation of Road Transport of Goods in the BSEC Region (will be scheduled by the Chairmanship in the FRTG Steering Committee) - 2023 and 2024

Steering Committee on the Development of the Black Sea Ring Highway (will be scheduled by the Presidency in the BSRH Steering Committee) - 2023 and 2024

Ad Hoc Working Group on the Motorways of the Sea (will be scheduled by the Presidency in the Ad Hoc WG) - 2023 and 2024

Meeting of the BSEC Member States participating in the “BSEC PERMIT System” - 2023 and 2024

Task Force on studying possibilities regarding cooperation on intermodal transportation in the Black Sea Region - 2023 and 2024

d/ BSEC Promoting Activities

Presentation of the BSEC activities at the ITF Annual Summit – Leipzig, 2023 and 2024