Improving Transnational Transport Corridors
In the OIC Member Countries: Concepts and Cases
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The EU strongly maintains its philosophy of strength in diversity, despite right wing pressures
in recent times. The map i hows the second largest nationalities living in European
nations by their flags. Although this cannot be put down to TEN-T corridors it is important to
state that the movement of people and trade in goods and services cannot be separated.
In the EU there is a very strongly held position regarding human rights, especially after the
human tragedy of WW2. All people, irrespective of nationality, religion or creed have equal
rights. The European Convention on human rights was ratified and entered into force on 3
September 1953. It is overseen and enforced by the European Court of Human Rights in
Strasbourg, and the Council of Europe. Thus, the important point is the people move along the
TEN-T corridors in the certain knowledge of that their rights as users are equally protected.
Unemployment
Many argue these days that globalization and regionalization has left people behind. Whether
this is just a politically popular statement or there is real evidence linking globalization to
unemployment it is beyond the scope of this assignment. But it is incumbent on the consultants
to show where the areas of long term unemployment persist in Europe. The reasons for this
are that investment in employment generation remains in the logistic core of Europe and that
in the Balkans and Iberia, insufficient jobs are being generated.
The TEN T has had an impact on demography, which seems to be concentrating rather
dispersing wealth. This is something that needs very careful attention in the future.
3.6. Safety, security and the legal liability
The EU TEN-T also offers the best examples of how to protect a common trade area or customs
zone from external threats without undermining economic and social development. This is not
to say that it is perfect, there have been problems of security, smuggling, trafficking, drugs, but
arguably at a no more intensive rate than, for example North America, and some may argue,
that security is much better in the EU than the USA.
The solution in the EU is to make sure that there is a well-defined external border. When the
EU enlarged in the 90’s to include another 11 countries, it built new border infrastructure from
the Arctic Circle in Norway to Moldova and the Black Sea. This line of new borders was
interlinked and referenced to a common security and customs database. The procedures used
at all the borders are common, irrespective of territory personnel trained to common
standards.
So, it is possible for corridors to develop and regional integration to take place in such a way as
to not compromise security. It is a “one for all and all for one” approach that requires trust
between its partners built up over time. Needless-to-say, there being no impediments to EU
logistics chains along its principle transport corridors, the EU enjoys the highest proportion of
intra-regional trade than anywhere in the world.