Improving Transnational Transport Corridors
In the OIC Member Countries: Concepts and Cases
58
financially viable, which is rarely the case. Under-pinning this would be an agreement
regarding the application of user charges for roads, railways, aviation, maritime and river
transport. Inclusion of user pays principles in Transport Policy is a good start. The application
of satellite tolling of all SADC roads would do much to advance this principle. This is being
done on some roads in Germany, Austria, Slovakia and France.
3.7.2. European Union
EU Support to Corridor Development and Regionalization
Unsurprisingly, The EU is a long-standing supporter of regional integration and cooperation in
ACP countries, and is set to remain so, as the EU has again clearly stressed this priority in
its Agenda for Change – the blueprint for a higher-impact, more results-oriented EU
development policy going forward. The strategic policy framework governing EU support for
ACP regional integration is defined by the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement and was
formalized in the Commission Communication of 6 October 2008 on "Regional integration for
development in ACP countries".
The main objectives of the EU regional cooperation are very important to note: (Those in bold
are interesting for trade and transport)
1. Support the expansion/improvement of infrastructure in line with regional and continental
strategies, with an emphasis on completing the key “missing links” and
providing interconnectivity between national transport, energy and
telecommunication networks, and notably.
2. Improve availability of and access to energy (including renewable), make further progress
towards regional energy markets in particular by improving interconnectivity with
neighboring countries and reinforcing regional strategies.
3. Contribute to the improvement of regional transport corridors (roads, railways,
waterways, ports, airports, intermodal facilities) in line with regional priorities in order
to reinforce the flow of transportation and to promote closer regional integration by
reinforced trade exchange.
4. Improve regional telecommunication networks.
5. Support regional core infrastructure projects for safeguarding sustainable water
supply.
6. Improving the strategic and regulatory framework of regional infrastructure
networks.
7. Support the regional strategic and regulatory framework to progress towards
smoothly functioning regional infrastructure systems (transport, energy, aviation,
telecommunications, etc.): enforcement of the axle load control strategy.
8. Support regional power trade, i.e. the development of a regulatory framework for
transmission (wheeling tariff structure), establish transmission access regime, adopt
electricity grid code, etc; and facilitation of transit at border points, reduction of
obstacles and delays (NTBs), harmonization of legislation and
administrative procedures in telecommunications, transport and energy, etc.
9. Promote transposition of regional infrastructure related policies at national level.