UfM Regional Platform on Transport Connectivity

Context and Objectives

Ongoing changes in global trends, geopolitics and geoeconomics, climate, digital technologies and infrastructure, as well as disruption caused by COVID-19 are creating significant uncertainties with regard to future transport demand. However, they also offer important opportunities and have highlighted the essential role of transport. Better regional transport infrastructure will enable economies in the region to play a more important role in regional and global value chains and economy. Higher levels of transport connectivity can also lead to better access to employment, education, health, and other public services, as well as tourism activities. Moreover, enhanced connectivity for all countries in the region continues to be of strategic importance for improving regional integration.

In this context, the aim of the UfM in the field of transport in general and of the UfM Regional Platform on Transport Connectivity and its thematic Working Groups on Land (road, rail and urban transport), Air and Maritime Transport and Logistics in particular, is gradual but solid progress towards developing an integrated, multimodal, efficient, interoperable, sustainable and resilient -as well as a cleaner and more inclusive- transport infrastructure network in the Euro-Mediterranean region, with the ultimate goal of achieving deeper regional integration, socio-economic development and contributing to achieving the SDGs.

The UfM Regional Platform on Transport Connectivity and its thematic Working Groups bring together UfM government representatives, key regional and international partner organisations and international financial institutions (IFIs), as well as key experts and stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. Back-to-back with the UfM Regional Platform, the UfM Secretariat organises:

• The UfM-IFIs Transport Finance Committee, which is aimed at exchanging views with the IFIs and key partners of the UfM region on the funding of the labelled and potential projects for future labelling
• Ad hoc SOMs to prepare, discuss, and provisionally approve the draft Ministerial Declaration and other deliverables, before conveying them to UfM Senior Officials (regular SOM) for adoption, prior to the next UfM Ministerial Conference.

Policy Framework

The 1st UfM Transport Ministerial Conference was held in Brussels in November 2013 built on the significant progress achieved within the Euro-Med process since the first Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Transport, held in Marrakech in 2005.  On that occasion, the Ministers declared the objectives for the coming years and reaffirmed its 2 complementary pillars: regulatory reform and convergence in all relevant different transport subsectors, and the establishment of the future Trans-Mediterranean Transport Network (TMN-T), to be connected with the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Those objectives were incorporated into the UfM Roadmap for Action in 2017.

The Regional Transport Action Plan (RTAP 2014-2020) and the new Regional Transport Action Plan (RTAP 2021-2027) provide comprehensive guidance and comprise a set of actions targeting regulatory reform and infrastructure network planning. The EuroMed regional transport projects (SafeMed, ETSP, EUMedRail, Aviation Project), technical assistance and bilateral twinning programmes (TAIEX) support its implementation.

Global and Regional Policy Frameworks
Several key global and regional reference policy frameworks for both policy transfer and regulatory convergence were taken into account in drafting the new RTAP. These include the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2015), the Paris Agreement (2015), the European Green Deal (2019), whose objectives for the transport sector are developed in the EU’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (2020), the European Neighbourhood Policy and the UfM Roadmap for Action (2017).

Key partners and stakeholders

European Commission Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE)
European Commission Directorate-General for Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR)
Ministry of Transport of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan