The UfM Thematic Working Groups on Transport Connectivity lay the groundwork for the upcoming UfM Ministerial Conference on Transport

Barcelona, 16 December 2021–The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Thematic Working Groups on Land Transport (Road, Rail and Urban Transport),  Air Transport, Maritime Transport and Logistics of the UfM Regional Platform on Transport Connectivity which were held online from 14 to 16 December 2021, resumed the process of laying the groundwork at technical level for the upcoming UfM Ministerial Conference on Transport, in particular by continuing the discussions and the consultative process on the new Regional Transport Action Plan for the Mediterranean region (RTAP) for the period 2021-2027.

The meetings which were co-chaired by the UfM Co-Presidency (European Commission’s DG MOVE and the Jordanian Ministry of Transport) brought together national transport coordinators and focal points for land, air and maritime transport and logistics from technical line ministries of UfM Member States, as well as participants from key regional and international partner organizations.

The Working Groups were informed about the validation by the UfM Regional Platform on Transport Connectivity of the Evaluation Report of the previous Regional Transport Action Plan for the Mediterranean region (RTAP) for the period of 2014-2020.

Subsequently, the WGs discussed the zero-draft of the RTAP 2021-2027 which, as recalled by Ambassador Sabri E. Ergen, UfM Deputy Secretary General for Transport and Urban Development, sets out a roadmap for achieving the UfM’s overall aim in the field of transport connectivity, namely gradual, but solid progress towards developing an integrated, multimodal, efficient, interoperable, sustainable and resilient, as well as cleaner and more inclusive, transport system in the Euro-Mediterranean region, with the ultimate goal of achieving deeper regional integration.

UfM Member States provided comprehensive comments on all the proposed actions presented under each component of the plan, namely National Transport Strategies, Trans-Mediterranean Transport Network, Logistics and multimodal transport, Maritime transport and seaports, Land transport, Civil aviation, and Implementation and Evaluation. UfM Member States were encouraged to maintain their active involvement and constructive contribution for the finalisation of the consultative process on the new Action Plan.

UfM Member States also reiterated their strong support for the ongoing and past EuroMed Transport projects, and called for the continuation of the technical assistance programmes for the implementation of the future RTAP 2021-2027.

Finally, the WGs discussed the next steps for concluding the discussions on the RTAP 2021-2027 and its approval process, as well as for the adoption of the Evaluation Report of the RTAP 2014-2020 by the UfM Senior Officials, in the run-up to the next UfM Ministerial Conference on Transport foreseen to take place in 2022.