ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses European policies as regards short sea shipping (SSS) and intermodality. To that effect, a broad view is adopted, as there have been several policy initiatives in Europe that deal directly or indirectly with both sectors in recent years. This chapter examines the situation as regards SSS and intermodality in Europe, reviews some of the main challenges and outlines prospects for the future. The role of ports as key enablers of SSS is discussed, and some of the main factors that are related and may have significant impact as regards SSS and intermodality are presented. These factors include EU port deregulation, the role of rail transport, environmental regulations, sulphur regulations, port security and others. The chapter tries to explain the causes of current problems, investigates cross-linkages and suggests possible improvements.
