The project aimed to carry a feasibility study for the setting up of new maritime cargo lines between Bulgarian and Romanian ports and North Adriatic ports. The study was based on the analysis of the growth potential of both economies also in the perspective of their adhesion to the EU single market in 2007, with a special reference to the potential growth of foreign trade between the two states and the EU markets and an in-depth analysis of trade flows per mode of transport between Romania, Bulgaria and the main EU trading partners. The analysis of road infrastructure between Romanian and Bulgarian ports and some industrial districts in the hinterland together with the mapping of all the operating maritime lines offered the opportunity to elaborate a cost/distance greed for every mode of transport. These analysis guaranteed a comprehensive data base to evaluate the potential freight and the scope for a modal shift in the freight transport towards the EU largely dominated by road transport. The Marco Polo EU program funds for intermodal shift were considered as an opportunity to reduce the cost in the start-up phase of the new maritime transport service.

Parts of the project:

• Macroeconomic situation of Bulgaria and Romania;
• Potential macroeconomic development in both Republics;
• Evolution of trade flows between Bulgaria, Romania and the EU;
• Analysis of the trade flows between Bulgaria, Romania and the main EU partners (Italy, France, Swiss, Austria, Germany);
• Transport infrastructure between Bulgarian and Romanian Ports with the hinterland;
• Analysis of actual maritime lines between Bulgaria and Romania and Adriatic and Tirrenian sea ports;
• Evaluation of the potential freight for a new maritime line;
• Hypothesis of the line’s route, type of ship, operating costs;
• Financial plan;
• EU funds for enhancing competitiveness of the new transport service.

Type of service

Project design, organization and management.

Coordination of project activities.

Data collecting and data base setting.

Project implementation.