CONFERENCE ON LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE CORRIDOR VIII

SOFIA, BULGARIA
29 MAY 2003

RESOLUTION

Whereas, over the past two days, over 100 participants, including led along Corridor VIII Network members and other stakeholders incuding local elected and appointed officials, representatives of business organizations and local businesspersons from across the region have met in Sofia, Bulgaria on 27-29 May 2003, and

And whereas, these participants were from municipalities and other jurisidictions located on or near the route of the Corridor that would connect cities on the Adriatic and Black seas by highway and rail, and

And whereas, the participants are dedicated to the principals of local economic development and cross-border cooperation, and

And whereas, during this time, the participants heard briefings on current progress, future plans and prospects for the Corridor, and participated in workshops in local economic development, networking, advocacy and alliance building and heard presentations on a number of topics related to business and trade along the corridor, and

And whereas, cross-border project concepts were discussed and recommendations for action on implementation of these projects were recommended.

The participants meeting in business session hereby resolve to:

1. Continue the process of local involvement in the Corridor VIII development process.
2. Continue the development of cross-border projects along the Corridor
3. Take individiual and collective action, in coordination and support of national government efforts, to advocate for full funding of corridor development by international funding agencies
4. Meet again within six months to further develop activities in alliance with one another, and
5. Continue efforts to bring other stakeholders from other countries into this Corridor VIII support process.
6. Reaffirm their commitment to continuing this effort across borders until final completion of the Corridor is realized.
7. Form a sustained and organized association called the “led along transporation Corridor VIII Association” to carry out the objectives outlined herein, as described below:
   1. The association structure will be comprised of a policy-making body called the Network Policy Board, national-level coordinating committees, and subcommittees as designated.
   2. The Network Policy Board will consist of at minimum three representatives from each country involved in the network, including the local government association, the capital city and the private sector.
   3. The Network Policy Committee will meet from time to time at places and times to be mutually decided, but at minimum at least once per year.
   4. The association will hold a conference at least once every two years to set organizational policy and for other activities. The conference location will be alternated among the participating countries along the Corridor.
   5. Each participating country will establish a coordinating committee from the three participaing groups from their country, to hold meetings from time to time to coordinate national level policy to be advocated to the association policy board, and will appoint subcommittees to carry out association activities as they require.
   6. The network will solicit resources from various sources including international, national, and private sector sources.
   7. The AATDA US will continue to serve as the secretariat and manager of the association until such time as the association policy board will select a local secretariat from the region.
   8. A task force is hereby appointed, one from each participating country, to detail the working bylaws or rules of the organization. A report to the policy board will be due in two months. The task force will include one organization at minimum from each participating country.

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   CONFERENCE ON LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE CORRIDOR EIGHT

   STRUGA, MACEDONIA
   27 JUNE 2000

   CLOSING STATEMENT

   Over the past four days, over 100 participants, including local elected and appointed officials, representatives of business organizations, local businesspersons and other leaders from across the region met in Struga, Macedonia. The meeting concerned the prospects of the corridor eight transportation project and actions that their localities could take individually and collectively to enhance its development. Participants were from municipalities and other jurisidictions located on or near the route of the corridor that would connect cities on the adriatic and black seas by highway and rail.

   During this time, the participants heard briefings on current progress, future plans and prospects for the corridor. They participated in expert training in local economic development, including such topics as the municipality’s role in economic development; how to form partnerships between the public and private sectors, and how to develop local economic development strategic plans. Discussions were held concerning how these strategies would relate to Corridor VIII transportation system development.

   Participants also took part in a training exercise concerning how to lobby effectively, and were briefed on current efforts made by the mayors of durres and bari, italy to organize a lobby and forge a partnership between port cities. An agreement was made between the mayors of the capital cities of Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia to coordinate their activities in support of the corridor.

   In a closing business session, participants and co-sponsors resolved to:

   1. Continue the process of local involvement in the corridor eight development process.
   2. Study development of cross-border projects along the corridor
   3. Take individiual and collective action, in coordination and support of national government efforts, to lobby for full funding of corridor development by international funding agencies
   4. Meet again within six months to further develop activities in alliance with one another, and
   5. Continue efforts to bring other stakeholders from other countries into this corridor eight support process.The participants and sponsoring agencies are committed to continuing this effort across borders until final completion of the corridor is realized.

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   MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PAN-EUROPEAN TRANSPORT CORRIDOR VIII

   PREAMBLE
   
   Desiring to promote efficient transport of goods and passengers through making progress in the implementation of the Declaration of the Second Pan-European Transport Conference in Crete in 1994 and the Third Pan-European Conference in Helsinki in 1997 and in the spirit of the documents on priority transport Corridors endorsed by the Conferences as a basis for further international cooperation,
   
   Considering the good relations between Countries through which the Corridor VIII passes, Turkey and the European Union as well as their intention to further economic and trade relations with the other Countries of the area,
   
   Considering the importance of cooperation in the development of an efficient transport system with regard to the integration of the road, the railway and the port of the Participants concerned in the Pan-European Transport Infrastructure Network and its adequate interconnection with the Trans-European Network of the European Community,
   
   Taking also into consideration the developments emerging from the Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment (TINA) in the candidate Countries for accession,
   
   Welcoming the work and activities carried out so far in the development of the infrastructure connection in the Countries concerned,
   
   Welcoming the actions already undertaken on the Corridor VIII by the Participants concerned as well as by international institutions, in particular G-24, Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), Central European Initiative (CEI) and encouraging more international initiatives to provide the financial means to promote the realization of the necessary infrastructure,
   
   Welcoming the work carried out under the aegis of the Central European Initiative, as stated in the final document of the Graz Summit (November 1996),
   
   Welcoming the interest for progress in this area shown by USA through the launching of the Southeast Europe Cooperative Initiative (SECI) and the South Balkan Development Initiative (SBDI),
   
   Paying due attention to the activities to be developed in the framework of the Adriatic/Ionian Seas and the Black Sea Pan-European Transport Areas, The signatories of the present Memorandum of Understanding,
   
   Conscious of the fact that infrastructure development is a long-term exercise,
   
   Agree on the following Memorandum of Understanding as a important step towards a common objective.

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   Article 1: Aim
   
   The aim of this Memorandum of Understanding is to cooperate in studying and promoting main and ancillary infrastructures on the intermodal Pan-European Transport Corridor linking the Parties of this Memorandum of Understanding. This development of the Corridor includes maintenance, rehabilitation, upgrading the new construction of main and ancillary infrastructures as well as its operation and use.
   
   The cooperation will furthermore aim at studying the harmonization of the technical parameters and the phasing of implementation of given projects located on the Corridor, the support for the mutual information regarding the realization of investment, the definition of a suitable regulatory framework for investment, and the prerequisites for the most efficient use of funds and know-how from public and private sources.

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   Article 2: Definition of the Pan-European Corridor VIII
   
   Throughout this Memorandum, the term "Corridor No. VIII" or "the Corridor" refers to an intermodal West-East link between the Pan-European Transport Areas, Adriatic/Ionian Seas and the Black Sea which is defined as follows:
   
   the main line connects BariBrindisi-Durres/Vlore-Tirana-Cafasan-Skopje-Sofia-Plovdiv-Burgas/Varna;
   
   the Corridor also includes:

   • the road connection Ormenion-Svilengrad-Burgas, connecting to Corridors IV, IX and Trans-European Network.
   • Byala/Forna Oriahovica-Pleven-Sofia, connecting to Corridors IV and IX;
   • Cafasan-Kapshtice/Kristallopigi connecting to the Trans-European Network, which correspond to the following outline:

    

   The Corridor also has a relationship with Corridor IV (Sofia-Piovdiv-Istanbul), Corridor IX (Ruse-Byala-Dimitrograd-Alexandropoulis) and Corridor X (Nis-Sofia/Skopje-Thessaloniki).

   This Intermodal Pan-European Corridor refers to the port, road, rail, airports when appropriate, and combined and intermodal transport infrastructures, including ancillary installations such as access roads, border crossing stations, service stations, freight and passenger terminals, warehouse, and installations necessary for traffic management, on the route defined above as well as the interactions of the afore mentioned features with transport activities of all modes on reasonably related routes.
   
   Further cooperation for improving port activities and their maritime links will be addressed in the context of the pan European Transport Areas (PETRA) concerned.
   

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   The criteria for identifying priorities for financing and construction of the Corridor will be defined by the Steering Committee foreseen by the Article 8 of the present Memorandum of Understanding.

   Article 3: General Rules
   
   The Participants agree to cooperate in the implementation of this Memorandum of Understanding in the following manner:
   
   The study activity will be coordinated between the Participants, as far as criteria, methodology and other aspects covered by this Memorandum of Understanding are concerned.
   
   All the necessary works will be carried out according to best practice, tracing into due account to requirements of the international financial institutions and the private sector to be involved during the different stages of planning, implementation, operation and use of the infrastructures.
   
   The Participants agree to cooperate on the question of financing activities as appropriate, in accordance with their own procedures. Tenders for contracts will be launched according to rules agreed to between donors and recipients. The Participants will undertake all the necessary steps to ensure that any activity could be carried out efficiently, in order to provide all assistance and available information.

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   Article 4: Exchange of Information
   
   The Participants will make available to each other information relevant to the development, use, and operation of the Corridor, and they will exchange information regarding a harmonized conception of the development and establishment of border crossings. This includes detailed available data on the state of the infrastructures on the Corridor, the traffic flows, waiting times at the borders, specific maintenance, rehabilitation, upgrading, new constructions, investment, environmental, and organizational measures planned or undertaken, and the financial resources allocated or to be allocated to the development of the Corridor from public and private sources. It will also cover the legal framework for the participation of the private sector in the development, use and operation of the Corridor as well as relevant economic and social data of a general nature.
   
   Within the lets of law and as agreed by the Steering Committee as defined in Article 8, the results of the work and all relevant information will be accessible, on request, to institutions demonstrating substantial interest n contributing to the development of the Corridor.
   

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   Article 5: Technical Rules
   
   The Participants will agree on studying a common set of technical rules necessary to secure optimal interoperability of all sections of the Corridor with a view to adopting common technical rules, including different transport modes. Such technical rules cover electrification, gauge and communications for the rail part of the Corridor; axle load capacity and signaling for the road and rail part of the Corridor; the communications between the ports of the Corridor on the one hand and the road and the railway on the other hand; safety and environmental aspects and traffic management.
   
   Rules set by the UN-ECE Agreements or the European Community for the different transport modes will be adhered to in order to secure interoperability.

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   Article 6: Border Crossing Facilitation
   
   Because excessive waiting times at border crossings may impede any improvement resulting from the development of the Corridor, contiguous Participants agree to encourage actions by the competent authorities, giving special attention to the installation of joint boarder crossing posts and joint controls, as well as customs services cooperation and visa problems, in order to minimize waiting times and to ease transit conditions. The Participants will promote joint studies on the necessary infrastructural and organizational measures, including the evaluation of needs of personnel at border crossings.
   
   Depending on a typology of controls, the establishment of a maximum time to fulfill these controls should be studied as well as the possibility of creating fast lanes for transit traffic operating under the T.I.R. carnet or other suitable agreements. Special attention should be devoted to improving conditions to ease transit operation.
   
   The establishment of appropriate training schemes should be jointly identified in order to assure the best possible efficiency at the border crossings. Standards set by international agreements or the European Community will be adhered to in order to secure interoperability.

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   Article 7: Framework for Private Participation
   
   The Participants intend to provide for a maximum of private sector involvement in the development, operation and use of the Corridor. To this aim, a dialogue with the private sector and international financial institutions will take place during the planning and realization of the Corridor. In all phases of cooperation under this Memorandum of Understanding, the private sector will generally be informed of action planned or undertaken, and its comments will be taken into account as far as possible, in the appropriate phases of the development of the Corridor or of the given projects.
   
   The Participants may set up common entitles to carry out the necessary actions in order to reach the aims of this Memorandum of Understanding. Taking into account their national legislation, they will consider the possibility of engaging the private sector for the implementation of this Memorandum of Understanding.

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   Article 8: Steering Committee
   
   A Steering Committee, to be composed of representatives of the Participants, will coordinate the joint work under this Memorandum of Understanding. Each Participant will appoint one representative and one deputy-representative to the Steering Committee, that will meet as necessary, but at least once a year. The decision on its rules of procedure will be unanimously taken. The Committee will decide by simple majority. This majority should include all the concerned Countries for activities on their territories.
   
   Representatives from the private sector, and international institutions and organizations will be invited to the meetings as appropriate.
   
   The Steering Committee will regularly report on its work to the G-4 Transport Group.

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   Article 9: Start Off Phase
   The implementation of this Memorandum of Understanding will start with a "Start Off Phase" formed by the first four points of the activities listed as follows:

   • complete inventory of existing studies
   • state of the infrastructures on the Corridor and on-going works along it
   • complete inventory of existing, information system
   • infrastructure and other needs first assessment.

   Additionally, in the "Start Off Phase," a Working Program will be prepared regarding the other activities.
   
   The "Start Off Phase" will be coordinated and financed by the Italian Ministry of Transport, and it will last four months.

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   Article 10: Implementation
   
   The information exchanged and the activities carried out by the Participants will provide the framework for defining, inter alia, priorities, conditions for the assessment of the economic and financial viability of the projects, budgets and time-plans for specific measures, necessary for the coordinated development of the Corridor as well as conditions on the use and operation of the Corridor. The Participants will agree on such issues as appropriate.

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   Article 11: Duration
   
   This Memorandum of Understanding is concluded in five years. A Participant can terminate its participation to this Memorandum with a one-year notice. Its duration will be automatically extended every five years if none of the Participants object at the latest one-year before the expiration of each period.

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   Article 12: Final Provisions
   
   This cooperation is based on a voluntary commitment and will continue until the objectives of the initiative have been achieved. This Memorandum of Understanding does not contain obligations governed by international law.
   
   This Memorandum of Understanding drawn up in seven originals in English, shall be deposited with the archives of the signatory Participants.

   Minister of Infrastructure and Transports (ITALY)
   Minister of Transport and Telecommunications (ALBANIA)
   Minister of Transport and Communications (TURKEY)
   Minister of Transport and Communications (BULGARIA)
   Minister of Transport and Communications (FYROM)
   Minister of Transport and Communications (GREECE)
   European Commission

   
   Bari, September 9, 2002

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