9.10.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 266/1 (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is obligatory) REGULATIONS REGULATION (EC) No 923/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 16 September 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 establishing the second ‘Marco Polo’ programme for the granting of Community financial assistance to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system (Marco Polo II) (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 71(1) and 80(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), After consulting the Committee of the Regions, Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (3), Whereas: The mid-term review of the Commission’s 2001 Transport White Paper entitled Keep Europe moving — Sustainable mobility for our continent’, of 22 June 2006, highlights the potential of the Marco Polo Programme, established by Regulation (EC) No 1382/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2003 on the granting of Community financial assistance to improve the environ- mental performance of the freight transport system (the Marco Polo Programme) (*), as a source of financing that offers operators on congested roads alternatives by using other modes of transport. The Marco Polo Programme is therefore one basic element in the current transport policy. If no decisive action is taken, total road freight transport in Europe is set to grow by more than 60 % by 2013. The effect would be an estimated growth in international road freight of 20,5 billion tonne-kilometres per year for the European Union by 2013, with negative conse- quences in terms of additional road infrastructure costs, accidents, congestion, local and global pollution, environ- mental damage and the unreliability of the supply chain and of logistics processes. In order to cope with this growth, greater use must be made of short sea shipping, rail and inland waterways than at present, and it is necessary to stimulate further powerful initiatives from the transport and logistics sector, including dry ports and other platforms that facilitate intermodality, to encourage new approaches and the use of technical innovations in all transport modes and their management. It is an objective of the European Union to strengthen modes of transport that are environmentally friendly, irrespective of whether this objective leads to a specific modal shift or avoidance effect in the case of road haulage. According to Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 (*) the Commission was required to carry out an evaluation of (*) Opinion of 24 March 2009 (not yet published in the Official the Marco Polo II Programme (hereinafter ‘the o Jc())u.fﬂ.al)~ e E parl £ 23 April 200 ( Programme) and submit proposals to amend that pmion o the uropean rar lament o pr1 not yet : published in the Official Journal) and Council Decision of 27 July Programme if necessary. 20009. () O] L 196, 2.8.2003, p. 1. (4 O] L 328, 24.11.2006, p. 1.