2.8.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 196/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) 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 environmental performance of the freight transport system (Marco Polo Programme) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 71(1) and Article 80(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (°), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (%), Whereas: (1) The European Council held at Goteborg on 15 and 16 June 2001 declared that shifting the balance between the modes of transport is at the heart of the sustainable development strategy. (2)  If no decisive action is taken, total road freight transport in Europe is set to grow by about 50 % by 2010. The effect would be a growth of international road freight of about 12 billion tonne-kilometres per year. (3)  In its White Paper, ‘European transport policy for 2010: time to decide’, the Commission proposed to take measures which should make the market shares of the modes of transport return, by 2010, to their 1998 levels. This will prepare the ground for a shift of balance from 2010 onwards. () O] C 126 E, 28.5.2002, p. 354. () O] C 241, 7.10.2002, p. 37. () 0] C 278, 14.11.2002, p. 15. (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 24 September 2002 (not yet published in the Official Journal), Council Common Position of 25 April 2003 (O] C 153 E, 1.7.2003, p. 252) and Decision of the European Parliament of 3 July 2003 (not yet published in the Offi- cial Journal). (4) It is necessary to establish a programme, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Marco Polo Programme’, or ‘the Programme’, to reduce road congestion and to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system within the Community and to enhance intermod- ality, thereby contributing to an efficient and sustainable transport system. To achieve this objective, the Programme should support actions in the freight trans- port, logistics and other relevant markets. These actions should contribute to maintaining the distribution of freight between the various modes of transport at 1998 levels by helping to shift the expected aggregate increase in international road freight traffic to short sea shipping, rail and inland waterways or to a combination of modes of transport in which road journeys are as short as possible. The Marco Polo Programme will feature three types of action: firstly, modal shift actions, which should focus on shifting as much cargo as possible under current market conditions from road to short sea shipping, rail and inland waterways; secondly, catalyst actions, which should change the way non-road freight transport is conducted in the Community; and thirdly, common learning actions, which should enhance knowledge in the freight logistics sector and foster advanced methods and procedures of cooperation in the freight market. Actions must involve the territory of at least two coun- tries. If these two countries are Member States or other countries participating in the Marco Polo Programme under the conditions laid down in this Regulation, the Programme will re-imburse the costs incurred by the participating undertakings within the limits laid down in the Regulation. In order to reflect the European dimension of the actions, cooperation should be encouraged between undertakings established in different countries, in the form of a consortium submitting an action.