In the framework of the FORTIS project on 17-18 June, the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia organised an online workshop on the harmonisation of administrative procedures between Italy and Slovenia in the fields of vehicle registration, licensing and emergency management.
The workshop gathered key stakeholders in the above-mentioned sectors from both Italy and Slovenia, enabling quality discussions among the representatives from Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia, Slovenian Ministry of Infrastructure, Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Italian Federation of Professional Hauliers (FIAP), Autovie Venete, Slovenian Traffic Safety Agency, SDAG - intermodal platform in Gorizia, and CEI as the lead partner of the project.
On day one, participants discussed the management of heavy vehicle flows during the COVID-19 emergency, focusing on future scenarios for cross-border cooperation. The sudden health crisis also affected the block of heavy vehicle transport at national borders, causing major difficulties in providing transport services, general mobility, and transport management issues at border crossings. While addressing the existing agreements between the two countries, but also in the region, the stakeholders agreed on the need to better share information among public administration offices (in real time and in advance) and to ensure harmonised transport management at cross-border level during emergencies and beyond. Due to the crisis, several countries have introduced preventive measures at the borders, such as health checks for drivers and the provision of declarations from drivers leading to long waiting hours and traffic jams. Round-table participants discussed the possibility to use intermodal transport – shifting road freight transport to the rail to avoid such procedures.
Special attention was dedicated to safe parking areas for heavy vehicles along motorways, to avoid cargo thefts and increase drivers’ security. In Italy there are only two safe parking areas – Gorizia and Brescia.
On day two, the focus was placed on the EU directive 2018/645, and on vehicle registration in Italy and Slovenia. The EU Directive 2018/645 - emending directive 2003/59/CE on initial qualification and periodic drivers' training for certain road vehicles and freight and passenger transport, together with Directive 2006/126/CE on licensing - solve former critical issues and open a set of new scenarios. The directive was adopted in Italy in early June and will enter into force on 26 June, whereas in Slovenia it was adopted at the beginning of the year. Participants compared the differences in the adoption of the directive, starting from the vehicles’ categories for which such training and driver qualification is required. To this end, a network for information exchange among EU countries that have adopted the directive is envisaged to be active in May 2021.
This workshop represents the initial step towards establishing a cooperation network within the FORTIS project for enhancing public transport connections and institutional dialogue in cross-border areas of Italy and Slovenia.
For more info: dileno@cei.int
FORTIS (RafFORzamento della cooperazione isTItuzionale in area transfrontaliera Soluzioni innovative in materia di trasporto pubblico e procedure di motorizzazione civile / Krepitev institucionalnega sodelovanja na čezmejnem območju z inovativnimi rešitvami na področju javnega in osebnega motoriziranega prevoza / strengthening institutional cross-border cooperation for public transport innovative solutions and motor vehicle office procedures) is supported under the Interreg Italy - Slovenia Programme 2014 - 2020. It aims at promoting institutional cooperation through joint innovative solutions for citizens to improve and promote cross-border public transport services in favour of sustainable and efficient mobility as well as encourage the exchange of best practices on vehicle registration and licensing procedures in Italy and Slovenia.