The programme was approved by the EC under EU state aid rules. The scheme has a €40m annual budget and will run from 2021 to 2025. Under the initiative, companies will be compensated for up to 50% of the cost of installing new infrastructure such as sidings and 80% for the cost of new transhipment facilities.
The commission says it found the scheme beneficial to the environment and is in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal.
The European Union, China and the United States play the largest role in international trade, in terms of supplying products and as markets, and their trade relations largely determine the configuration of cargo flows in the international transport system.
The paths of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recovery of the global economy remain impossible to predict. But it is becoming increasingly clear that, disruptive impact on international trade will leave a lasting mark. Companies should take a fresh, holistic view of the markets and trade relationships that are likely to drive growth and secure competitive advantage in the post-COVID-19 world.
