THE STRENGTHENING ROLE OF ROMANIAN PORTS IN THE EASTERN EUROPEAN REGION, WITH SPECIAL REGARD TO EUROPEAN SHORT SEA SHIPPING.

The short sea shipping of goods parallel with Constanta's competitiveness can be an option of road and rail transport if supposing that the European Union's transport policy (e.g. Marco Polo program) is able to coordinate especially the short sea shipping with the inland waterway and overland transport. It is necessary that the short sea shipping of goods should be integrated into the TEN-network more effectively, or the „hub“ role of major ports should become more powerful. The development of the following decades in relation to Constanta should focus on this purpose so that the port can be an optional target for the Western European and Mediterranean ports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]