Archive:European Neighbourhood Policy - South - transport statistics

Data extracted in February 2022.

Planned article update: April 2023.

Highlights

In 2020, Israel had the highest motorisation rate among European Neighbourhood Policy South countries, with 350 passenger cars per thousand inhabitants, compared with 540 per thousand inhabitants in the EU (2019 data).

The largest decrease in recent years in the number of road deaths in the European Neighbourhood Policy-South countries was observed in Egypt, down by 60.7 % between 2010 and 2019.

Motorisation rate, 2010, 2019 and 2020

Country codes: IL = Israel; JO = Jordan; TN = Tunisia; DZ = Algeria; MA = Morocco; PS = Palestine; LB = Lebanon
Note: Egypt not available. Countries are ranked based on 2019 data
EU: rounded estimates based on the closest reference period available for each EU Member State. 2020: not available.
Jordan: 2009: licensed vehicles only. 2017 data instead of 2019. 2020: not available.
Algeria: 2017 data instead of 2019. 2020: not available.
Morocco: 2010: estimates.
Palestine: 2010: underestimated: number of vehicles excludes the Gaza strip. This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.
Lebanon: 2009 data instead of 2010. 2019 and 2020: not available.
Source: Eurostat (online data codes: tran_r_vehst, demo_gind, enps_road_eqs_car and enps_demo_pjangr)

This article is part of an online publication; it presents information on a range of transport statistics for the European Union (EU) and 8 of the 10 countries that form the European Neighbourhood Policy-South (ENP-South) region — Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine ^[1] and Tunisia; no recent data available for Libya or Syria. It presents information covering transport infrastructure as well as passenger and freight transport for four different modes of transport: road, rail, air and maritime.

Full article

Road transport

Table 1 measures the density of the road transport network in relation to total area, an indicator that is comparable between territories.

In 2020, Israel recorded the highest road density (all roads, including motorways) among the ENP-South countries, with 917 meters of road per square kilometre (km²) of land area. Lebanon and Palestine followed with 655 and 576 meters per km², respectively. In Egypt and Tunisia roads were spread more thinly at 183 meters per km² (2019 data) and 121 meters per km² of total area, respectively. In Jordan and Morocco, the latest available data recorded similar densities of road network, with 84 (2019 data) and 83 meters per km², respectively. The lowest road network density in the ENP-South countries was found in Algeria, with 55 meters per km². In comparison, the EU had a density road network estimated at 850 meters per km² in 2019, which was lower than Israel’s.

Table 1: Density of road transport network, 2010, 2019 and 2020
(meters per km² of total area)
Source: Eurostat (road_if_roadsc), (road_if_motorwa), (reg_area), (enps_road_if) and (enps_reg_area3)

Among the ENP-South countries, car ownership is usually less commonplace than in the EU and cars tend to account for a lower share of the total number of road vehicles. Subject to data availability, Table 2 shows that Algeria had the highest total number of passenger cars among the ENP-South countries, at 4.2 million in 2018, followed by Israel and Morocco (each 3.2 million in 2020). Tunisia and Jordan (2018 data) reported 1.4 and 1.3 million passenger cars, respectively. Palestine had a significantly lower level than the other countries with 245 thousand passenger cars in 2020. Lebanon’s 2019 and 2020 data for passenger cars is not available, but its 2010 level was 1.4 million, while Egypt had no data on passenger cars.

Table 2: Road equipment, 2010, 2019 and 2020
(thousands)
Source: Eurostat (tran_r_vehst) and (enps_road_eqs_car)

In 2020, passenger cars accounted for 89 % of road motor vehicles in Palestine, 86 % in Israel, 84 % in Jordan (2018 data), 70 % in Tunisia and 68 % in both Morocco and Algeria (2018 data). In 2010, the share of passenger cars in the total number of road motor vehicles was the highest in Lebanon among the ENP-South countries, with 91 %. In comparison, the EU’s share was estimated to be around 86 % in 2019, with 242 million cars out of 282 million road motor vehicles.

The rest of the road motor vehicles were lorries. Algeria had the highest number of them, with 1.6 million in 2018, followed by Egypt (1.3 million – 2017 data). In the other ENP-South countries, with recent data available, the number of lorries were 543 thousand in Tunisia, 295 thousand in Israel, 170 thousand in Jordan (2018 data) and 25 thousand in Palestine. In the EU, lorries accounted for 32 million in 2019.

The motorisation rate is measured as the number of passenger cars per thousand inhabitants. As shown in Figure 1, among the ENP-South countries, Israel had the highest motorisation rate in 2020 (subject to data availability), at 350 passenger cars per thousand inhabitants. This was significantly higher than the next highest motorisation rates, 133 passenger cars per thousand inhabitants in Jordan (2018 data) and 121 in Tunisia. Algeria and Morocco, respectively, had 98 (2018 data) and 89 passenger cars per thousand inhabitants in 2020. The lowest motorisation rates among the ENP-South countries were found in Palestine and Egypt, respectively, 49 and 32 (2017 data) passenger cars per thousand inhabitants. Lebanon’s data was not available for 2019 and 2020 but it had 318 passenger cars per thousand inhabitants in 2009.

Figure 1: Motorisation rate, 2010, 2019 and 2020
(number of passenger cars per thousand inhabitants)
Source: Eurostat (tran_r_vehst), (demo_gind), (enps_road_eqs_car) and (enps_demo_pjangr)

During the 10-year period 2010-2020, the motorisation rate increased in all ENP-South countries for which data are available. The ENP-South country with the lowest motorisation rate in 2020 - Palestine – recorded the fastest expansion in car ownership between 2010 and 2020, with a 50.4 % increase. Over the same period, Morocco and Tunisia increased by 44.7 % and 43.8 %, respectively. In Algeria (between 2010 and 2018) and Israel, the increases were by 30.3 % and 27.1 %, respectively. The lowest growth was found in Jordan, with 2.4 % between 2010 and 2018.

In the EU, there were an estimated 540 passenger cars per thousand inhabitants. This marked an increase of 12.5 % in car ownership between 2010 and 2019, or 60 additional cars per thousand inhabitants.

Figure 2 presents information on the number of persons killed in road accidents per 100 thousand inhabitants for 2010, 2019 and 2020. It has to be noted that the situation observed for 2020 may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic because of the movement restrictions taken in some countries. In 2020, the number of persons killed in road accidents per thousand inhabitants decreased in all ENP-South countries for which data is available compared to 2019. The highest decrease was observed in Tunisia, down to 8.0 fatalities per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2020 (-19.1 % compared to 2019). A similar trend was observed in Morocco (-17.9 %; 8.4 fatalities per 100 thousand inhabitants), Israel (-15.7 %; 3.3 fatalities per 100 thousand inhabitants), Algeria (-14.8 %; 6.5 fatalities per 100 thousand inhabitants) and Palestine (-12.0 %; 2.2 fatalities per 100 thousand inhabitants). There is no 2020 data available for Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt.

Lebanon was the only country to report an increase in the rate of road fatalities, from 10.0 road fatalities per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2009 to 10.3 in 2018. The latter rate was also the highest found in the ENP-South countries. The second highest rate of road fatalities was recorded in Morocco (10.2 per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2019), showing a decline of 3.0 % compared to 2010. Tunisia and Algeria also had rather high rates of 9.9 and 7.6 fatalities per 100 thousand inhabitants, respectively. Tunisia’s road fatalities rate declined by 13.5 % compared to 2010, while Algeria’s dropped by 25.9 % over the same period. In Jordan, 5.7 persons per 100 thousand inhabitants were killed in road accidents in 2018, down from 10.3 in 2010, representing a 45.0 % decline. Israel’s road accident fatality rate declined in 2019 to reach 4.0 persons per 100 thousand inhabitants in comparison to 5.0 in 2010 (down 20.3 %). The highest fall in road fatality rate was found in Egypt, where 3.6 persons per 100 thousand inhabitants were killed in road accidents in 2019, compared to 9.0 fatalities per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2010; which results in a remarkable decrease of 60.7 % over the period. Palestine’s rate in 2019 was 2.5 persons per 100 thousand inhabitants, a decline of 25.3 % from the rate of 3.3 in 2009.

In the EU, the number of persons killed in road accidents per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2010 and 2019 were 6.7 and 5.1, respectively, resulting in a decline of 24.3 %.

Figure 2: Persons killed in road accidents, 2010, 2019 and 2020
(number per 100 thousand inhabitants)
Source: Eurostat (tran_sf_roadse), (demo_gind), (enps_tran_sf_r) and (enps_demo_pjangr)

Rail transport

Passenger-kilometres (pkm) and tonne-kilometres (tonne-km or tkm) are also used for analysing transport statistics. Table 3 shows rail passenger and rail freight transport measured in million passenger kilometres (pkm) and million tonnes-kilometres (tkm), respectively. The majority of passenger and freight transport statistics are based on movements in each of the reporting country, regardless of the nationality of the vehicle or vessel involved (the “territoriality principle”). A rail passenger is any person, excluding members of the train crew, who makes a journey by rail. The weight of goods transported by rail is the gross-gross weight. This includes the total weight of the goods, all packaging, and the tare weight of the container, swap-body and pallets containing goods; in this case of rail freight transport, it also includes road goods vehicles that are carried by rail. The rail passenger and rail freight transport data are not applicable for Lebanon and Palestine.

In 2020, rail passenger transport has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions put in place worldwide. All ENP-East countries for which data is available showed a substantial fall in rail passenger transport performance between 2019 and 2020. Algeria, Israel and Morocco reported decreases of more than 50 % in 2020 compared to 2019, while Tunisia decreased by 43 %. In the EU, rail passenger transport almost halved (-46 %) in 2020 compared to 2019, from 415 million pkm to 224 million pkm.

In Egypt, rail passenger transport in 2018 (no data available for 2019 nor 2020) accounted for 33.6 billion passenger-kilometres, the highest level among the ENP-South countries, showing an increase of 19.7 % compared to 2010 when there were 28.1 billion pkm. In Morocco, rail passenger transport performance increased from 4.4 billion pkm in 2010 to 5.6 billion pkm in 2019. In Israel, there were 3.6 billion pkm in 2019, up from 2.0 billion pkm in 2010. In Algeria, rail passenger transport performance accounted for 1.5 billion pkm in 2019; up from 1.0 billion pkm in 2010. Tunisia’s rail passenger transport fell to 1.0 billion in 2019 from 1.5 billion passenger-kilometres in 2010. In Jordan, rail passenger transport was considerably lower than in the other ENP-South countries, with 1 million pkm in 2018 (no data available for 2019 nor 2020) and similar levels in 2010. In the EU, rail transport accounted for 415.2 million passenger-kilometres in 2019, up from 346.6 million in 2007 (data available neither for 2009 nor for 2008).

Table 3: Rail transport, 2010, 2019 and 2020
Source: Eurostat (rail_pa_total), (rail_go_total) and (enps_rail_pa)

The picture for rail freight transport is somehow different. In 2020, the rail freight transport was certainly impacted by restrictions albeit to a much lesser extent than rail passenger transport. Tunisia recorded a substantial fall between 2019 and 2020 (-38.6 %, down to 335 million tkm). Morocco, at 3.1 billion tkm in 2020, and Israel, at 1.3 billion tkm in 2020, remained relatively stable over the same period (-0.5 % and +0.7 %, respectively). In contrast, Algeria substantially increased (+10.1 %, up to 1 billion tkm) over the same period. In the EU, rail freight transport decreased by 7.5 % (down to 371 billion tkm) between 2019 and 2020.

Compared to 2010, all ENP-South countries for which data is available registered substantial decreases in 2020, with the exception of Israel which increased by 17.7 % (from 1 billion tkm in 2010). In Jordan, rail freight transport ceased operating in 2018 and is currently in a transitional period, while it was 344 million tkm in 2010. Besides Jordan, the highest fall was recorded in Tunisia over the period (-83.4 % between 2010 and 2020; -73.0 % between 2010 and 2019), rail freight transport accounted for 2 billion tkm in 2010. Morocco registered the second biggest drop from 5.6 billion tkm in 2010 (-44.3 % between 2010 and 2020). Rail freight transport in Egypt accounted for 1.4 billion tkm in 2018 (no data available for 2019 nor 2020), while it was 1.9 billion tkm in 2010 (-26.2 % between 2010 and 2018). In Algeria, rail freight transport decreased by 21.8 % in 2020 compared to 2010 (-29.0 % between 2010 and 2019), when it was 1.3 billion. Algeria recorded 910 million tkm in 2019, rising to 1 002 million tkm in 2020 in contrast to the overall trend that year. In the EU, rail freight transport increased from 375 billion tkm in 2009 to 401 billion tkm in 2019, before falling to 371 billion tkm in 2020.

Air transport

Air transport statistics concern national and international transport, as measured by the number of passengers carried; information is collected for arrivals and departures. There has been a considerable expansion in air services in recent decades, both in terms of passenger numbers and freight carried. Although there has been rapid growth, it is worth noting that the weight of goods carried by air remains relatively low, given the high cost of this mode of transport (for example, when compared with maritime freight) especially for bulky items. Figure 3 shows the amount of passenger arrivals carried by air transport. All passengers on a particular flight (with one flight number) counted once only and not repeatedly on each individual stage of that flight. All revenue and non-revenue passengers whose journey begin or terminates at the reporting airport and transfer passengers joining or leaving the flight at the reporting airport. This measure excludes direct transit passengers.

Figure 3: Arrival of air passengers, 2010-2020
(index 2015=100; based on passengers carried)
Source: Eurostat (avia_gooc) and (enps_avia_pa)

To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the world have taken a variety of restrictive measures since the beginning of 2020. The air transport industry was severely hit, in particular the transport of passengers. All ENP-South countries, for which data is available, registered dramatic falls in 2020 compared to 2019. In Israel, the number of arrivals in 2020 were divided by more than five compared to the year before. In Algeria and Tunisia, the number of arrivals were more than four times lower in 2020 than in 2019, while in Morocco and Lebanon the numbers were almost four times lower in 2020 than in 2019. There is no data available in 2019 and 2020 for Egypt and Jordan. In the EU, the situation was similar with levels almost four times lower in 2020 than in 2019.

When looking at the period 2010-2019, a steady growth of air passenger arrivals was observed for most of the ENP-South countries, with the exception of Egypt and Tunisia where the evolution was more erratic. In particular, a substantial drop was observed in 2011 in both countries, as a consequence of the Arabic Spring. In addition, another large decrease was registered in Tunisia in 2015. The terrorist attack close to Sousse in June 2015 was probably a contributing factor. There was a full recovery of the air passenger transport in Tunisia which registered a peak in the number of arrivals in 2019 and a 4.7 % increase compared to 2010. In contrast, in 2017 (no more recent data available), Egypt had still not come back to the levels observed in 2010, with a fall of -26.0 % between 2017 and 2010. Israel recorded the highest increase between 2010 and 2019, with the number of air passenger arrivals that more than doubled. In Morocco, the number of air passenger arrivals increased by 65.2 % between 2010 and 2019. Lebanon and Algeria arrivals increased at a similar level (+56.9 % and +54.2 %, respectively). In Jordan, the number of air passenger arrivals increased by 47.8 % between 2010 and 2018 (no more recent data available). Palestine reported zero air passengers in both 2010 and 2011; there is no data available for the subsequent period 2012-2020. In the EU, arrivals of air passenger numbers increased by 49.8 %, between 2010 and 2019.

Figure 4 presents the evolution of air transport of freight and mail, i.e. loaded and unloaded in the airports of the reporting country, between 2010 and 2020. The air freight and mail transport was certainly also impacted by the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic albeit to a much lesser extent than air passenger transport. All ENP-South countries, for which data is available, registered substantial falls in 2020 compared to 2019. The highest fall in 2020 from 2019 was registered in Morocco (-36.1 %), followed by Lebanon (-26.3 %), Algeria (-23.4 %), Tunisia (-14.7 %) and Israel (-9.0 %). There is no data available in 2019 and 2020 for Egypt and Jordan. In comparison, there was a drop of 9.0 % in the air freight and mail transport in the EU.

Figure 4: Air transport of freight and mail, 2010-2020
(index 2015=100; based on tonnes on board)
Source: Eurostat (avia_gooc) and (enps_avia_fr)

Between 2010 and 2019, the quantity of air freight and mail increased in all ENP-South countries for which data are available. Morocco reported the highest increase of all the ENP-South countries, with 74.5 % between 2010 and 2019. In Algeria, there was a growth of 67.6 %. In the other ENP-South countries, the increases were lower but still substantial: +16.5 % in Israel, +15.1 % in Jordan (between 2010 and 2018), +13.5 % in Tunisia, +10.8 % in Lebanon and +2.5 % in Egypt (between 2010 and 2017). As a comparison, the EU experienced a growth of 21.6 % in air transport of freight and mail in 2019 compared to 2010.

Maritime transport

Figure 5 provides information on the number of maritime passengers that disembarked in each of the ENP-South countries. A sea passenger is defined as any person that makes a sea journey on a merchant ship; service staff are excluded, as are non-fare paying crew members travelling but not assigned, as well as infants in arms.

As for rail and air transport, maritime transport, in particular passenger transport, has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions put in place worldwide. All ENP-South countries, for which data is available, registered dramatic falls in 2020 compared to 2019. In Israel, the number of maritime passengers disembarked in 2020 were 23 times lower than in the year before. In Algeria, the number of maritime passengers disembarked were nine times lower in 2020 than in 2019, while in Morocco the numbers were more than five times lower. In Tunisia, the number of maritime passengers disembarked more than halved between 2019 and 2020. There is no data available in 2020 for Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. In the EU, the situation was similar with levels that nearly halved between 2019 and 2020.

Figure 5: Maritime passengers disembarked, 2010-2020
(index 2015=100; based on number of passengers)
Source: Eurostat (mar_pa_aa) and (enps_mar_padir)

Between 2010 and 2019, Algeria and Lebanon recorded a positive change of 22.6 % and 15.0 %, respectively. It should be noted that Lebanese data only refer to the port of Beirut which represents about 90 % of maritime transport of Lebanon. Between 2013 and 2019 (no data available before 2013), Morocco registered a growth of 9.1 % in the number of maritime passengers disembarked in its ports. Tunisia was the other ENP-South country observing an increase from 2010 to 2019, even though at a smaller scale with 6.4 %. In contrast, Israel showed a substantial fall of 52.1 % of maritime passengers disembarked between 2010 and 2019. There is no data more recent than 2015 for Egypt; between 2010 and 2015, the quantity of maritime passengers disembarked in Egypt substantially fell by 66.2 %. Maritime passenger disembarked also fell considerably in Jordan (by 62.4 %) between 2010 and 2018 (no data available after 2018). In the EU, there was a growth of 4.3 % in the number of maritime passengers disembarked between 2010 and 2019.

Figure 6 illustrates the gross weight of goods handled in all ports. The weight measured for maritime freight transport is the gross weight (in other words, excluding the tare weight).

The maritime freight transport was certainly also impacted by the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic albeit to a much lesser extent than maritime passenger transport. All ENP-South countries, for which data is available, registered a fall of the gross weight of goods handled in relation to its population size in 2020 compared to 2019, with the exception of Tunisia, where an increase of 0.9 % was observed. The highest fall in 2020 compared with 2019 was registered in Algeria (-13.0 %), followed by Morocco (-11.2 %) and Israel (-2.3 %). There is no data available in 2020 for Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. In comparison, there was a drop of 7.5 % in the maritime passenger transport (in tonnes per inhabitants) in the EU.

Figure 6: Gross weight of goods handled in all ports, 2010-2020
(tonnes per inhabitants)
Source: Eurostat (mar_mg_aa_cwh), (enps_mar_frdir) and (enps_demo_pjangr)

Among the ENP-South countries, Israel reported an increase of 9.3 % between 2010 and 2020 (11.9 % between 2010 and 2019). The latest information available shows that Israel had the highest quantity of goods handled in ports in relation to its population size, at 6.3 tonnes per inhabitants in 2020, which was considerably more than the next highest quantities recorded for Morocco and Algeria. A shorter time series is available for Morocco that recorded 2.5 tonnes per inhabitants in 2020, an increase of 12.5 % compared to 2013 (+26.7 % between 2013 and 2019 – no previous data reported by Morocco). Algeria reported 2.4 tonnes per inhabitants in 2020 but had a higher level a decade earlier, with 3.3 tonnes per inhabitants (i.e. -26.6 % between 2010 and 2020; -15.6 % between 2010 and 2019). The weight of goods handled in ports in Tunisia was found to be 2.0 tonnes per inhabitants in 2020 from 2.3 in 2010 (a 15.7 % fall). In Egypt, the weight of goods per inhabitants decreased by 6.2 % between 2010 and 2019, with 1.6 tonnes per inhabitants in 2019 (no 2020 data available). Data availability for Lebanon was very scarce, with only a few years available; in 2012, 1.9 tonnes per inhabitants of goods were handled in all ports, this value fell to 1.6 tonnes in 2018. Jordan’s ports reported a rather high decline in the weight of sea goods handled from 2.6 tonnes per inhabitants in 2010 to 1.6 tonnes in 2018 (most recent data available). This represents a 38.2 % decline from 2010 to 2018. In comparison, the weight of freight handled in EU ports was 7.4 tonnes per inhabitants in 2020, which marked an overall increase of 2.8 % when compared with 2010 (+11.1 % between 2010 and 2019), when the EU had 7.2 tonnes per inhabitants.

Source data for tables and graphs

European Neighbourhood Policy — South countries — transport: tables and figures

Data sources

Data for ENP-South countries are supplied by and under the responsibility of the national statistical authorities of each country on a voluntary basis. The data presented in this article result from an annual data collection cycle that has been established by Eurostat. No recent data are available from either Libya or Syria. These statistics are available free-of-charge on Eurostat’s website, together with a range of different indicators covering most socio-economic areas.

For the EU, transport statistics are available with an annual frequency and generally begin in the early 1990s. Eurostat’s statistics describe the most important features of transport, not only in terms of the quantities of freight and numbers of passengers that are moved each year, or the number of vehicles and infrastructure that are used, but also the contribution of transport services to the economy as a whole. Data collection is supported by several legal acts obliging the EU Member States to report statistical data (framework legislation and implementing legislation, organised according to the mode of transport under consideration), as well as voluntary agreements to supply additional data.

Passenger transport statistics

The majority of passenger transport statistics are based on vehicle movements in each of the reporting countries, regardless of the nationality of the vehicle or vessel involved (the ‘territoriality principle’). For this reason, the measure of passenger-kilometres (pkm, which represents one passenger travelling a distance of one kilometre) is generally considered as a more reliable measure, as a count of passengers entails a higher risk of double-counting, particularly for international transport. A rail passenger is any person, excluding members of the train crew, who makes a journey by rail.

Freight transport statistics

As with passenger transport statistics, freight transport statistics are generally based on movements in each reporting country, regardless of the nationality of the vehicle or vessel involved (the ‘territoriality principle’). For this reason, the measure of tonne-kilometres (tkm or tonne-km, in other words, one tonne of goods travelling a distance of one kilometre) is generally considered a more reliable measure when analysing freight transport statistics, as the simple use of tonnes entails a higher risk of double-counting, particularly for international transport.

Transport safety

Eurostat publishes transport safety data for road, rail, inland waterways, maritime and air transport. CARE is the European centralised database on road accidents which result in death or injury across the EU, developed on the basis of Council Decision 93/704/EC; it is managed by the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport. A road death is defined as the number of deaths that are caused by road accidents and which occur within 30 days from the date of the accident; the count includes drivers and passengers in motorised vehicles and on bicycles who might be involved in road accidents, as well as pedestrians.

Tables in this article use the following notation:

Value in italics	data value is forecasted, provisional or estimated and is therefore likely to change;
:	not available, confidential or unreliable value;
–	not applicable.

Context

An efficient and well-functioning passenger and freight transport system is vital for enterprises and inhabitants. The ability to move goods safely, quickly and cost-efficiently to markets is important for international trade, national distributive trades, and economic development. The rapid increase in international trade up to the onset of the global financial and economic crisis and the deepening integration of the EU’s single market, alongside a range of economic practices (including the concentration of production in fewer sites to reap economies of scale, delocalisation, and just-in-time deliveries), may explain — at least to some degree — developments in the volume of freight being transported.

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport is responsible for developing transport policy within the EU. It aims to develop policy to foster clean, safe and efficient travel throughout Europe, underpinning the internal market for goods (transferring them between their place of production and consumption) and the right of citizens to travel freely throughout the EU (for both work and pleasure).

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), launched in 2004, supports and fosters stability, security and prosperity in the EU’s neighbourhood. The ENP was revised in 2015. The main principles of the revised policy are a tailored approach to partner countries; flexibility; joint ownership; greater involvement of EU member states and shared responsibility. The ENP aims to deepen engagement with civil society and social partners. It offers partner countries greater access to the EU's market and regulatory framework, standards and internal agencies and programmes.

The Joint Communication by the European External Action Service and the European Commission on Renewed Partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood, accompanied by an EU Economic and Investment Plan for our Southern Neighbours, of 9 February 2021 further strengthens cooperation with the ENP-South countries.

The main objective of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in statistics is to enable the production and dissemination of reliable and comparable data, in line with European and international norms and standards.

Reliable and comparable data are essential for evidence-based decision-making. They are needed to monitor the implementation of the agreements between the EU and the ENP-South countries, the impact of policy interventions and the reaching of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The EU has been supporting statistical capacity building in the region for a number of years through bilateral and regional capacity-building. This takes the form of technical assistance to partner countries’ national statistical authorities through targeted assistance programmes and activities such as training courses, working groups and workshops, exchange of best practice and the transfer of statistical know-how. Additional information on the policy context of the ENP is provided here.

Notes

↑ This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.