THE LINK BETWEEN GREECE AND THE REST OF EU COUNTRIES: STATUS AND PROSPECTS

The purpose of this paper is to critically investigate the transportation link between Greece and the rest of European Union (EU) countries. Greece is the only non-island EU country which is not adjacent to the rest of the contiguous EU countries. Since the breakout of the war in the territory of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, the main land link through the Balkan peninsula has become dangerous and inadequate to carry the continuously growing transport load. The other link of Greece to the rest of the EU is intermodal: it connects western Greek ports with eastern Italian ports via the Adriatic Sea. Under the present circumstances, and in spite of many problems, this particular link represents the only promise for a viable connection between Greece and the rest of the EU. The volume and value of the trade between Greece and the rest of EU countries are continuously growing. However, the existing network has reached its capacity, and poblems of insufficient land traffic interconnections are now becoming more complex, demanding immediate action. The paper has two major objectives: the first is to describe the network by analysing the statistical data provided by public and private sources and by making references to the institutional framework. All land and sea connections, including port infrastructures, are also described. Extensive analysis of dat