The Role of the Corinth Canal In the Development of the S.E. European Short Sea Shipping

This paper aims at identifying the role of the Corinth Canal in the development of the short sea shipping transport system of the southeastern. Europe. The Corinth Canal, which construction was completed in the 19th century is considered to be one of the biggest technical undertakings in Greece. It serves the sea transport of goods as well as human mobility in a national but also in an international scale. The canal can operate as a node of the transport network of Greece and also of the short sea shipping system of the southeast Europe. This is due to the important advantage of faster and safest sea route that the canal offers for the transportation between the ports of the Black Sea and Eastern Europe with those of the West Greece, Ionian Sea and the greater region of Central Europe. In order for the Corinth Canal to adjust to the ongoing developments and trends that have to do with the promotion of environmentally friendly means of transport, the integration of the different modes of transport and the establishment of a single intermodal transport network, its management has to proceed to the development and materialization of a suitable policy. The paper includes the findings of a survey conducted for the Corinth Canal authorities and concludes with certain propositions so as the Canal can revitalize and upgrade its position in the short sea shipping network of the S.E. Europe