Philosophical, Political and Socio-Economic Aspects of Integration. The Case of the Transport Sector in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR)

Traditionally, the progress of integration has been slow in the area of transportation. Already, the Treaty of Rome has intentionally left out the issues of sea and air transportation which were subsequently tackled by the European Union. although not entirely. The reasons for that are certainly complex and multifarious but the conflicting interests of states, the role of transport for the national economies, disparities in the level of transport infrastructure and the quality of services provided, and the sheer lack of political will are amongst the most important. This paper is looking into these issues and attempts at finding the genuine causes of this state of affairs in the transport industries of the Baltic Sea Region