The Impact of European Traffic Policy and Traffic Routes on the Development of the Ports of Rijeka and Ploče

Sea ports are the key segment of the traffic and economic development of sea countries. Pan-European transport corridors include the most important sea ports and sea routes. They are an extension of existing land corridors. The most important and most promising crossings of traffic corridors between the Central European, Pannonian and Adriatic areas, with the naturally shortest traffic routes directed towards Croatian sea ports are the Corridor 5B ( (Rijeka-Zagreb-Budapest) and Corridor 5C (Ploče-Sarajevo-Osijek-Budapest). The primary purpose of this work is to enquire into the importance of existing trading conditions and new investment undertakings in the context of increase in competitiveness of the ports of Rijeka and Ploče. Authors' attention is particularly directed to the construction of new port terminals to increase the traffic potentials of Croatian sea ports. The formed conception with its characteristics, the methodology applied, and research results represent the quality starting points in determining a uniform port policy of the Republic of Croatia within the European traffic system