Presentation of EuroMidBridge project

  1. The “EuroMidBridge” idea was begun on the direct initiative of the ports and logistics platforms of Germany, Italy, Israel,Palestine and Jordan and is based on a system of advantages and interests that the various parties have in common.
  1. It is therefore anquick impact initiative that could produce positive results in a very short time even if the peace agreement on a regional level, to which it could contribute by offering a whole range of opportunities rather than problems, has not been completed.
  1. The greatest investment is in harmonising the different geo-political organisations to make the movement of goods easier, more precisely:

-the agreement between the various countries, especially Israel, Palestine and Jordan, which includes opening the northern Scheick Hussein passage between Israel and Jordan to full containers (currently not allowed due to protective measures) and the creation of a security system with guaranteed times and modalities for goods unloaded at the port of Haifa and for those going in and out of the Jenin border area where there is already a goods check point.

-the creation of an integrated system of distribution platforms and multi-regional industrial areas, including Haifa-Jenin-Jordan, each with different specialisations based on integration type and connection.

-the creation of a network based on an agreement between the various ports/freight villages, beginning with the existing Memorandum of Understanding, which would lay down and organise – according to the principles of efficiency and time/cost reduction – the movement of containers travelling towards the ME area from any point. The whole thing would work like a continuous and uninterrupted corridor when going from one vehicle to another. An operator system (shipping and transport companies) and other subjects (e.g. insurance and other services) would work alongside this network and the relative rules in order to offer the users the best “one stop shop” conditions.

  1. The initiative started from the Verona Quadrante Europa (the 2nd freight village in Europe) - in cooperation with the University in Verona and SIMEST S.p.a (the development finance institution of the Italian government) - , not for personal reasons, but because of its position and function as a hub for traffic between north-south and east-west and since it already collaborates with Rostock and Nuremberg, thus creating the first part of the tract between Germany and Italy. Secondly, it represents an integrated organisation between areas dedicated to logistics and industry and this makes it eligible for proposing similar development at Jenin by uniting goods movement to high added value manufacturing activities and in this way promote development and employment. Containers from Germany and Northern Europe headed for the port of Haifa leave from Verona via the ports of La Spezia and Gioia Tauro, with which agreements have already been made for container movement. The linked project for promoting both local and foreign small and medium-sized manufacturing industries makes this system effective in terms of volume, the type of goods and, above all, with the fact of being able to ship even just one single container almost immediately and favour export/import as a whole. Verona is interested in expanding this role of “flow exchanger” just as the German ports and Germany in general are interested in opening new routes towards the Mediterranean and Midlle Eastern regions.
  1. There are two useful routes for both import and export that leave from Haifa. The first goes towards the Jenin area and the second, involving both employment advantages in Jenin (e.g. secondary processing and packaging) and containers coming from Haifa and going to the Middle Eastern countries through the northern passage of Scheick Hussein . The tract between this border and Haifa would be managed by Haifa port in order to guarantee a continuous and uninterrupted passage. Haifa port will manage as well the tract in Israel to and from Jenin. In Jordan belongs to EuroMidbBridge network the industrial and logistic distributing Platform of Hallabat in order to complete the corridor towards the huge Middle Eastern countries.
  1. At Jenin a version of the functional and organisational model of Verona and other organisations would be constructed through a close collaboration of twinning and partnerships and by inserting it into the network. In this way the territorial isolation would be resolved and it would not only become a distribution platform for Palestinian import-export, but would also develop as an area for the final processing of goods directed towards other Middle Eastern markets. The Jenin area should be favoured by a special free zone regime, duty and quote free like other QIZ areas (Qualified Industrial Zones) by creating really competitive and advantageous conditions. Furthermore, thanks to the “ME Trade Center”, a permanent exhibition in the form of a “Show Department Store” and other services, and thanks to new technologies, Jenin will take on the role of a “strategic meeting point” on an international level. To be precise, as well as the above services, one part will be dedicated to the final processing of products coming in and out both from and for Palestine, thus giving added value to “Made in Palestine” products in terms of promotion and brand, and to goods and products which require particular processing coming from or going to other middle eastern countries. Another part of the zone will be laid aside for manufacturing companies linked to the productive characteristics of the Jenin area. An important part will be used fir goods movement and storage including refrigerated cells for fresh goods.

At the moment the connecting routes are only roads but with a railway line planned from Haifa, Jenin will develop from a distribution/production platform to a freight village.

A mirror industrial area on the Israeli side is envisaged by the Regional Council of Jlboa in order to create a wide international area giving advantages to both parties: The Jenin-Jlboa International District

  1. An operation such as this requires international agreements at the right moments with a will to create development corridors founded on real interests – “peace corridors – which make the peace process itself easier. The European Commission has given support through the Vice Presidents Jacques Barrot, Franco Frattini ( now the new Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs) and Gunter Verheugen. Israel, Palestine and Jordan – with their Presidents and Ministers of Economy, have already clearly and wholly given their full support. On the occasion of a multilateral meeting which took place during the EU German chairmanship June 2007, in Berlin, the EuroMidBridge’ partners have created the operational network and fixed the priorities.
  2. The last events. The EMB network has expanded involving new partners: the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium; the freight village of Parma ( the international capital of agri - food) ; the ANCI Ideali foundation (representing more than 8,000 Italian municipalities) ; the Minister of trade of KRG ( the Iraqi region of Kurdistan) in view of the coming partnership of a local logistic platform. We are waiting for a partnership from GCC countries in order to link more Middle Eastern counties. The UN Agency UNOPS is steady supporting and cooperating with EMB and a permanent contact has been established with the European Investment Bank (EIB)

Web site :

Contact persons:

  1. Mrs Michela Sironi coordinator
  2. MrAlessandro Franchini technical manager
  3. Mr Mazen Jerbawi manager for Palestine

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