With permission of Andreas Goes, AAEThe European Intermodal Association (EIA) is an international independent platform promoting sustainable intermodal mobility in Europe by combining innovative rail, waterway, road, air and maritime transport solutions.

The EIA was founded in 1993 and is the only neutral European Intermodal Organization open to all transport modes recognised by the European Commission, while it has an NGO status within the UN and ECMT/OECD.

It has now more than 90 members; market leaders in the transport industry and related business, throughout Western and Eastern Europe including USA and China.

The notion of ‘Sustainable mobility’ is currently widely accepted by authorities and market players as an important driver in the future, also green and smart forms of logistics.

The EIA’s key objectives:

• To promote the interests of its members in developing innovative intermodal concepts & technologies, a better definition of the intermodal product and increased quality of service levels.
• To improve the productivity, profitability and competitiveness of its members through the innovative, swift, safe and economic movement of goods whilst preserving quality of life, and the environment.

The EIA has had success in moving towards achieving these objectives through:

• Lobbying the European Commission, European Parliament, EU Member States and outlying regions.
• Being involved in research, studies and demonstrator projects that deliver concrete competitive tools to improve regional development, infrastructure, operations, investment, technologies, training and marketing.
• Promoting intermodal traffic in new markets (China, Thailand & Latin America).
• Initiating and participating Round Tables, working visits, conferences, expo’s, etc. that address both general transport/logistical/infrastructure issues and define the intermodal industries position on specific regulatory points of interest.
• Gathering and disseminating the concrete results and solutions arising from the above mentioned activities.

The EIA acts as a Forum for its members to discuss common policy problems concerning intermodal transport and to prepare measures to secure its development.