Jules Verne in Strasbourg ? New Transports to boost European Integration at N/S + E/W crossroads

         

(Transports' Minister, Gilles de Robien, applauded Jules Verne's vision for Europe in Strasbourg)

World famous Science-fiction writer Jules Verne warned since 1875, that he "would not be astonished" if, around 2.000, a River flowing to North Sea, "might extend also up to Mediterranean and Black Sea !" :

100 Years after the death of this great anticipator (1905-2005), whose prognostics often proved true and were even outpassed by reality, Strasbourg-related developments, at Rhine River's banks, indicate that his hint may inspire important Transport projects, which became for the 1st time possible recently,  and are urgently needed, to ensure Europe's integration, safety and independence, particularly in Energy supplies :

- "Jules Verne would have chosen Strasbourg for his "Ideal City"-Project Essay if he wrote today !", said his Hometown Mayor, Gilles de Robien of Amiens, who heads France's super-Ministry for Transports, Equipment, Tourism and Sea.

Robien, whose role includes GALILEO Satellite Navigation Systems located at nearby Darmstadt (Germany), inaugurated Strasbourg's 2004 European Fair at the eve of a series of North-South axis EU visits, from Spain to Sweden, Finland, Estonia, etc, on Scientific Parks, Road Safety, EU Regional and Transport policies, etc.

- "In the EU we are currently preparing to launch 2007-2013 TransEuropean Transport and Energy Networks, while renewing also Marco-Polo program to link together a diversity of Inter-Modal transports (by Rail, Air, Sea, River, etc)", warned earlier "SeNas" in Strasbourg vice-President of European Commission, Anna Palacio (Spain).

- "We want to Dream the Future like Jules Verne, great anticipator and father of that kind of Science-fiction which becomes Reality when people believe in it strongly", observed, Strasbourg Urban Community's president, Robert Grossmann.

Grossmann broke new ground by teasing his compatriot, Robien, on "Geo-Politics and Geometry" : "Recent European developments, make us wonder "where is the Center ?" and Europe's heart-core : It might be less felt in Paris than here, at Rhine river" : "Industrial and Commercial exchanges with Central-Eastern european countries, as Hungary, Poland or Romania, a.o., develop at fast pace". At the same time, we are preparing, with our German neighbor-cities a novel formula for the creation of a 1st "Euro-District", (decided in principle by Franco-German Summit Chirac - Schroeder in 2003), well beyond simple transfrontier cooperation, which could strengthen Strasbourg's "International dimension" and foster its vocation to become "Europe's Capital of Human Rights".

He spoke shortly after Council of Europe's new Secretary General, Terry Davis from the UK, took over his 2004-2009 mandate, by stressing that he was ready to "meet the challenge" to "establish CoE in Strasbourg as the true Heart of Europe".

But Grossman was satisfied that "Public Investment multiplied here up to a level never seen before during last 40 Years", and welcomed French Government's decision to definitively implant since 2005 in Strasbourg the prestigious ENA, France's High Education for Heads of Public Administration and Senior Officers, at the same building which houses an emerging European Studies' College.

- But "coming to Strasbourg should never be assimilated with Jules Verne's famous "Extraordinary Trips" !, joked Mayor Fabienne Keller. "Several Euro-MPs are fond of our City's Quality of Life and Conviviality, but find it sometimes complicated to arrive here", she warned, (in an obvious reference to after-1999 airplane market and other developments).

"Despite of what some Technocrats might say", Keller criticised, "the best part of Europe's Destiny is Linking People and their Creations" :

Since Historic Times, "Strasbourg (ex-"Strate Burgum"), the European cross-Roads City, has permanently been characterized by exchanges and trade between North and South (ie. from Flanders to Italy or Spain, etc), as well as East-West (from the Atlantic to Urals)", Grossmann reminded.

"What is really at Stake now, is to provide our Continent, of now-Enlarged E.U., with great Railroad Axis, which would link East to West (Budapest, Wiena, Munich, Paris, etc), North and South (Hamburg, Frankfurt, Lyon, Barcelona, etc)", stressed Keller, extending on the Future.

     

TGV-East Fast Train maquette, with Zeller, Grossman, Keller and Robien : Towards EU Speed Rail crossroads ?

"At the Crossroads of those 2 European Axis is naturally located Strasbourg", in a threefold move :

- "France's TGV-East fast train link "must be rapidly completed", and "extend well beyond" our city : "It's out of question to skip crossing Rhine for a link to Germany's ICE fast rail", Strasbourg's Mayor stressed :

- "It's natural that TGV Atlantic stops at the Ocean... But it's unthinkable that TGV-East might stop at Rhine river !".

- "Another priority is the construction of Rhone-Rhine TGV, linking Northern Sea to Mediterranean : Hamburg to Barcelone", she added, (in a reference also to the Spanish region of origin of new EU Parliament's President, Josep Borrell).

  On Airports, Industry and Trade Chamber's President, Richard Burgstahler, stressed the importance of enhanced air-links, particularly to Munich after May EU Enlargement : 38 flights instead of only 9 in the past.   CCI's Head also launched a call to support the creation of "AirPort Companies, ruled by Private Law, but with Public funds". He warned against over-taxing them with heavy levies, mainly for "Security" and other State's traditional functions, which, naturally "respond to inestimable needs", but must not "risk to curtail the Substance of Economy".

Summing-up in conclusion, and highlighting forthcoming decisions and "perspectives", Minister Gilles de Robien, agreed that, "from Germany to Italy and the Mediterranean, and from Paris towards Eastern countries", Strasbourg is historically located "at the Crossroads of European mainstream Communications" :

- "European Economic Space extends Eastwards".

- "Transports are a Key-factor : Fast links are needed between main EU capitals and metropoles : By Road, by International Fast Trains (TGV), by direct Airflights (through main regional Airports), etc."

- At the same time, "Environment and Climat protection against pollution, Global-Warming gases, or noise, and road Safety", should go hand by hand with "Technologic Development and Innovation".

"High-Speed Internet connections", are also very important for "the will to create and develop an Innovation-based Economy, in a region at full mutation", added Robien, speaking of Strasbourg's Region : Alsace, the same day that its President, Andrien Zeller, launched an ambitious project for a 900 kms-long High-Speed Fiber-Optics Network, to connect 30 Towns for 44 million Euros.

Strasbourg - Paris : 1.50 h.  London - Strasbourg 4 h. by Rail ?

=> Meanwhile, for People travelling with Train, "since June 2007, Strasbourg will be only 2 Hours, 20 Minutes from Paris, going 15 times both ways each day", firmly declared the French Transports Minister, promising that basic funds for TGV-East will be completed "before the end of 2004". Afterwards, Strasbourg-Paris Train links should shortly become even Faster, droping to only 1 Hour, 50 minutes : "A crucial challenge, difficult but possible to win", for which "works should start on 2008".

=> In practice, this means, fex, that London - Strasbourg Train links would approach 4 Hours,  while crossing Paris and beautiful Landscapes, (some 2.30 now from London to Paris with "EuroStar", added 1.50 to Strasbourg).

Jules Vernes' 3 Insights

But Verne's "Ideal City" Essay, to which Robien referred in conclusion in Strasbourg, (at the eve of the International Year prepared World-wide on his work in 2005), highlights 3 main inspiring Innovations :

1) - European-wide Train Links.

2) - Modern Electronic Communications, allowing for a Collective event to include, simulatenously, many Towns. (Illustrated by an "Electronic Concert" of Music, playing, at the same moment, a composition with many Pianos located at various Capitals).

3) - The possibility, for a River flowing to North Sea, to "arrive until Mediterranean and Black Seas" : "That wouldn't astonish me !", Verne wrote.

- Robien, Grossman and Keller largely covered the 1st point, concerning EU Rail links (see above).

- Sketchy, but topical references were also made to the 2nd point : I.e. High-Speed Internet connections.  EU Parliament and CoE's use of the World Wide Web recently provide only a few more raw materials in Digital Form, useful, but without more.

However, Verne's 2nd idea has already inspired in Strasbourg an innovative Project to use Digital Technologies in order to systematically organize topical and pluralist Debates with European Press and Citizens on EU - CoE Decision-making process : This was initially presented in the framework of EU's "ESPRIT" program and officialy registered since 1997 by "SeNas" Friends, (Project called : "Europe in the World"). After a 2003-2004 fresh experience, they thought to renovate it, by adding, inter alia, also a Multi-Lingual dimension, (etc).

- On the contrary, surprisingly few progress was made on the 3rd Insight of Verne : - Link Europe's Seas through its Rivers.

Towards a "4 Seas - 4 Rivers"' European Integration Network ?

But "SeNas"' friends gathered, (since a 1st presentation made as early as February 2002), enough data and hard facts to firmly believe that :

=> a "4 Seas - 4 Rivers" pan-European project, to link all Seas around out Continent (Northern, Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Sea), by establishing a Network of Ship Transports thourgh its Rivers, directly crossing Europe's Central Core, (Rhine-Danube, Rhine-Rhone, Rhine/Danube-Elbe and/or Oder/Vistule, etc, before Dniester), became today both possible, and necessary :

- A 4 Seas - 4 Rivers' Network Strategy would boost European Integration, from North to South, and from East to West.

- Modern Technology provides the Tools to rapidly complete the few "Missing Links", (f.ex. Rhone to Rhine, Elbe/Oder, etc), as well as to upgrade Sea-River Ship Transport efficiency and safety.

- Energy and other important Economic exchanges can find, thus, an urgently needed Transport Network, for Oil/Gas transfert from Eastern Mediterranean/Suez/Middle East (fex. through Rhone-Rhine, etc), and from Caspian and Black Sea (fex. through Danube/Rhine, etc), leading Directly into Europe's Industrial Heart !

Gain of Time is obvious : It's enough to have a look at a Map and compare : Instead of having to run all-around the External borders of Europe (f.ex. Gibraltar, Manche, etc), it can all go Directly at Europe's Center. (F.ex. Germany a.o. obtains a door to the Mediterranean. France a.o. obtains a link to Baltic Sea. And both, together with other EU Countries, obtain a link to Black Sea, which can boost their already existing River link to North Sea).

But it can also add more Safety : F.ex. a Pipeline hit by terrorists, sabotage of war, immediately stops all its flow. On the contrary, a multitude of fast-moving Ships (with Containers which can be transported via Rivers, Seas or Rail, etc) can NOT be all stopped 100%.

- Global warming and current needs for Climat protection naturally give a priority to Environment-Friendly means of transport, like Rivers, which can easily be linked to Rail, etc.

(Rhine Navigation Committee's Headquarters in Strasbourg : A New European Future for the Oldest International Organisation in the World ?)

Rhine river obviously plays a Pivot role, because it can link to the Black Sea through Danube, to the Mediterranean, via a channel towards Rhone, added to its natural Northern Sea outlet. Elbe, Oder, Vistule, and/or other possibilities, before Dniester, can link even to the Baltic Sea.

Strasbourg could greatly help to establish such a European Sea-River Network : CCI's Head, Burgstahler, pointed at its Autonomous Port : 2nd or 3rd in France, with strong links from Swiss Bale Port, up to Dutch coasts at the Northern Sea, and with a great Potential for much more : The City is located at Rhine's borders, and is Headquarter of the oldest and most experienced River Navigation International Organisation in the World : the Rhine Navigation Control Committee (CCNR : with 5 member-Countries). It's also very close to Danube's sources, (almost linked to it through Kinzig small river), and already communicates with it via a 1st link built near Mainz. Moreover, long-standing plans to boost a Rhone-Rhine Channel are currently renewed. The rest (comparatively few) may follow at any moment.

But, the main point are Europe-wide Economic and Technologic recent developments :

- "A main Novelty in the TransEuropean Transport and Energy Networks (TENS), that EU adopted on Summer 2004, is "Sea-Highways", which can be linked to River inland ship transports, as EU Parliament asked recently in Strasbourg. "Thanks also to the renewed Marco-Polo EU program : An idea for which the Dutch EU Chairmanship (July-December 2004) shows a Keen Interest", stressed earlier to "SeNas" vice-President of European Commission, Anna Palacio.

+ "River traffic", and "intra-european Maritime freight, (a kind of "Sea-Highways" : an Idea "that France supported inside the EU from the start"), should be developed", in conjuction with Rail", "in pertinent sectors", declared now in Strasbourg French Minister for Transports, Gilles de Robien : "Massive, long-Distance transit" for "Rail" and "Sea" transports. "Specific goods, needing particular Efficiency" and Safety, by "Rivers", he pointed out.

"River transport is Prosperous : Its rate-Growth goes beyond any expectations", revealed Robien, expressing support for "Rhone to Rhine Channel", and to the Spatial Planning of the surrounding region.

In France, "between 1997 and 2000, River freight has grown about + 28%, reaching 7.26 Billion tons/kms. After an exceptional deceleration provoked by 2003 record-breaking Heatwave, the 1st Half of 2004 marked a + 4.5% Growth in services and + 5.9% in volumes, according to the French Ministry.

Strasbourg-based International Rhine Navigation Committee (CCNR) is also optimist for a growing trend to use River Transports not only for Agricultural products and Steel, but also for Energy (Oil, Gaz, Coal), and "even High-Tech products, as Computers, etc"., Jean-Marie Woehrling, Secretary General of CCNR earlier said to "SeNas".

Even 2003 exceptional Heat-wave, (which hit heights unrecorded in History), did not stop a constant Progress of Containers' transport, which went up for + 8% on Rhine, where also Coal and Steel prospects look good, announced in 2004 the President of Rhine Navigation Committee, Michiel I. Van der Zee, (Netherlands).

Containers facilitate Optimal Planning for inter-modal Combination of all transports : Sea, River, Rail, even (special) trucks, making it easy to adapt the most adequate formula for each case. Their growth on Rhine River towards SeaPorts was surprisingly fast.

A New Technology of Strategic importance is Liquidification of natural Gas, which may boost even further Energy transports via Containers by Sea and River Ships, etc..

 

An EU Commission Study concluded, in recent years, on the "great Potential of Europe's River transports".

Only Bale Rhine Port, at nearby Switzerland, already moves about 4 million tons of Oil products per Year, according to 2004 data.

River transport costs less : 8 times Cheaper than Road, (and 4 to 5 times cheaper even than Rail), as well as more Nature-Friendly, protecting also Climat, since it uses only few fuel linked to Global Warming.

Dr. Hilbrecht, EU Commission's Director for Inland Transport, said to "SeNas", earlier in Strasbourg, that he found "4 Seas - 4 Rivers" project interesting, and expressed the wish that Berlin would not hesitate to open larger Elbe-Rhine connections on time.

Smaller and swifter River ships could bypass even exceptionnal Heatwaves (while also upgrading Safety), observed after 2003 Heatwave, its Secretary General, Jean-Marie Woehrling (CCNRhine). New Technologies on River Ships (presented particularly since 2002) may also boost efficiency, he added to "SeNas".

Shortly after 2001 the opening of Danube - Rhine large transport flows, a Netherlands-based European Ship Organisation adopted on 2002 at Bucarest a Resolution asking "to establish a Pan-European River Transports Network".

Finnish' Journalist/Editor Meisnar, told "SeNas" that he had even seen "a big flat River Boat from .. Baku (Azerbaidjan) arrive (through ex-URSS) to Finland !", at the Baltic Sea.

 (Caspian to Black Sea, through Russian a.o. Caucasus : Sketchy outlines of Armenian Sevan and Azeri Mingacevir Lakes, as well as River Kura and Georgian valleys until Poti a.o. Seaports).

Caspian could even be directly linked to Black Sea, by diging a new Channel towards Europe for all Energy-producing coastal countries of Central Asia, said Strasbourg-educated Scientist Parviz Torabi, a specialist on River Hydro-Geology. Looking at a map which includes Armenian Sevan, Azeri Mingacevir and other Lakes, River Kura and Georgian valleys until Poti a.o. Seaports etc, he argued that Lakes can be interlinked by modern Technology : - "France and Europe's mainland was linked to England by digging a Channel even as deep as under the Sea of Manche : Why couldn't we built a channel simply on Earth's surface ?", he wandered.

Russia already has a Ship transport link between Caspian and Black Sea, thanks to a Channel passing through Lake Manych and Sea of Azov. More generally, ex-URSS had profited from the integration of a large geographical space in order to boost links between Lakes-Rivers-Seas : Why not the Enlarged EU, after 2004 ?

 (Russian Lake Manych Channel already provides a Caspian - Black Sea link, through Azov Sea)

In History, French were able to establish ship links between Mississipi River in North America and .. Canadian Quebec province, through the Great Lakes, even ..before Jules Verne was born !  It's enough to have a look at a Map to immediately grasp the astonishing but simple coherence of the full picture. Already 3 Centuries earlier, (long before 1789), it was almost done, in one way or another, allowing exchanges to flow accross a central axis spreading all over a much larger space, that Americano-Canadians took over, after a British intermezzo.

Ex-URSS systematically accomplished various similar Sea-River-Lake links of strategic importance, long before 1989. Why could it not be done in Modern and Enlarged, reUnited 2004 Europe, Today ?

Added to its fast-growing interest for Economy and Integration of Europe, Sea - River Ship "Highways", might also become Financially interesting for Governments, as Car Highways are now : French Minister of Transports, De Robien, observed in Strasbourg that the government intends to keep Car Highways' current regime of Public concessions, mainly because it generates Revenues beneficial to the country's transport and other policies. But, if the current trend in favour of Sea-River Ship Transport grows and multiplies (via also to a "4 Seas - 4 Rivers" European Network), then, analogous Public Revenue-producing "Concessions" might be established and shared by all River/Sea bordering Countries involved.

Pipeline Foreign Interests against European Rivers-Seas Integration ?

- After Danube - Rhine first link was established in 2001, a scheduled Rhone - Rhine link was due to complete Europe's overall River - Seas' main Network on 2005. On Time to efficiently compete with expensive, too long, and dangerous Oil/Gas Pipelines, not controlled by European interests, but depending on Foreign countries, which might expose EU's Energy supplies to Political or Financial blackmails, added to various risks from Earthquakes, violent Conflicts, etc.

But, at the same moment that Foreign Pipeline plans had just started to push for their interests, Rhine-Rhone project was suddenly blocked at the end of 1997 ! A striking "coincidence" : It looks as if somebody had manipulated certain NGOs and/or politicians, to provoke local upheaval under various pretexts : Some spoke only about.."Fishes" (sic !), others of "Karsts" at a short crossing near Jura, while others pretend that it would be "faster and cheaper" to .. continue old, too long Sea zig-zags "via Gibraltar" !

Curiously, such so-called "Ecologic" NGOs, close their eyes to the fact that too long Oil/Gas transports through Seas exposed to bad weather, difficult navigation at dark or foggy deep waters, with fragile old ships, and heavy traffic at less-controlled International waters, may risk to provoke much more Dangers for Environment, with more accidents and coast pollution, as Erica, a.o. dramas, proved. And it's strange for some "Civil Society" NGOs to ignore Pipelines' negative repercussions, which, in certain cases, threaten to aggravate violations of Human Rights, expulse local Populations, destroy Historic Cultural sites, etc., while also being an easy prey to any Terrorist or military attacks, as explosions blocking everything in Irak and elsewhere show.

New Plans for Rhone - Rhine "Missing Link" ?

However, Rhone-Rhine Rivers' Channel came back to frontpage News after May 2002, a few months later than SeNas' Friends had started a fresh pan-European overall view on Energy transports, which included a key-role to Rhine-Rhone link (February 2002).

A fresh look into Rhine-Rhone Channel projects is expected by Strasbourg Senator Francis Grignon, who was appointed, in 2004, France's Raporteur. It's interesting that Grignon stressed from the outset that he intends to examine present prospects "integrated to a European, larger overview".

Environment specialist, Strasbourg's vice-Mayor Hugues Geiger, warned, however, "SeNas" that a Big dimension Channel might have unexpected effects if it crossed Jura mountains Karsts, since "nobody really knows what might happen if water leaks into the underground". Therefore, Geiger found wiser to create a Rhine-Rhone Channel of Middle dimension.

This might go hand by hand with CNRhine's Secretary General, Woehrling's 2004 preference for "Smaller Ships", able to bypass even strong Heatwaves (See above).

("Small is beatiful" ? Some think that Environment-related issues plead for Smaller Ships and a Middle dimension Rhone-Rhine channel : Could it do the job ?)..

Scientist Torabi, agreed that Jura is "almost full of Karsts", and that, as a matter of general principle, Water-leaks to any eventually existing Fault might even provoke Earthquakes.

But "a careful Geologic study could help to simply avoid karstic regions" for the channel, he said. Indeed, "SeNas" found that even earlier plans for Rhone-Rhine channel through river Doubs only crossed a very small part at Jura's foothills, away from the mountain itself. At any case, Torabi added, even if a few karsts remain, various technical methods exist in order to prevent any eventual water leak, (fex by filling up small cavities with concrete, etc). Even "huge Dams on Rhine River and elsewhere have been built close to some karsts, but technicians always found a way to ensure safety", he added, optimistically.

2005, celebrated as "International Year" for World-famous Father of Science-Fiction, Jules Verne, a Century after his death (1905), is High-Time to find or invent practical ways to realise also the prediction he made for interlinking Europe's Seas and Rivers as early as since 1875.

Many other of his Insights have already been realised, earlier and larger than initially thought. Why not that too ?

Jules Verne, after hesitating, had finally located his "Ideal City" Essay, (which includes the idea of a North Sea River extended until Mediterranean and Black Sea), at the Year 2.000.

Aren't we at least 4 or 5 Years late ?

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Practical Local NewsData :  

Strasbourg's European Fair, (a traditional 1st opportunity for regional decision-makers to meet close to Franco-German border with European and International Diplomats after Summer-break), spreads over 100 square Kms, during 3-13 September, bringing together 200 foreign representatives from 25 Countries : Accross enlarged EU (Poland included) westwards, to far eastern Iran, India, Nepal, China and Corea, even Latin America, and from southern Cameroun, Kenya or Senegal, through Algeria, Tynesia or Maroc, up to northern Russia, (but including also "US football" and "UK boxing" sports), etc. Totaling some 1.200 participants and an Innovation competition, it aims at about 240.000 visitors accross the Franco-German border, with a + 7,5%-high Growth since 2003.

In