3. Railway Route Management Groups shall support the activities of regional railways and the Corridor Planning Committees contemplated in Article 3.5 of this Protocol and facilitate the provision of a seamless, efficient and cost-effective railway service on the corridors they serve. 4. Railway Route Management Groups shall define their own functions and devise their own procedures in accordance with the objectives of this Protocol: Provided that such groups shall report annually on their activities to the multimodal Corridor Planning Committees contemplated in Article 3.5 of this Protocol. Chapter 8 MARITIME AND INLAND WATERWAY TRANSPORT ARTICLE 8.1 OBJECTIVES Member States shall promote the economic and social development of the Region as developing and implementing harmonised international and regional transport policies in respect of the high seas and inland waterways which a) maximize regional and international trade and exchange; b) provide appropriate frameworks for economic and concomitant institutional restructuring; c) promote a safe and clean marine, maritime and inland waterway environment; d) encourage the provision of accessible, viable and productive landside infrastructure; e) establish a customer-sensitive and needs-driven approach; and f) promote the establishment of an integrated transport system set out in Chapter 3. ARTICLE 8.2 MARITIME AND INLAND WATERWAY TRANSPORT POLICY 1. In order to attain maritime and inland waterway transport objectives, Member States shall develop a harmonised maritime and inland waterway transport policy and collectively investigate and develop a common understanding with regard to a) the net benefits of a common shipping and ports policy and in particular, the economic benefits of such policy and its possible redistribution amongst Member States; b) the existing diversity in economic policy between Member States and the impact thereof on the development and implementation of a common shipping and ports policy; c) the provisions of their existing shipping and ports legislation and the need for a review thereof to provide an appropriate legal framework for the implementation of a common shipping and ports policy; d) the promotion of ship-owning, ship registration, ship operation and slot chartering in Member States and the individual and collective benefits thereof;