Multidimensional assessment of the European Union transport development in the light of implemented normalization methods

Transport is considered a basis for socio-economic development. It is closely connected with the process of movement of products and humans. The main aim of the paper is to investigate the influence of different order normalization methods in the synthetic measure construction implemented in the assessment of the development of European Union member states in the area of logistic, especially transportation system. Moreover, the article attempts to investigate the influence of such methods on linear ordering in multi-criteria taxonomic approach. The source of information in the research is the data drawn from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. The main method in this study is the order synthetic measure constructed with Weber median in different forms due to implemented normalization methods. The main result of the carried out analysis indicated that the development level of three main branches of a transportation system correlates with the socio-economic development of particular member states. Furthermore, the assessment process based on the synthetic measure construction can lead to differences in linear ordering due to the implemented normalization methods. The research on the transport development can bring a better understanding of the socio-economic development of particular areas of the European Union. Hence, the results can be helpful to European policy makers for the allocation of support funds.