Brussels, 08/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in Gödöllõ on Tuesday 8 February, the transport ministers of the EU gave their green light to the planning methodology of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). The methodology, which was presented by the Commission, lays down the criteria applicable for selecting the infrastructure for the central and secondary networks of the TEN-T.
Methodology. The central network will be a combination of principle “hubs” (cities, ports, airports, conurbations) and links (rail, road, navigable waterways) in Europe. These two elements are prioritised on the basis of their importance to passenger traffic, freight transport or both. Priority will be given to the capitals of the member states with more than half a million inhabitants (and to those of the candidate states, Norway, Switzerland and the Western Balkans, even if they are not eligible for TEN-T funding), conurbations with more than half a million inhabitants and the airports which serve them. In terms of freight traffic, the Commission's working paper gives the priority to ports with an annual transhipment volume at least 1% higher than the total transhipment volume of all EU ports. Also included are inland ports on intersections of the principal navigable waterways. The ports of the island countries or those of the NUTS1 regions (3-7 million inhabitants) with access to the sea may also, under certain conditions, be selected as primary hubs. All ports identified as primary must be directly linked (by road, rail or water) to the central network. The secondary network will consist principally of a readjustment of the existing TEN-T, on the basis of requirements in terms of interoperability, population density or transport flows. Funding. Community funding will be concentrated mainly on the central network. Funding from the cohesion funds will be available for the eligible countries for the secondary network as well, the Commission states. At this stage, however, the real battle will be over the amount available, which will depend on the future financial perspectives. The European Parliament has clearly stated that it would oppose any reduction in the current level of funding for the TEN-T (€8 billion euro over seven years). Ash. On the sidelines of the meeting, Germany called for a swift decision, preferably at the forthcoming Transport Council of 31 March, on establishing the obligatory European upper limits for volcanic ash, below which aircraft will be able to operate freely. The request was transmitted in a letter from the German Federal Minister Peter Ramsauer to his Hungarian counterpart Pál Völner. (A.By./transl.fl)