Islam Terceira, 05/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - On 24 May, the college of European commissioners took a decision that the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR) says will be negative for both cohesion policy and the budget - the European Commission having decided to set up a new fund for transport, energy and telecoms infrastructure post-2013.
The fund would be sector-specific and not be covered by cohesion policy. “The creation of an instrument of a sectoral nature would imply a reversal from the integrated approach with the regions”, commented Julie Gourden, the director of the CPMR general secretariat, on 3 June. In a statement endorsed by the political bureau of the CPMR in the Azores, it says that experience has shown the limits of this type of approach, adding that “currently only regional policy guarantees respect for the principles of good governance.” It explains: “The Political Bureau of the CPMR wishes to draw the European Commission's attention to the dangers of such an approach and request that it abandons it.”
Updating TEN-T. The CPMR's political bureau also discussed the draft directive to be unveiled by the European Commission after the summer break, updating the TEN-T guidelines. The Commission will be suggesting that in the future, there is a two-tier TEN-T - a “core” network of priority nodes and multinational, transmodal corridors, where most EU finance will be earmarked (the details of how this will work have yet to be decided, whether only the TEN-T budget will apply to the core network or whether Cohesion Fund cash or the new infrastructure fund will also be required); and an overarching network as an addition to national networks for each modes of transport.
Peripheral ports in the core network. The crucial question for the CPMR regions is EU co-funding for peripheral ports in the core network. The CPMR fears that the EU ports in better geographical locations will be favoured, criticising the selection criteria suggested by the European Commission as unacceptable because they are mostly based on quantitative conditions and do not take account of changes in maritime traffic (expanding the Panama Canal, for example, and new northern shipping routes). The map illustrating the suggested quantitative criteria leaves important sections of the peripheral European coastline from the core port network, explains the CPMR with concern. It will be suggesting new criteria of its own in September and drawing up a list of ports it wants to form part of the core.
On 3 June, the political bureau adopted an opinion of the CPMR secretariat general calling for a “consistent, feasible and simple European approach to maritime spatial planning (MSP) and integrated coastal zone management”. The CPMR doubts the utility of an EU directive on MSP and/or integrated coast management (contraction of the public authorities or very low value-added, depending on the particular area). (L.C./transl.fl)