Brussels, 28/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - MEPs are of the view that the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) should be clear so that it does not deter investors, although the budget foreseen for cross-border infrastructure projects in telecommunications (€9.2 billion), energy (€9.1 billion) and transport (€31.7 billion, including 10 billion from the Cohesion Fund) are almost derisory, and especially not yet set out in detail. Aware that the Council will not be tender towards the Commission's proposal on CEF, the Parliament takes up its battle positions and organises synergies between the transport committee (TRAN) and the industry committee (ITRE) in order to formulate a strong stance on the new financial instrument. On Tuesday 27 March, both committees organised a joint meeting to carry out the spadework.
The rapporteur on the subject within the ITRE committee, Adiona Ioana Valean (ALDE, Romania), is “optimistic for now, but critical”. She believes it is necessary to be cautious in the use of such instruments, preventing any adverse effect on the market and not discouraging potential investors. This point of view is backed by Philippe De Backer (ALDE, Belgium). However, this is all the more difficult as no figures have yet been given, to the great regret expressed by Dominique Riquet (EPP, France), the rapporteur on CEF within the TRAN committee, who said: “It is a box inside the multiannual financial framework chest and it is difficult to isolate the box from everything else”. As the content depends on the figures, that makes negotiation all the more dangerous as, when all is said and done, the whole nature of things can change, he fears. Riquet also considers it essential to ensure “optimal steering between the member states, the European Commission, the executive agency, the European Investment Bank, and private stakeholders”. His co-rapporteur, Inés Ayala Sender (S&D, Spain), considers for her part that reinforcing European governance is a fundamental course to be taken and that the biggest challenge of all is to ensure sufficient financing is obtained to create maximum European added value. CEF, Riquet said, would be the “very best growth project for Europe, employment and competitiveness, and the project deserves our full attention”. (MD/transl.jl)