Brussels, 25/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Commission and company CEOs in the transport industry launched a joint appeal on Thursday 25 October in an attempt to convince European decision-makers to defend the European Interconnection Mechanism (EIM). This mechanism is aimed at funding infrastructure projects of up to €50 billion. The Commissioner for transport, Siim Kallas, is delighted that 38 senior figures signed a declaration calling for the instrument to be maintained during negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). They state that European governments and the European Parliament can only be credible if the EIM is funded appropriately. Kallas' cabinet is counting on no fewer than 500 signatures by the time of the Extraordinary European Council on MFF at the end of November. So far, big names such as Airbus, the Port of Amsterdam and Munich airport have given their support to this initiative. The EIM will be on the agenda of the transport ministers' working lunch on Monday 29 October (see other article). (MD/transl.fl)