Brussels, 19/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - Many welcomed the approval, on Tuesday 18 December, of the future orientations on the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) and of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) at the parliamentary committee. Rail and cycle appear to come out on top. The environmental NGOs also appreciate the sustainability criteria agreed upon by the European Parliament. However, they criticise the surplus of transport projects which were added to the appendices to these regulations.
For the first time, the MEPs have ensured that cycling projects are included in the funding guidelines of the TEN-T. Potentially, bicycle transport could thereby have access to several billion euros in European funding. This is a great success for the European Cyclists' Federation, whose secretary general Bernhard Ensink said that the “committee on transport and tourism has shown that it can improve cycling conditions across the continent by giving cyclists the investment they deserve”. MEP Michael Cramer (Greens/EFA, Germany) particularly welcomed the fact that cyclists' needs will be taken into account when building bridges or tunnels.
Nor did the railways hide their satisfaction at the outcome of the votes. UNIFE, the European railway industry association, and CER, the Community of European Railways, voiced their appreciation of the changes made to the guidelines for the TEN-T on the technical prerequisites and for harmonised rail standards. They also welcome a co-funding rate of 20% brought in for investments to fight noise. However, they lament the fact that this co-funding rate has been cut to 40% to support the introduction of the on-board ERTMS train safety system.
The “Coalition for Sustainable EU Funds”, which is made up of WWF, Friends of the Earth, BirdLife International, Transport&Environnement and CEE Bankwatch, welcomed the fact that the MEPs have brought in environmental criteria for the selection of projects eligible for funding under the TEN-T and the CEF. They referred in particular to the 10% bonus to the co-funding rate for projects which offer synergy between transport and clean energy.
However, the organisation was scathing about the “Christmas list” approved by the MEPs, who put a raft of new eligible projects, such as airports and roads, on the maps of both the TEN-T and the CEF. “We applaud the MEPs for having laid down stricter criteria for financial and environmental sustainability. But the long list of priorities contradicts these objectives”, said Markus Trilling of CEE Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth. On behalf of Transport&Environnement, Nina Renshaw added that “in light of the limited European funding available for transport, the Parliament has signed blank cheques for a long list of projects which the governments will not be able to pay for”. (MD/transl.fl)