Brussels, 30/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) has made “historic” institutional progress and is assuming a different shape. The Council, Parliament and Commission reached an agreement in the trialogue meeting during the evening of Wednesday 29 May, on the revised approaches to what will be the core network (2030) (divided into corridors) and the global network (2050). The European Parliament did not give in to pressure from the Council and succeeded in retaining the philosophy and methodology of the Commission promoting infrastructure projects with European added value.
Under the agreement, the maps will link up 83 ports, 37 airports and 1,500 kilometres of high-speed trade lines and 45 cross-border projects. The European commissioner for transport, Siim Kallas, was delighted with the outcome and described it as an “historic agreement to create a powerful European transport network across 28 member states. This agreement will connect East with West and replace today's transport patchwork with a network that is genuinely European”. Irish Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar explained that this would “target resources where they will add greatest value from a European perspective. It's also about attracting the private sector to play a greater part in delivering key infrastructure investment”.
The co-rapporteur on this issue, George Koumoutsakos (EPP, Greece) was pleased that, during the negotiations, the methodology had been respected, the governance principle maintained and that the 2030 and 2050 deadlines upheld, despite pressure from member states. Ismail Ertug (S&D, Germany) asserted that “some member states want the maps changed”. He believes that Parliament has proved victorious in these negotiations by making these deadlines binding on the member states and involving citizens and the local authorities in infrastructure projects (consultation) and taking into account the environment and climate change. The agreement includes the 60% CO2 emissions reduction by the transport sector by 2020 (in comparison to 1990 levels) and imposes environmental impact studies for projects funded by the EU. The co-rapporteur also explained that Parliament had managed to convince member states of the need for the corridor coordinators, appointed by the Commission, and the importance of cross-border infrastructure, which is often left out from national investment. Coreper will approve the agreement on 5 June, so that the Council can adopt it. Parliamentary voting is due in committee in July and in plenary after the summer break. (MD/transl.fl)