Brussels, 31/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - The agreement reached in trialogue on the revised rules on the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) from 2014 on, on the basis of which maps are drawn up, is not to the Greens' liking. They deplore the lack of European added value as, as a last resort, the member states have managed to include new infrastructure projects that above all meet their own national interests.
True, most national requests do not appear on the core network (2030) but on the global network (2050) further to the resolve advocated by the European Parliament co-rapporteurs in order to keep to the methodology developed by the European Commission for project selection (see EUROPE 10856). The Greens, nonetheless, regret that the “deal will prolong the patchwork approach to European transport networks, leading to EU funding for projects that have little or no EU added-value. The free-riding on EU money for national projects will continue, as cross-border projects are still negotiated. The bulk of the €23 billion in funds will be used for national wish-lists”, commented Michael Cramer of Germany, the spokesman for the transport group. He also decried trialogue negotiations that were simply a “damage limitation exercise, as neither the majority of MEPs nor governments wanted to truly improve the situation”. (MD/transl.jl)