Brussels, 12/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has approved a variety of major European public transport projects in Greece, Italy and Portugal worth more than €50 million, in part to be co-financed through European structural funds. As the end of the 2007-2013 financial programming period approaches, approval by the Commission for these kinds of major projects is being speeded up. European Commissioner for Regional Development Johannes Hahn welcomed the fact that these kinds of projects helped create jobs, more sustainable transport and improved quality of life for people.
On 11 November, the Commission approved payment of €29.5 million from the European regional development fund (ERDF) towards the introduction of e-ticketing for public transport in Athens (underground, trams and buses). Smart cards will replace paper tickets and help to reduce fraud. This is a priority project and part of structural fund reprogramming in Greece. The Commission also approved €75.1 million from the ERDF for the extension of underground lines in Palermo, the biggest city in the Sicily region in Italy (this project is costing a total of €154.7 million). A similar project has also been approved for extending the underground lines in Porto, Portugal (10 new stations). The work includes the drilling of a tunnel and will receive funding of up to €96.97 million from cohesion funds. (MD/transl.fl)