On Monday 3 December, EU Transport Ministers will adopt a progress report on the streamlining measures for advancing the realisation of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), leaving it to the future Romanian Presidency of the Council to reach a compromise on the matter.
This progress report echoes the European Commission's proposal on 17 May, as part of the third ‘mobility’ package, to enable the realisation of the TEN-T (see EUROPE 12022). In particular, the institution suggested that a national 'single competent authority' should handle the procedures for applying for, evaluating and allocating projects of common interest relating to the TEN-T. It also proposed that these projects be granted priority status, where such status exists at national level, or that application and selection procedures be limited to three years.
The Austrian Presidency of the European Council presented a single draft compromise in this half-year period, following comments from national delegations, some of which expressed their concerns about the Commission's recommendations.
It should be noted that the Austrian Presidency wished to give Member States more flexibility in its draft compromise regarding this 'single competent authority'.
Work to reach a political agreement ('general approach') will have to continue in the first half of 2019, under the Romanian Presidency of the Council.
In the European Parliament, discussions are ongoing on Dominique Riquet's (ALDE, France) draft report on this matter. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)