The Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union submitted to the national delegations on Wednesday, 20 February, a first draft compromise which it drew up and of which EUROPE had a copy concerning the streamlining measures for advancing the realisation of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
This draft compromise echoes the Commission's proposal of last 17 May, as part of the third ‘mobility’ package, to facilitate the implementation of the TEN-T (see EUROPE 12022). Among the institution's recommendations, it would like a single competent authority to handle the procedures for applying for, evaluating and awarding projects of common interest relating to the TEN-T.
While Member States approved a progress report on this subject prepared by the former Austrian Presidency of the Council last December (see EUROPE 12151, 12148), discussions are therefore resuming in the Council's Working Party on Transport - Intermodal Questions and Networks.
A first exchange on this complex subject for the Member States had taken place in a working group on Friday 22 February.
It should be noted that this first Romanian draft compromise aims to leave more room for manoeuvre to States in the procedures. In addition, while the Commission wishes to limit the full application and selection procedure for projects to three years, it is suggested here that this period be extended to four years.
According to our information, this text would have been rather well received by national experts in working groups. But if this discussion was preliminary on 22 February, a first real substantive debate should take place on Friday 1 March. Bucharest would also aim for a political agreement in the Council ('general approach') by June.
As a reminder, on the European Parliament's side, in the absence of a potential prospect of concluding interinstitutional negotiations ('trilogues') on this issue by the end of the MEPs' mandate, the report by Dominique Riquet (ALDE, France) was adopted in plenary session last 13 February (see EUROPE 12193, 12170). (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)