The European Court of Auditors published, on Thursday 25 November, its comparative analysis with other countries on the development of transport infrastructure in the EU.
For example, the Court of Auditors points out that delays are the EU’s main characteristic in the development of transport infrastructure. On average, the development of major projects is delayed by 11 years.
The findings of the analysis suggest that these delays could be attributed to the fact that EU Member States often tend to focus on their national interests and neglect cross-border sections.
The paper cites, as an example, the fact that Germany did not consider the construction of the northern access to the Brenner base tunnel a priority, while the EU, Austria and Italy have been investing in this project for several years.
The Court of Auditors also states that the objective of completing the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) (see EUROPE 12756/6) by 2030 seems, on the basis of the analysis, will be difficult to achieve.
In addition, the document also reveals that budget overruns are frequent when it comes to the development of large projects. On average, the budgets exceeded the initial forecasts by €2 billion, or an increase of 47%.
This figure, explains the European Court of Auditors, is not higher than the world average. However, the analysis points out that this result could be temporary, as some of the projects examined have not yet been completed.
Finally, the paper summarises, cost-benefit analysis is “often lacking” in the selection of major projects, implying that EU investment potentially outweighs benefits.
Similarly, the paper argues that the selected projects are subject to “many uncertainties” within the EU, including “environmental permits and stakeholder acceptance, which also cause delays”.
See the analysis: https://bit.ly/3FNZ1et (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)