The EU Member States examined the Czech Presidency of the EU Council’s compromise proposal on Article 65 of the text on the guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) (see EUROPE 13021/19) at a meeting of the Working Party on ‘Transport - Intermodal Questions and Networks’ on Friday 30 September.
The proposed compromise clarifies the requirements for rail freight corridors. On this point, the text specifies that Member States should make every effort by 31 December 2030 to ensure that, on each cross-border section, the transit time of goods trains crossing a border does not exceed 15 minutes on average.
By the same date, arrangements must be in place to ensure that at least 90% of goods trains crossing at least one border in a freight corridor arrive at their destination - or at the external border of the Union if their destination is outside the EU - on time or with a delay of less than 30 minutes for reasons attributable to infrastructure managers.
In addition, the text maintains the possibility for the TEN-T management board to set up an advisory group composed of freight corridor terminal managers and owners. This group could issue an opinion on any proposal by the management board that has direct consequences for investment and the management of the terminals.
However, the compromise proposal reassigns responsibility to the executive board for informing the European coordinator concerned. The relevant European coordinator could also issue an opinion on the matter “in due time”, although the final decision is taken by the management board.
See the document: https://aeur.eu/f/3cp (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)