There can be no safe and strong Europe without a transport system that is resistant to threats, and in which investment is needed, concluded the European transport ministers at their informal meeting in Warsaw on Tuesday 18 March (see EUROPE 13601/20).
As the European Commission presents its ‘White Paper on the Future of European Defence’ on Wednesday 19 March (see EUROPE 13599/1), the ministers discussed the difficulties encountered in developing military mobility (see EUROPE 13573/3).
At the press conference, the Polish minister, Dariusz Klimczak, referred to the obstacles in the way of procedures for extending infrastructures, in particular building permits and the deadlines to be adhered to. He also mentioned funding problems: “Without a solid financial framework, we cannot put specific projects to work, especially those which required dedicated funding”. He noted a certain “convergence” with his counterparts on these issues.
“At the time when we clearly need strong European security and military preparedness, we need to step up the investment remove the bottlenecks and ensure that our roads, our bridges, our tunnels and railway lines are appropriate for large and heavy equipment”, stressed Apóstolos Tzitzikóstas, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism. “Together with NATO all these previous time, we established four military mobility corridors to prioritize future EU funding, and these corridors have now gained legal recognition”, he continued.
The ministers agreed that the Multiannual Financial Framework should be modified (see EUROPE 13583/11), but also agreed on the importance of maintaining and developing the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ (CEF), which is part of the Cohesion Fund.
The Commissioner insisted that it should not be used for defence, but for cohesion. However, “some cohesion funds could be used for dual-use infrastructure – civil and military – to stimulate the economy and the trade of regions and countries”, he added.
While the transport sector, and in particular its infrastructure, has long been underfunded (see EUROPE 12841/16), the Commissioner believes that “Member states are now convinced that without infrastructure we cannot have security, and that without infrastructure we cannot support the single market”. “Infrastructure is therefore the backbone of our single market and, at the same time, because of its dual use, it is the cornerstone of the European economy”, he concluded.
Finally, the ministers expressed their commitment to ensuring closer cooperation with the military sector in order to align the transport system more effectively with defence needs. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)