Brussels, 27/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commissioner for Transport, Loyola de Palacio, signed the Protocol for an Agreement on the Pan-European Danube Corridor. This protocol creates a co-operation and consultation structure between ten countries for developing this transport axis: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldavia and the Ukraine. A Commission press release pointed out that the Danube and the Danube-Black Sea canal constitute one of the ten Pan-European corridors and a European transport policy priority. The Commission indicated that the last obstacle to clear in order to re-establish circulation on this navigable route, 2,415 kilometres long, was the de-blocking of the river around the Novi Sad area. The Commission has contributed EUR 22 million to the project - 85% of the project's total costs. The contracts have been signed and Ms de Palacio pointed out that it was very important that all the sides involved in the project met their commitments and did everything necessary to facilitate implementation and finalisation of the work envisaged for the end of August 2002. The Commission is also funding other projects on the Danube, such as the construction of the Vidin Calafat bridge between Bulgaria and Romania.