Brussels, 05/12/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Friday, the Transport Council approved the list of 29 priority projects for the trans-European transport networks (TEN-T) and unanimously decided - under considerable pressure from France - to add the Seine-Escaut river project. There is therefore a list of 30 priority projects to be carried out by 2020, to be presented to the European Parliament in second reading.
The political agreement on the proposal of decision amending the Community guidelines for development of TEN-T seriously nibbles away at the prerogatives that the Commission had given itself in its proposal. Thus, it provides for: - start up aid for the "motorways of the sea" (which aim to help companies develop new maritime routes) to be within a framework which is not provided for in the Commission proposal, some Member States (Denmark, United Kingdom, Sweden) fearing that the initial text will open the way to possible competition distortion; - reduction of Commission powers in the case of delay in realisation of projects described as being of "European interest" (taken up in a European declaration of interest).
While the initial text provided the Commission with the possibility of withdrawing the qualification of European interest from a project that has incurred delays (and because of this also the relevant Community financing), the agreement no longer mentions this possibility and is content with indicating that, in the case of delay, the Commission may "take appropriate measures". Also, the text specifies that the Commission will not be able to take measures which "would affect the realisation of the project in a Member State which is not responsible for the delay" incurred; - a more important framework under the European coordinator (appointed by the Commission to facilitate the implementation of crossborder projects). The agreement finally provides for the Commission to present a report every two years on application of the proposal (whereas the Commission proposed a report before 2010) with, where necessary, legislative proposals aimed at amending priority projects and adding new projects.
EUROPE recalls that the legislative package on TEN-T also includes a proposal for a financial regulation on which the Ecofin Council of 25 November reached a political agreement providing for a 10-20% rise in the share of Community funding for crossborder sections of priority projects (instead of 30% initially proposed by the Commission).
France succeeds in having the Seine-Escaut river project included in list of priority projects
From the start of discussions, Loyola de Palacio, Transport Commissioner, had called upon the ministers not to add any new projects to the list of priority projects during this Council. "The Commission would not be able to meet all demands", she had said, recalling that this list had been established within the context of the Van Miert group and therefore with the collaboration of Member States. Ignoring these requests, France stepped up the pressure so that the large-scale canal project linking the Seine and Escaut would, despite everything, be included in the list of priority projects from today on. It was supported by the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, these three last countries seizing the opportunity provided to call, in turn, for the introduction (or the modification) of projects. In a final attempt; the Commissioner reminded France that the Seine-Escaut project had not been placed on the list of priority projects as, at the time, "the countries concerned were not ready". Forgetting this "detail", France stuck to its position. The Presidency then called on Member States to unanimously support the project, which is in fact what they did, to reach an agreement on the proposal as a whole.