Brussels, 26/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - “The EU is threatened by a thrombosis at its centre and apoplexy at its extremities”. It is in these terms that Jacques Barrot, European Commission vice president, in charge of transport policy summed up the problems facing the trans-European networks in the enlarged Europe, during a colloquy organised on 24 May by the Robert Schuman Foundation. Mr Barrot had already drawn up a balance sheet of the priority projects carried out and the Commission's aims to the European Parliament (EUROPE 8945) and was able to listen, on this occasion, to the points of view of the different actors. Overall, speakers underlined the need to improve the conditions for carrying out the priority projects, promoting the re-balancing of different modes of transport and cross-border sections (less attractive from a national point of view) and of taking local actors more into account. Bernard Soulage, a member of the Committee of the Regions and vice president of the Regional Rhône-Alps Council underlined the fact that local actors could play both a facilitating or blocking role. Michel Francony, Deputy Director of the EDF affirmed that, “better connections with our new neighbours, notably with Russia, is at the heart of Eastern Europe's integration”. Commissioner Barrot highlighted the importance of “putting a 'network' in pace for goods, people and energy etc…Badly connected and non-interoperable networks will be a brake on trade, which is expected to double by 2020”.
The issue of priority project funding was raised during a round table, which allowed for a constructive exchange of views on the combination of different modes and sources of funding: 1) Member States' spending: Member States have to show more ambition about investing and the demands imposed by the Stability and Growth Pact cannot be used as an excuse; 2) EU funding: Several participants said the objective is to create a lever effect via Community intervention and the strengthening of the budgetary line on trans-European networks. It is crucial to win the battle for the EUR 20.3 billion for the next financial perspectives. The Commission is also planning to increase the level of co-funding for cross-border sections by making aid conditional on the speeding up of interoperability norms (SEGTF) implementation. The Commission also announced the setting up of a new guarantee tool for winning the confidence of private investors participating in the post-construction phase and whose management will be backed up by the European Investment Bank: 3) Eurovignette: the agreement reached by the Council on this sensitive question (EUROPE 8933) was acknowledged by all speakers. Some of them noted that the next stage should allow for them to go further by using the resources allocated for transport infrastructure; 4) Public Private Partnership: David Azema, Director General of VINCI Concessions briefly presented the advantages of this formula (additional resources, risk sharing, removing projects from political uncertainties). Azema explained that although it is essential that small investors are reassured by way of diversifying portfolios, including larger concerns, the money is not lacking and the private sectors is proving to be patient with regard to long term projects; 5) the regions: they are already in great demand so that they can contribute financially although they are not involved in the management of these networks, they play an important role in territorial cohesion, notably for cross-border regions; 6) users: they say they are prepared to pay and should therefore make more of a contribution.