Brussels, 08/09/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has just allocated 356 millions EUR to major trans-European transport network (TETNs) projects, as identified by the Indicative Multiannual Programme (IMP) for the period 2001-2006. "Without this European contribution, some projects would never see the light of day, and all would be significantly delayed", said the vice-president of the Commission with responsibility for Transport, Jacques Barrot. Over half of the total amount will go to support work (a contribution of 10%), the rest being earmarked for technical, economic, financial and economic studies (a contribution of 50%), which are needed in order for a building licence to be granted, to be carried out. Following the logic included in the White Paper, which recommends that rail be supported and sustainable mobility promoted, the Commission has decided to devote 70% of the funds to rail projects and 20% to intelligent and innovative transport systems. The 30 priority projects defined by the Council and the European Parliament in April 2004 have been particularly well-favoured, as these are to receive 85% of the sum total of the aid. For example, the Lyons-Turin project alone received 48 million EUR for the year 2005, "which means that the EU is the largest donor to this project", Mr Barrot pointed out.
Among the 41 projects to benefit from this first wave of funding are Galileo, the Brenner and Mont Cenis tunnels, the Bologna-Florence railway line and the East European, Lisbon-Porto and Rhine-Rhone TGV lines. In the next few weeks, the Commission is to mobilise a second envelope of 150 million EUR. Other additional projects, concerning the 10 new Member States, are likely to be funded to a tune of 100 million EUR after a new call for proposals.