Bregenz, 02/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Austrian Presidency believes EU funding available for the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) over 2007-2013 should be concentrated, explained the President of the Council, Hubert Gorbach, at a press conference ahead of the Bregenz Transport Council. The Austrian transport minister said that the cuts in the budget foreseen by the December 2005 European Council for the upcoming Financial Perspectives meant that a priority list would have to be drawn up from the 30 'priority' projects selected by the EU in 2004. Gorbach's comments echoed the views of the European Parliament's Transport Committee, which recently announced that 'the priorities among the priorities' should be the projects for which the European Commission has appointed coordinators to facilitate implementation. The super-priorities would include the top priority of the rail link between Berlin in Germany and Palermo in Italy (including the infamous Brenner Tunnel, greatly favoured by Austria, see EUROPE 9139). Gorbach said he was delighted that the Brenner Tunnel was at the top of the list of the European Commission's priorities, and hoped work could actually get off the ground this year. The Austrian Presidency will be discussing the issue of funding TEN-T under the EU's new Financial Perspectives in its bilateral negotiations with the Member States, Gorbach explained. The European Commission suggested a budget of EUR 20 bn for the 30 TEN-T priorities, but the European Council foresaw a budget of only EUR 6.8 bn.