Brussels, 02/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - Addressing African Union Assembly heads of state and government in Addis Ababa on Monday 2 February, European Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani unveiled a series of measures which, it is hoped, will lead to a Euro-African transport network. €3 billion will be provided from the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) to develop trans-African roads which, in the long run, will be linked up to the trans-European transport axes. “Putting in place a strategic partnership between Africa and Europe is a great collective responsibility,” Tajani said, speaking also about technical cooperation and developing African know-how. The project, first mooted in October of last year, would see increased EU commitment to both the development of African know-how and aid for the trans-African terrestrial network infrastructure. “Cooperation between the African Union and the European Union must, clearly, be built on the road sector,” said Tajani, stating that the EU would continue to provide the financial and technical aid needed for the development of the trans-African network. A further €3 billion, as part of the 10th EDF, have been earmarked, in addition to the €3 billion already allocated (under the EDF) to the trans-African transport network's 8 major routes. Apart from financial aid, Tajani announced possible link-ups between African and European companies to “help develop African know-how”. He said that European companies could help, for example, “to find ways to reduce the negative impact of overloading heavy goods vehicles on the roads”. The appointment of coordinators, similar to those appointed for the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), the creation of public-private partnerships to, inter alia, “identify the missing links, particularly the cross-border sections of the network” and the interconnection of trans-African and trans-European networks will provide a form for the new project. “In the first place, it will be a planning exercise to identify the points of connection between our two networks, based on what is already being done under the trans-Mediterranean transport network,” Tajani said, laying the emphasis on the development of a consistent strategic framework for relations in the sector.
The African-EU civil aviation conference (Windhoek, 2-3 April) could be the next major meeting in the area of transport. “I hope that his summit will allow us to put in place (an air transport) cooperation agenda that is ambitious” yet also realistic, Tajani said. Among other themes to be included in Europe-Africa cooperation in transport, Tajani suggested: - extending the European radio-navigation and satellite positioning system (EGNOS) to Africa; - linking up European and African companies and using the CIVITAS programme for exchanging best practice in urban transport; - helping traffic planning and management; - providing aid for the construction of the trans-African rail network.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Tajani met Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal and coordinator on transport of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), Ahmed Mohammed Nazif, Prime Minister of Egypt, and Diriba Kuma, Ethiopia's Transport Minister. (A.By./transl.rt)