Within EU’s macro-regional strategies, improving the connectivity of regions through development of railway connections is vital, EU Regional Policy Commissioner Corina Cretu said during European Parliament plenary session on the railways and public services in Danube and Adriatic-Ionian regions.
‘Both the Danube and the Adriatic-Ionian Strategies have identified rail transport as one of their main priorities. There is indeed here a wide scope for cooperation, as there are huge disparities across their regions in terms of railway public services, which are undermining the joint potential for economic development,’ Cretu said.
Cretu reiteraded that it is need a better cooperation, the participant countries have to implement a number of railway reforms, and introducing licensing and regulation, and have to invest in rehabilitation, removal of bottlenecks and missing links, traffic management and upgrading of capacities.
‘The Danube and Adriatic-Ionian Strategies are now up and running. The indicative TEN-T core network maps are on the table.The Commission’s legislative proposal for a 4th Railway Package is also on the table. Therefore, all the instruments are now in place, so I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all stakeholders to make best use of them and so enhance the role of railway public services in these regions,’ Cretu said.
The EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) was adopted by the European Commission in December 2010 and endorsed by the European Council in 2011. The Adriatic-Ionian Strategy was endorsed by the European Council in 2014.
Photo: ÖBB/Philipp Horak
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