The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) plays a major role in ensuring the freedom of circulation of people and freight within the European Union. TEN-T includes all the modes of transport and takes over almost half the passenger and freight traffic between EU member states. Developing the Trans-European transport network represents a major factor in stimulating the economic competitiveness and sustainable development of an integrate transport system, which improves economic and social cohesion. TEN-T development implies the interconnection, interoperability and access of the national transport networks.
The European Commission has been working on a detailed re-examination of the TEN-T policy, initiating the publication of a Green Paper called “TEN-T Policy Re-examination: towards a better integrated Trans-European network in the service of a joint transport policy” in February 2009. Following the reactions of the interested parties and EU institutions concerning the publication of the Green Paper, the Commission will continue to re-examine the development of a ‘central network’ of strategic hubs and links that could cover the relatively dense ‘global network’, shows a communication of the European Commission.
In March 2010, the Committee of the Regions gave the green-light for the re-examination of the Green Paper policies. In May, the Committee launched a consultation process and, later on, it will identify the key elements of the ‘central network’.
“We have to come up with answers that apply to the future demands of the European transport infrastructure. Relying on 15 years of experience, we should also find new ideas to redirect and modernise the TEN-T strategy in order to ensure its complete implementation”, said Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of transport, following the adoption of the TEN-T Green Paper.
The Committee believes that TEN-T should limit to the transport axes that significantly contribute to the achievement of the EU strategic objectives, especially the territorial cohesion. In the long-term, the ‘main networks’ should include a global TEN-T network and a main transport network. Maintaining the global network
represents the only chance for the peripheral regions that don’t have priority projects to benefit from transport infrastructure services financed by the European Union, thus ensuring accessibility.
The Committee also believes that the TEN-T network should include the infrastructure around large cities, in order to reduce the number of networks used for both long-distance and peri-urban traffic, at the same time trying to identify alternatives using the areas that aren’t congested.
The Committee of the Regions outlines the fact that, in the context of the current economic crisis, TEN-T development and transport integration in the European Union and in neighbouring countries is very important for ensuring the long-term viability of the domestic market, as well as territorial, economic and social cohesion within the EU. The Committee calls on the EU member states to reverse the drastic reduction of the TEN-T budget, as part of the intermediary revision of the financial prospects for 2009-2010.
“TEN-T will help increase competitiveness and the work force occupation rate and also become the support for EU transport policies, including the cohesion policy”, said, in April, Siim Kallas, European Commissioner for Transport. The consultative document urges member states to focus more on the objectives for sustainable development and environmental protection, based on which the TEN-T policy will favour only green modes of transport (railway, maritime and inland transport). “In the European Union, almost 30% of the CO2 emissions generated come from transport. That is why it is necessary to prioritize investments in railway transport and in the combined transport infrastructure”, said Johannes Ludewig, Executive Director CER. The Committee of the Regions believes that, once the TEN-T network is reconfigured, it will include the transport hubs located within the main networks, because they are essential for ensuring economic cohesion in the EU. Transport hubs provide added-value and that is why they are multimodal. They are often the main cause for blockage and efficiency decrease.
Another provision included in the notification released by the Committee of the Regions concerns the financing sources. In order to implement major projects, the European financing should be established through contracts, as part of global financing programmes. This cannot be done now, because the current method of allocating European funding is limited to a budgetary period of seven years, which is not enough to finalize larger projects.
by Elena Ilie
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