A NEW POLICY FOR THE TRANS-EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK

The European Commission adopted last month a Green Paper setting out the future challenges of its policy for a trans-European transport network (TEN-T).

Considerable delay with the implementation of major TEN-T priority projects leads Parliamentarians, Member States, stakeholders and the Commission itself to challenging the European added value of TEN-T funding and of the TEN-T policy more generally. Consequently, the Commission says TEN-T policy needs to be realigned to contribute more effectively to objectives aimed at combating climate change and to support Europe’s increasing international role through better infrastructure connections with its neighbours and the wider world. The main objectives of the review are: to take account of climate change, the increasing international role for Europe both in relation to its neighbours; to promote strong network integration as the basis for co-modal services for passengers and freight, and to promote technological innovation in relation to the TEN-T. The policy also needs to be adapted to strengthen its supporting role for economic and social development within the framework of the Lisbon strategy. The integration of all transport modes and intelligent transport systems can be strengthened if TEN-T policy provided a basis guaranteeing efficient and safe transport services reflecting the future demands of citizens and economic operators. In the light of these challenges and lessons drawn from previous TEN-T policy implementation, the Commission sets out future objectives and proposes three options for TEN-T development, while stressing the need for coherence between planning ambitions and instruments for their implementation.