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Post an EU jobThe European Commission has signed 18 new funding contracts for transport infrastructure projects as part of the EU's response to the economic crisis, with almost all of the €260 million package going to the 'old' EU member states of Western Europe.
The EU's trans-European transport network (TEN-T) policy was conceived in the early to mid-1990s for an EU of 15 member states. Since 2004, it has been updated to take into account the bloc's enlargement to 27 countries.
The policy's centrepiece was the definition of a list of 30 priority projects
, mainly in the rail sector, which were adopted in 2004. But the policy has suffered from a lack of funding. Whereas the European Commission had originally demanded €20 billion to finance its policy, member states reduced the EU's funding for transport to €8 billion and only €5.3 billion for the 30 projects.
The TEN-T policy aims to help build missing links and remove bottlenecks in Europe's transport infrastructure in order to keep people and goods moving. The aim is to create a single, multimodal network that efficiently integrates land, sea and air transport networks throughout the EU.
A key part of the TEN-T programme is the allocation of funding either for studies to help overcome project difficulties in the early or construction stages.
The grants were announced at the annual conference of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) programme on 21-22 October in Naples, Italy, which took stock of the implementation of the 30 priority projects defined under EU policy.
In total, €500 million of funding was originally intended for transport infrastructure over several years. But the money is now being handed out earlier as "a vital part of the Commission's response to the economic crisis," said EU Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani.
A second group of projects, worth €240 million, will be announced later this year.
Big money for France, Italy and the UK
Among the 18 projects
funded, France will receive some €76 million to advance work on its new high speed railway line, 'TGV Est'.
Italy is granted nearly €64 million for three different projects and the UK €35 million, also for three projects. Sweden and Spain, the current and upcoming EU presidencies, got €28 and €24 million respectively.
The only 'new' member state to be awarded TEN-T money at this stage was Hungary, with €7.5 million for upgrading Budapest airport's operations.
New partnership to improve infrastructure in northern Europe
An agreement on a new initiative called the 'Northern dimension partnership on transport and logistics' was also signed yesterday. Signatories include the European Commission, Norway, Russia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Belarus.
The Swedish EU Presidency said that while northern Europe is rich in natural resources and has a highly developed industrial sector, "the long distances within the region as well as to major markets pose a challenge to the transport sector".
As its first endeavour, the partnership will develop an action plan to identify projects of common interest to improve transnational transport connections.
EU sets eyes on Africa
The 2009 TEN-T conference is also looking at ways to improve transport links with other neighbouring regions, especially Africa.
Following the Commission's communication on connecting Africa and Europe in summer 2009, the Naples conference is putting a strong focus on finding ways to facilitate and improve transport flows between the two continents.
According to the EU executive, the aim is to meet economic and commercial needs, reduce costs and make transport infrastructure more sustainable and reliable.
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