Trans-European transport network: Community guidelines

This report provides an assessment of the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) following the TEN-T guidelines set out in Decision 1692/96/EC. These guidelines constitute a general reference framework for the implementation of the network and identify projects of common interest. The transport modes covered by the guidelines are: road, rail and inland waterway networks, motorways of the sea, seaports and inland waterway ports, airports and other interconnection points between modal networks, as well as traffic management and navigation systems.

This report covers a two-year period, from 2004 to the end of 2005. The investment data it contains refer to the EU-15, the EU-25 as of 1 May 2004 and the EU-27 as from 1 January 2007. The funds allocated to TEN-T implementation in 2004 and 2005 were analysed for this report, by project and by Member State , with a special focus on priority projects.

The total investment in the TEN-T network in the EU-27 over the two-year period 2004 –2005 was approximately EUR 101.74 billion. A general assessment of the sources of TEN-T investment during 2004–2005 shows that national public funding contributed about 76.9%, by far the largest part, and together with loans from EIB accounted for more than 91%. In terms of modes, investment in the 2004 – 2005 period focused on railways (57%), followed

by roads (27%), airports (9%), ports (5%) and inland waterways (2%).

The report concludes that the total investment in the TEN-T network in the EU-27 over the two-year period 2004‑2005 shows an increase in average annual investment in the TEN-T network compared with the previous period 2000‑2003, with average spending already reaching about EUR 51 billion, a figure significantly higher than in previous years.

Moreover, average total investment as a percentage of GDP in the EU-27 increased from 0.43% in 2002–03 to 0.47% in 2004–05. One of the reasons is certainly the increase in grants due to the fact that the 10 new Member States were eligible for this funding from 1 May 2004.

However, a more detailed analysis of the investment shows that in some countries, especially in the EU-15 (Denmark, France, Germany), the total investment as a percentage of GDP was well below the EU average.

Concerning financing, it can be concluded that national public funding still contributed by far the largest part of the investment in the TEN-T network. In order to concentrate the scarce Community funds and to facilitate the coordinated implementation of certain projects, in particular cross-border projects, the Commission has designated ‘European Coordinators’, in agreement with the Member States concerned and after having consulted the European Parliament. The European Coordinators act in the name of and on behalf of the Commission and should speed up the implementation of the projects of common interest.

The completion of the 30 priority projects for international traffic by 2020 is in general on track. With an annual investment volume of about EUR 50 billion, transport infrastructure can be improved significantly. Nevertheless, the elimination of cross-border bottlenecks in particular is still lagging behind and needs to be improved.