The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report by Dominique RIQUET (ALDE, FR) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on streamlining measures for advancing the realisation of the trans-European transport network.
As a reminder, the proposed Regulation lays down the requirements for the administrative procedures applied by the competent authorities of the Member States for the authorisation and implementation of all projects of common interest concerning the core network of the trans-European transport network.
The committee recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission's proposal as follows.
Projects of common interest
Members specified that the Regulation should only apply to EU projects recognised as projects of common interest under Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 on the central network of the trans-European transport network. However, Member States may decide to extend the application of all provisions of this Regulation, as a block, to projects of common interest on the comprehensive network of the trans-European transport network
Deadlines
Members introduced clear, specific deadlines at each stage of the permit granting procedure. The pre-application phase, covering the period from the start of the permit granting procedure to the submission of the complete application file to the single competent authority, shall in principle not exceed 18 months (instead of two years). A maximum period for the whole of this procedure has also been introduced – and reduced to less than three years.
Single competent authority
Member States should designate a single competent authority so that core network projects may benefit from the integration of permitting procedures and a single point of contact for investors. Members suggested that the single competent authority may, if necessary, delegate this competence, obligations and tasks to another authority at the appropriate administrative level (regional, local or other).
Cross-border projects
Members proposed that the respective competent authorities may establish a joint competent authority if a project of common interest requires decisions to be taken in two or more Member States, or in one or more Member States and one or more third countries.
Financial assistance from the Union
A new provision has been introduced to take into account the respect of the deadlines set by the Regulation as one of the selection criteria for projects submitted to the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). Delays with regards to the stages and deadlines set out in the Regulation would justify an investigation of the progress of the project and the revision of the financial assistance received from the Union under the CEF and may lead to a reduction or withdrawal of financial assistance.