Trans-European transport network: Community guidelines

Noting that the proposal sought to establish a communications system that guaranteed ‘sustainable mobility’, the rapporteur highlighted the concept of ecologically acceptable transport and cited trains and the inland waterway network as examples. In light of this criterion the Commission proposal was not satisfactory as it provided for 126 road links but only 11 projects for rail, 57 for combined transport and 26 for inland waterway networks. Mr PIECYK therefore proposed that 40% of the investments should go to rail, 25% to roads, 15% to combined transport and 20% to inland waterways. The rapporteur also regretted that Parliament had not been involved in the drafting of the proposals by the Christophersen Group, which had been damaging because they raised false expectations among the public in the Member States. Parliament therefore asked that it be involved at the project development stage. The Commission responsible for transport, Mr KINNOCK, stated that the Commission could only take over around 100 of the 238 amendments tabled, and it had reservations about another 20 of them. He added that he had prepared a text summarising once again the Commission’s position on this matter.