European Commission

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European Commission
3rd Expert Group Meeting Transport Euro-Asian
Linkages Sanna Kuukka
27-29 June 2005

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High Level Group II - Background

• Revised TEN-T Guidelines were adopted in April
  2004 including a list of 30 priority axes and
  projects covering the territory of the EU27.
• Good links between the EU and the neighbouring
  countries are important to enhance trade,
  economic development and sustainability.
• Since the 1990s, cooperation exists in the
  context of Pan-European Corridors and Areas, MEDA
  programme, Traceca corridor linking Europe to
  Caucasus and Central Asia.
• A ministerial meeting on Transport for Wider
  Europe in Santiago de Compostela in June
  discussed the connections between the enlarged EU
  and the neighbouring countries and launched the
  idea of a High Level Group.

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(No Transcript)
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High Level Group - Members

• 25 neighbouring countries and regions
• Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
  Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, former
  Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Israel,
  Jordan, Lebanon, Libya (as observer), Morocco,
  Moldova, Norway, Palestinian Authority, Russia,
  Serbia Montenegro, Kosovo (under UNMIK
  administration), Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia,
  Turkey and Ukraine.
• Representatives of EU25 and Bulgaria and Romania
• International financing institutions
• European Investment Bank (EIB)
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
  (EBRD)
• World Bank (WB)

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High Level Group - Objectives

• Proposals to the Commission on
• A limited number of priority axes connecting the
  Union with its neighbours with a focus on
  international exchanges and freight movements
  (5-7)
• A short list of priority projects on these axes,
  including motorways of the sea
• How to improve the efficiency of the current
  transport networks through horizontal measures,
  e.g. interoperability, border-crossings, safety
  security
• How to finance the proposed projects and measures

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High Level Group - Identification of major axes
and priority projects

• Identification of major transport axes connecting
  the EU with the neighbouring countries or broader
  regions. This step should offer a tool to select
  some 5-7 major axes that are most used and
  pertinent to international exchanges and traffic
  and also strengthen long term regional
  integration and cohesion.
• Identification of priority projects on these
  major axes that are feasible and demonstrate the
  best value for money in terms of their economic,
  social and environmental impacts. A highly
  selective approach is again important to ensure
  that limited resources are put to best use.

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Criteria for identifying major axes

• Pan-European interest
• Institutional dimension
• links to one of the 30 major TEN axes and
  projects to the neighbouring countries and
  broader regions
• Takes into account international agreements and
  other joint decision and actions (Black Sea PETrA
  and TRACECA)
• Functional dimension
• the amount of long-distance international traffic
  now and a forecast for 2020
• the volume of transit traffic
• alternative which shorter, environmentally
  friendlier and safer than the established route

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Criteria for selecting priority projects

• First stage pre-selection
• priority transnational axes
• sufficient size and significance (0.15 of GDP)
• firm commitment (works before 2010 and completion
  by 2020)
• Second stage evaluation
• improving economic efficiency
• enhancing environmental sustainable of transport
  system
• improving transport safety and security

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Horizontal priorities state of play

• Motorways of the Sea and Intermodality
• Maritime Safety
• Road safety, weights and dimensions
• Rail interoperability
• Air Traffic Management
• Inland waterways
• Satellite navigation
• Border crossing procedures, incl. customs
• Security
• Financing
• Coordination modalities

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Timetable

• Meeting schedule in 2005
• 10-11 January regional
• 14-15 February regional
• 7 March plenary
• 30-31 May plenary
• 11-12 July plenary Recommendations on
  outstanding horizontal priorities Identification
  of priority projects
• September plenary regional
• Outstanding issues, horizontal and projects
• Draft report
• October
• Final report - autumn 2005
• Communication from the Commission end 2005 or
  early 2006