Review TEN-T guidelines means making choices

On 20 November the European Commission organised a Second High Level Stakeholder Conference on the Future of Transport Policy, addressing in particular also the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T).

ESPO’s Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven was invited to participate in the panel dealing with the revision of the TEN-T. He highlighted the challenge of defining a core network of priorities which would need to be based on a genuine pan-European approach. To ensure the connectivity of Europe’s key logistics regions the position of ports and their hinterland connections would need to be strengthened in the TEN-T guidelines. “Here too choices will have to be made” said Patrick Verhoeven “and this is easier said than done given the market dynamics that are involved.

Nevertheless we must go through the exercise if we are serious about the TEN-T review. Otherwise we can just as well stay with the current approach which is largely based on national shopping lists.” In this spirit, ESPO has meanwhile started preparations on the follow-up of its conceptual TEN-T paper which was published last May. The recordings of the conference are published here. The minutes of the conference will be available as from 18 December on the same website.

In the meantime the European Parliament is also setting its mind on the transport policy review. An exchange of views took place in the TRAN Committee on 2 December in preparation of the own initiative report that will be drafted by the MEP Mathieu Grosch (EPP, BE) on the Communication on the Future of Transport. The rapporteur agrees with the major trends and challenges identified by the Commission but regrets the lack of instruments and policy choices in the Communication. The rapporteur also plans to emphasise in his report the need for coherence within the transport policies and between the transport policy and other policy areas. The problems encountered with the implementation of legislation in Member states will also have a prominent place in his report. In the debate, MEPs agreed on the need to define clear objectives and targets for the European Transport System in the forthcoming White Paper. The rapporteur will present his report early February 2010. Finally, it is expected that the Transport Ministers of the 27 Member States will adopt their conclusions on the Future of Transport at this Thursday’s Transport Council.

(Source: www.transportweekly.com)