TEN-T and Social & Economic Cohesion in the context of Economic, Energy and Climate turmoil and in the face of a potential transport bubble. A CER response to the European Commission’s Green Paper on TEN-T policy review

Reflexions on the future of transport policy in a broader context

- TEN-T policies may contribute to the promotion of the well-being of all European citizens. But other National and European policies are also essential to achieve this, to adequately shape TEN-T (e.g. energy, housing, land and urban planning, industrial, logistic, cohesion & development policies…) and possibly mitigate the overall demand for transport.

- The current financial crisis should be used as an opportunity to make a change towards a more sustainable society, less energy dependent.

- TEN–T Policy should promote energy-efficient modes; the use of environmentally friendly modes of transport needs to be promoted for both freight and passengers.

- More realistic transport pricing (applying the “user/polluter pays principle”) is an essential tool to achieve this objective.

Recommendations for the future of TEN-T policy

- The necessary infrastructure funds should be made available; European and national priorities should be aligned on the basis of traffic flows & market needs.

- EU budget dedicated to TEN-T should be at the dimension of EU ambitions, calling for an increase of the budget and of co-financing rates.

- Funds should be concentrated in projects giving a “European value”, i.e. aiming at suppressing bottlenecks and increasing interoperability.

- There should be a stable “core network”: ERTMS corridors could be the backbone of such a core network, provided it is extended to more European countries taking into account market and environmental requirements.

- Modifications of the network should be allowed during the TEN-T budgetary period, according to market needs.

- The environmental criteria should be given more priority in projects assessment.

• Primary Source

CER: Position papers http://www.cer.be/publications/position-papers

European Commission: DG Transport: Transport: TEN-T Transport infrastructure http://ec.europa.eu/transport/infrastructure/index_en.htm

---