Trans-European Transport Network: informal agreement reached

The European Parliament and the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union reached an informal agreement on the "Regulation on the Revision of the Trans-European Transport Network Guidelines". The outcome of the negotiations with the Council constitutes a big step forward compared to what had been accomplished in the past in the field of the Trans-European Transport Network.

Among other things, the agreement provides for:

• standards and requirements that remain strict to ensure interoperability, are of high quality and consistent with environment, climate change and accessibility objectives;
• a strong governance structure, which adequately involves all relevant parties, including regional and local authorities, infrastructure managers, users and others. The corridor work plan will set concrete short- and medium-term milestones for the development of the corridors, which will make possible the implementation of a core network by 2030. Engagement on these milestones will be translated into a legal commitment by Member States and all stakeholders.

"The result of the agreement with the Council and the Commission reflects our strong belief that the TEN-T is one of the key projects of the European Union. Investing in efficient transport infrastructure is the basis for creating growth and jobs, especially at times of crisis. With the TEN-T guidelines, we have a very solid basis to contribute to Europe's mobility and competitiveness," said MEP Georgios Koumoutsakos, EPP Group Rapporteur on the development of the Trans-European Network.