18 December 2023, 23:50
The Council presidency and European Parliament’s negotiators have reached a provisional agreement on a revised regulation regarding EU guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). The new legislation aims to build a reliable, seamless, and high-quality transport network that ensures sustainable connectivity across Europe without physical interruptions, bottlenecks, and missing links.
Today´s agreement is a milestone for better and sustainable connectivity in Europe. The guidelines on the TEN-T network are a key instrument of the EU’s transport policy which will contribute greatly to strengthening the EU’s cohesion and to stimulating growth and jobs.
Óscar Puente, Spanish minister of transport and sustainable mobility
This network will contribute to the achievement of the EU’s sustainable mobility objectives, the proper functioning of the internal market and the economic, social, and territorial cohesion of the EU. The network will be developed or upgraded step by step with the new regulation setting clear deadlines for the completion of the 3-layer TEN-T network: the core network should be completed by 2030, newly added extended core network by 2040 and comprehensive network by 2050.
Main elements of the provisional agreement
The provisional agreement maintains the overall ambition of developing a coherent, connected, and high-quality transport infrastructure across the EU whilst considering the various starting points in member states, as well as their priorities and approaches towards a greener transport. Member states will decide how to prioritise projects of common interest in line with realistic technical and priority requirements aiming to a unified, high-performant, and fully interoperable infrastructure to contribute to the decarbonisation of the transport sector and its multimodality. These requirements, as set out by the new regulation, are proportionate to the expected benefits, to the functionalities and to the required investments by the member states. The provisional agreement also takes into account the available financial resources of the member states, as well as the investment needs for infrastructure development, which could be quite considerable, in particular on the comprehensive TEN-T network.
Deadlines for the completion of the network
The 3-layer approach of the Commission proposal was maintained with the TEN-T network being developed or modernised in three phases: until 2030 for the core network, 2040 for the extended core and 2050 for the comprehensive network. The new intermediary deadline of 2040 was introduced to advance the completion of large-scale, mainly cross-border projects, such as missing rail connections, ahead of the 2050 deadline that applies to the wider, comprehensive network. For example, new high-speed rail connections between Porto and Vigo, and Budapest and Bucharest, must be completed for 2040. To ensure infrastructure planning meets real operational needs and by integrating rail, road, and waterways, the new regulation also creates nine ‘European Transport Corridors’, which are of the highest strategic importance for the development of sustainable and multimodal freight and passenger transport flows in Europe.
Rail transport infrastructure
The co-legislators recognised the importance of railways in the shift to sustainable modes of transport and agreed new requirements that could generally contribute to the modal shift and to a better performance of the future TEN-T railway network. Provisions on the deployment of the European rail traffic management system (ERTMS) on the extended core and comprehensive network, the migration to European standard nominal track gauge, the increase of the number of 740-meter-long freight trains and the 160Km/h minimum line speed for passenger trains, were agreed by the co-legislators with a view to ensuring sufficient capacity and smooth rail transport operations without interruption on the whole TEN-T network. Furthermore, the provisional agreement provides for the inclusion of operational requirements for rail freight corridors in the articles of the revised TEN-T regulation as they are considered inseparable from infrastructure requirements. Overall, the compromise agreement ensures better and faster connections for passengers and freight by rail, as well as better integration of ports, airports, and multimodal freight terminals in the TEN-T network.
Road transport
The need for member states to have the necessary flexibility to address road safety in a manner appropriate to local conditions than to apply a one-size-fits-all set of road standards was confirmed by the provisional agreement. All core and extended core network roads will be specially designed, built or upgraded for motor traffic providing separate carriage ways for the two directions of traffic, separated from each other by a dividing strip not intended for traffic or, exceptionally, by other means. Furthermore, the co-legislators agreed on the deployment of safe and secure parking areas on the core and extended core network to guarantee better working conditions and rest for professional drivers. Such areas will be deployed within an average maximum distance of 150Km on the core and the extended core network.
Urban nodes
The co-legislators embraced the idea of strengthening the urban layer of the TEN-T policy. It was therefore agreed that a sustainable urban mobility plan (SUMP), which is a long-term, all-encompassing integrated freight and passenger mobility plan for the entire functional urban area, should be established by 2027 for each urban node. The plan could include objectives, targets and indicators underpinning the current and future performance of the urban transport system. All 424 major cities along the TEN-T network are required to develop SUMPs to promote zero-emission mobility and to increase and improve public transport and infrastructure for walking and cycling. In addition, the co-legislators maintained the obligation to have at least one multimodal freight terminal per urban node by 31 December 2040, where economically viable.
Air transport infrastructure
With a view to increasing the use of sustainable modes of transport and reducing the number of domestic flights, the new regulation strongly supports the objective of improving the connectivity of airports with rail transport services. Airports of major European cities with a total annual passenger traffic of more than 12 million passengers will be therefore connected to the trans-European railway network, including the high-speed railway network where possible, allowing long-distance services by 31 December 2040.
Governance and financial safeguard
Tasked by the Commission to coordinate the decisions and actions of the member states and other relevant stakeholders, the European Coordinators will continue to guide the implementation of the TEN-T corridors and horizontal priorities and involve a wide number of stakeholders throughout the completion of the TEN-T network. The provisional agreement supports their role as ‘facilitators’ in the whole process to ensure the timely planning of investments and the implementation of the measures necessary for the achievement of the objectives of the TEN-T regulation. However, considering the huge financial commitments needed to implement the measures identified by the new regulation for the further development of the TEN-T network, a financial safeguard was introduced as a guarantee for member states. Finally, a revised framework for the application of the new regulation was agreed, mainly by streamlining the current instruments for reporting on and monitoring the TEN-T implementation.
Alignment of national plans with EU policy
Recognising the importance of consistency of national plans with the commitments made at EU level to establish the TEN-T network in a coordinated and timely manner, the compromise agreement provides for the alignment of national plans with the EU’s transport policy. To this end, member states should ensure that there is coherence between their national transport and investment plans with the priorities of the new regulation. Member states should take into account, inter alia, the priorities set out in the work plans of the European Coordinators tasked to ensure oversight of the nine European Transport Corridors. Member states will also provide the Commission with the relevant national plans or programmes once adopted.
Connectivity with key neighbouring countries
In response to the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and to ensure better connectivity with key neighbouring countries, the new regulation extends four European Transport Corridors of the TEN-T network to Ukraine and Moldova whilst downgrading cross-border connections with Russia and Belarus.
Next steps
Following today’s provisional agreement, work on the revised regulation will continue at technical level. Once this work is concluded, the presidency intends to pass the text to member states’ representatives (Coreper) for endorsement.
The legislative act will then have to undergo a meticulous legal/linguistic review before being formally adopted by the co-legislators and enter into force.
Background information
The TEN-T is an EU-wide network of rail, inland waterways, short-sea shipping routes, and roads. It connects 424 major European cities with ports, airports, and railway terminals. When the TEN-T is complete, it will cut travel times between these cities. For example, passengers will be able to travel between Copenhagen and Hamburg in 2.5 hours by train, instead of the 4.5 hours required today.
The proposal for a revised regulation was adopted by the Commission on 13 December 2021 as part of the legislative package for efficient and green mobility. The Commission proposal paid special attention to a new governance structure of the TEN-T policy and multimodality by setting ambitious goals, in particular for the development of the railway infrastructure. In response to the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Commission adopted an amended proposal on 27 July 2022 introducing several changes to the initial text. The revised proposal calls for unification of the TEN-T network by using the European standard rail track gauge. It also strives for better connectivity of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova with the EU through the extension of the relevant European Transport Corridors.
Following discussions at technical level throughout 2022, and a progress report presented to the TTE/Transport Council on 2 June 2022, the Council reached a unanimous general approach at the TTE/Transport Council on 5 December 2022. In the European Parliament (EP), the TRAN Committee voted on the report on 14 April 2023, and the decision to enter interinstitutional negotiations on that basis was confirmed in plenary on 19 April. The negotiations kicked off under the Swedish presidency on 24 April 2023 with a second trilogue following suit on 26 June 2023. Under the Spanish presidency, a third trilogue was held on 2 October 2023 followed by a fourth one on 14 November 2023.
- Revised regulation on Union guidelines for development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), Council’s general approach, 5 December 2022
- Regulation on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), Commission’s amended proposal, 27 July 2022
- Revised regulation on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, 13 December 2021
EU Parliament: Deal on new guidelines for trans-European transport projects
- EU network of railways, roads, inland waterways and sea shipping
- Implementation of major transport projects by 2030
- Focus on intermodal transport
- Cuts ties with Russia and Belarus, improves links with Ukraine and Moldova
Parliament and Council negotiators agreed on updated guidelines for the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) to boost the implementation of major projects by 2030.
The guidelines agreed on Monday evening are the EU’s plan to build a network of railways, roads, inland waterways and short sea shipping routes connected through ports and terminals across the European Union. Current TEN-T projects range from Rail Baltica, connecting Helsinki and Warsaw, to the Brenner Base Tunnel, linking Austria and Italy, or the Lisbon–Madrid high-speed rail line.
Deadlines
The agreement restates the EU’s commitment to complete major transport infrastructure projects on the core TEN-T network by the end of 2030 and on a comprehensive network by the end of 2050, focussed on eliminating bottlenecks and missing transport links. To accelerate project roll-outs, negotiators agreed an intermediary deadline of 2040.
Intermodal transport
MEPs secured more focus on intermodal transport undertaken primarily by rail, inland waterways or short-sea shipping. This will be reinforced by electrified railways in the core TEN-T network, running at speeds of 160 km/h for passenger rail and 100 km/h for freight, and crossing internal EU borders in less than 25 minutes on average by the end of 2030. In addition, EU railways will have to migrate to the European standard nominal track gauge (1435 mm) and by the end of 2040 switch to a single traffic management system.
Military mobility
To ensure the seamless transfer of military troops and equipment, MEPs convinced EU governments to take into account military needs (weight or size of military transport) when constructing or upgrading infrastructure that overlaps with military transport network. Within one year after the entry into force of these new rules, the Commission will have to conduct a study on short-notice large-scale movements across the EU, to facilitate military mobility planning.
Partnership with third countries
The agreed text also cuts transport infrastructure projects with Russia and Belarus and instead reinforces transport links with Ukraine and Moldova. To mitigate the security risk coming from non-EU businesses participation in major TEN-T projects, member states shall inform the European Commission of measures adopted to mitigate such risk, the deal says.
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EP rapporteur Dominque Riquet (Renew, FR) stressed: “This agreement is a big step forward on our objectives. With new trans-European transport network rules, we are creating the conditions for a shift towards more ecological transport modes, while stimulating the mobility of Europeans and the competitiveness of our economy.”
Next steps
Following the completion of work at technical level, Parliament and Council need to formally approve the agreement before it can come into force.