The Council presidency and negotiators from the European Parliament have achieved a provisional agreement on a revised regulation concerning EU guidelines for the trans-European transport network (TEN-T).
According to recent press release from the EU Council, the updated legislation aims to establish a reliable, seamless, and high-quality transport network, ensuring sustainable connectivity across Europe without disruptions, bottlenecks, or missing links. The legislation also supports the internal market’s proper functioning and enhances economic, social, and territorial cohesion.
Key points of the provisional agreement:
The agreement maintains the goal to develop a coherent, connected, and high-quality transport infrastructure, considering member states’ diverse starting points and priorities in adopting greener transport practices. Member states will decide how to prioritize projects of common interest based on realistic technical and priority requirements, aiming for a unified, high-performing, and fully interoperable infrastructure.
The TEN-T network will be developed or upgraded in three phases: the core network by 2030, the extended core by 2040, and the comprehensive network by 2050.
The agreement takes into account member states’ financial resources and recognizes the considerable investment needs for infrastructure development, particularly on the comprehensive TEN-T network.
European Transport Corridors:
The regulation establishes nine ‘European Transport Corridors’ to ensure infrastructure planning meets real operational needs by integrating rail, road, and waterways.
- Rail Transport Infrastructure:
Recognizing the importance of railways, the agreement introduces new requirements for the deployment of ERTMS, migration to European standard nominal track gauge, longer freight trains, and minimum line speeds for passenger trains to enhance the efficiency of the future TEN-T railway network.
- Road Transport:
The agreement acknowledges the need for flexibility in addressing road safety, with core and extended core network roads designed or upgraded for motor traffic. It also supports the deployment of safe parking areas to improve working conditions for professional drivers.
- Urban Nodes:
The agreement strengthens the urban layer of the TEN-T policy by requiring sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs) for each urban node by 2027. Major cities along the TEN-T network are mandated to develop SUMPs to promote zero-emission mobility and enhance public transport and walking/cycling infrastructure. Additionally, at least one multimodal freight terminal per urban node is required by December 31, 2040, where economically viable.
- Air Transport Infrastructure:
The new regulation strongly emphasizes the goal of promoting sustainable transportation and reducing domestic flights. It particularly supports enhancing airport connectivity with rail services. Major European city airports with an annual passenger traffic exceeding 12 million will be connected to the trans-European railway network, including high-speed rail where feasible, facilitating long-distance services by December 31, 2040.
- Alignment of National Plans with EU Policy:
Acknowledging the importance of national plans aligning with EU commitments, the compromise agreement mandates coherence between member states’ transport and investment plans and the new regulation’s priorities. Member states will consider European Coordinators’ work plans for nine European Transport Corridors and submit relevant national plans or programs to the Commission upon adoption.
- Connectivity with Key Neighbouring Countries:
In response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, four European Transport Corridors of the TEN-T network extend to Ukraine and Moldova, enhancing connectivity while downgrading cross-border connections with Russia and Belarus.
After the provisional agreement, further technical work on the revised regulation will proceed. Once completed, the presidency aims to present the text to member states’ representatives (Coreper) for endorsement. Subsequently, the legislative act undergoes a thorough legal and linguistic review before formal adoption by co-legislators and entering into force.