Revision of TEN-T policy ‘must be sustainable’
EU transport ministers were this month meeting to discuss a revision of the trans-European transport networks (TEN-T) policy. The Commission has published a working document outlining options, with a suggestion that TEN-T policy focuses on a ‘core network’ of routes that would attract most of the available funding.
The Hungarian presidency says it wants to introduce ‘radical and comprehensive changes’ to the existing policy before its six-month term ends in June, but a lack of funding could make any change of policy fairly meaningless; fewer TEN-T projects have been completed during the 2007-13 period than were expected. T&E has written to transport ministers saying any new TEN-T policy must encourage sustainable transport, as the Commission’s working paper gives no assurance that environmental factors will be taken into account.