EU to invest 32 billion Euros to improve European transport

The European Commission has adopted a proposal to transform the existing patchwork of European roads, railways, airports and canals into a unified transport network (TEN-T). The new core network will remove bottlenecks, upgrade infrastructure and streamline cross border transport operations for passengers and businesses throughout the EU. It will improve connections between different modes of transport and contribute to the EU’s climate change objectives. European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said: “Transport is fundamental to an efficient EU economy, but vital connections are currently missing. Europe’s railways have to use 7 different gauge sizes and only 20 of our major airports and 35 of our major ports are directly connected to the rail network. Without good connections Europe will not grow or prosper.”

Port of Rotterdam in Russia

As from today October 19, representatives of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, several other Dutch companies, the Rotterdam Municipality and the Dutch government, will visit Russia. The trade mission is led by the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. According to the Port of Rotterdam Authority told SeaNews, Russia’s share within Rotterdam’s total throughput in 2010 was 14% or 59.8 million tonnes. (1). Russia is, in volume, Rotterdam’s 2nd important partner (2). The Netherlands (Rotterdam), ranks 2nd, after Germany, as an EU destination for Russian exports. Its share was 13% or 14.3 billion euro in 2009. (3). The main three products are crude oil, oil products, both mainly via the port of Primorsk and containers, mainly via St. Petersburg.

Connecting Europe: The new EU core transport network

The Commission has adopted, on October 19th, a proposal to transform the existing patchwork of European roads, railways, airports and canals into a unified transport network (TEN-T). The new core network will remove bottlenecks, upgrade infrastructure and streamline cross border transport operations for passengers and businesses throughout the EU. It will improve connections between different modes of transport and contribute to the EU’s climate change objectives. The normal co-financing rates for TEN-T projects on the core network will be up to 50% EU co-financing for studies, for works up to 20% (for example exploratory works for a major tunnel, there are certain possibilities to increase co-financing for cross-border projects for rail and inland waterway connections (up to 40%) and for certain ITS projects, like ERTMS, higher co-financing of up to 50% can be made available to support Member States making the transition.