A4-0241/98

Resolution on the Commission communication to the Council and the European Parliament on 'Connecting the Union's transport infrastructure network to its neighbours - towards a cooperative pan-European transport network policy' (COM(97)0172 - C4-0206/97)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission communication, COM(97)0172 - C4-0206/97,

- having regard to the opinions of the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the above Commission communication ((CES 884/97; CoR 253/97.)),

- having regard to European Parliament and Council Decision No 1692/EC of 23 July 1996 on the Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network,

- having regard to the Europe agreements with the Central and Eastern European countries, the partnership and cooperation agreements with the post-Soviet states and the Euro-Mediterranean agreements with the states of the Mediterranean basin,

- having regard to the Commission Communication concerning the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership in the Transport Sector (COM(98)0007) of 16 January 1998, which Parliament will deal with in a separate resolution,

- having regard to the outcome of the Third Pan-European Transport Conference held on 23-25 June 1997 in Helsinki, particularly the objectives and principles, as well as the means to be used to achieve these objectives, set out in the Declaration adopted by the Helsinki Conference 'Towards a Europe-Wide Transport Policy - a set of common principles' ((PE 223.079, summary record of the Third Pan-European Transport Conference, Helsinki, 23-25 June 1997.)),

- having regard to the outcome of the previous Pan-European Transport Conferences held in October 1991 in Prague and in March 1994 in Crete,

- having regard to its resolution on the pan-European transport policy of 28 November 1996 ((OJ C 380, 16.12.1996, p. 15.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 4 December 1997 ((OJ C 388, 22.12.1997, p. 17.)) on the Commission Communication 'Agenda 2000 - for a stronger and wider Union' ,

- having regard to the report by the Committee on Transport and Tourism and the opinion of the Committee on External Economic Relations (A4-0241/98),

A. whereas European transport policy must not stop at the borders of the Union; whereas economic growth and citizens¨ welfare in Europe depend increasingly on our success in creating a coherent, efficient, safe and environmentally friendly transport system with neighbouring states,

B. whereas the development of a global strategy leading to the creation of a multimodal, integrated pan-European transport infrastructure network is the way to achieve this aim; whereas the plan proposed by the Commission for a pan-European transport network partnership between the Union, the governments of the countries concerned, the financial institutions and private industry constitutes a useful, appropriate instrument,

C. whereas the communication presented by the Commission with the crucial collaboration of representatives of the European Parliament was able to influence the drafting of the final Declaration of the Helsinki Pan-European Transport Conference of 23-25 June 1997,

D. whereas it would be desirable and necessary to develop a Europe-wide public-private transport network partnership, to bring together all the parties concerned with transport infrastructure in order to coordinate investment schemes in the most appropriate way,

E. whereas particular attention should be paid as well to the development of public and collective passenger transport for regional city and inter-city transport, with measures to facilitate access and promote the safety of vulnerable transport users,

F. whereas the concept of pan-European transport corridors has proved to be successful and has aroused the interest not only of the governments of the countries involved, but also of the international financial institutions and transport operators, although the state of development of the different corridors and the activities of their steering committees still varies enormously, and so far Memoranda of Understanding have been signed for only 5 of the 10 corridors, with those for Corridors IV, VII and VIII currently being prepared,

G. whereas the Pan-European Transport Areas proposed by the Commission in paragraph 12 of its Communication as a supplement to the Crete Corridors have now found their way into the final Declaration of the Helsinki Conference; whereas, according to the Commission's information, a Memorandum of Understanding for the Barents Euro-Arctic Area is ready for signature,

H. whereas the Commission's new approach of urging individual Member States to take the initiative in the case of the corridors which are making slow progress has borne fruit; whereas, however, in view inter alia of the plethora of coordinating, steering and monitoring structures at pan-European level, the Commission's own initiating role at pan-European level must not be neglected,

I. whereas a decisive factor in the success of the link-up of the transport infrastructures of neighbouring states to the European Union's networks is ensuring the interoperability of the infrastructures, networks and management,

J. whereas, at the same time, the creation of a single market in the transport sector, which has begun in the European Union, and the separation, particularly in the railway sector, of infrastructure and the performance of transport services (Directive 91/440/EEC) ((OJ L 237, 24.8.1991, p. 2.)) are important preconditions for the creation and use of cross-border transport network structures, including those going beyond the frontiers of the European Union,

K. whereas the intelligent use of transport systems and the application of information and telecommunications technologies in the transport field can make an important contribution to achieving the aim of sustainable mobility in a pan-European context,

L. whereas the fact that the Central and Eastern European applicant countries are at present obviously lagging behind as far as a modern, efficient transport infrastructure is concerned could significantly reduce the expected economic benefits of accession, and whereas, in consequence, in linking up the transport infrastructure networks absolute priority must be given to the countries with which the Union has begun accession negotiations, with a view to their future integration in the pan-European transport networks, without the importance of the other neighbouring countries - particularly those bordering the Mediterranean - being lost sight of in the process and the transport routes to the former Soviet countries being neglected,

M. whereas a preliminary report by the Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment (TINA) group assessing the infrastructure investment needs of the applicant countries was scheduled for the end of 1998, but whereas in the Commission's latest estimates for the next 15 years there is already talk of a sum in the region of ECU 45-55 billion for adaptation and modernisation of existing structures alone, and a total of ECU 100-150 billion, although the applicant countries themselves have said they are willing to invest 1-2% of their own annual budget, despite the fact that the expected growth rates of these countries are currently stagnating, whilst also bearing in mind that only ECU five billion has been proposed for the new Trans-European Networks budget tranche, 2000-2006,

N. whereas the Central and Eastern European countries have already received investment aid for transport infrastructures amounting to ECU 1 billion in the framework of the PHARE programme, with the help of which projects totalling about ECU 4 billion have been subsidised,

O. whereas, according to the latest Commission information, funding both under the PHARE programme and by the international financial institutions (IFIs) is still being made difficult by an acute shortage of proposals for projects worthy of funding and qualified local personnel,

P. whereas at the same time financing from public funds is limited and must be supplemented with private-sector investment, in connection with which the possibility of 'public-private' partnerships ((See Commission Communication of 10 September 1997 on public-private partnerships in trans-European transport network projects (COM(97)0453).)) for infrastructure projects outside, as well as inside, the Union must be examined as a matter of urgency, although in the Central and Eastern European partner countries both the conditions with regard to banking structures, risk potential and the willingness of potential investors to take risks have so far been very variable,

Q. whereas the Union itself so far has no programme at its disposal with which it could provide coherent support for infrastructure investment for a whole corridor stretching through and beyond the Central and Eastern European countries,

R. whereas neither the TACIS nor the MEDA programmes are at present allowed to support major infrastructure investment, with the result that insufficient account can be taken of the importance of the neighbouring countries they would cover in a truly pan-European transport system,

S. whereas the linking of the pan-European transport networks to the neighbouring states must be carried out with the necessary coherence with the Community's transport policy, by ensuring in selecting projects under the PHARE programme and assigning traffic routes and points of intersection that a balance is struck between the various modes of transport, including maritime shipping, inland waterway transport and combined transport,

1. Welcomes the cooperative pan-European transport network strategy outlined in the Commission communication and supports the concept of pan-European partnerships for the development and coordination of transport networks between the Union and its neighbouring states;

2. Stresses the unifying role of transport infrastructures in the process of reconciliation and economic rapprochement between the EU and its neighbours;

3. Is convinced that improving transport links between the European Union and the neighbouring countries will help the flow of trade in both directions, thus not only ensuring export revenue for the Central and Eastern European countries, the former Soviet states and the Mediterranean countries, but also contributing significantly to the growth, employment and overall competitiveness of the Union;

4. Agrees that the establishment of such communications links can facilitate the economic development of the Union's neighbours (especially of landlocked regions) and assist the candidate states in their preparations for accession over the next few years;

5. Considers the Commission's plan to share tasks, particularly with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT), the Corridor Steering Committees, the TINA group of high-ranking officials and the G-24 Transport Working Party, to be a good one;

6. Points out at the same time, however, that the ambitious aims that are stated can only be achieved by concerted effort and rational coordination of the various participants and calls on the Commission in consequence to retain and develop its initiating role as the representative of the Union in the pan-European context and to draw up proposals for corresponding structures;

7. Considers that it is very important to conclude all relevant MoUs so as to make progress on implementing the relevant corridors and avoid the present major differences in the completion of projects to standardise the infrastructure of each corridor;

8. Supports the Commission's approach, in selecting projects for support in the neighbouring countries, of applying the same criteria already established in the guidelines for the trans-European networks for selecting priority projects in the EU (being suitable to receive funding, economically efficient, well developed, environmentally sustainable and interoperable);

9. Takes the view, at the same time, that the aim of shifting traffic to more environmentally friendly modes of transport should also be borne in mind when developing transport corridors to neighbouring states, and calls on the Commission in this connection to devote particular attention not only to the principle of cost-effectiveness, but also to promoting combined transport and public passenger transport, expanding the rail freight freeways, inland waterways and short-haul maritime transport;

10. Approves the supplementing of the pan-European corridors, as proposed by the Commission in its communication and subsequently decided at the Helsinki Conference, with four Pan-European Transport Areas ((PETRAs.)) (the Black Sea Basin Area, the Barents Euro-Arctic Area, the Mediterranean Basin Area and the Adriatic and the Ionian Seas Area);

11. Welcomes also the fact that in addition to the nine transport arteries decided on at the Crete Conference in 1994, a tenth is to be incorporated into the scheme in order to reestablish the traffic routes in south-east Europe with a view to the consolidation of the peace process and economic recovery in the states of the former Yugoslavia;

12. Welcomes the practical proposals made by the Commission for the intelligent use of transport networks and takes the view that the introduction of Intelligent Transport Systems and/or the use of transport telematics offer excellent prospects for efficient transport, improved safety and less damage to the environment on a European scale;

13. Confirms that cooperation with neighbouring states in the areas of transport research and development is an extremely important aspect of European transport policy, in which the main emphasis should be place on strengthening intermodality, the interoperability of different transport systems and evaluating the effects of political measures;

14. Hopes, however, that efforts to achieve interoperability and promote new technologies will take greater account of social and environmental factors;

15. Welcomes the reorientation of the PHARE programme with a view to the forthcoming enlargement, with greater emphasis being placed on investment, and approves in particular the establishment of horizontal large-scale project infrastructure facilities with which interregional and cross-border projects of European significance can be promoted;

16. Calls, in future deliberations on the reorganisation of TACIS and MEDA, for infrastructure improvements in the area of transport, particularly with respect to environmentally friendly rail and inland waterway transport, to be regarded as worthy of encouragement;

17. Calls for the European Investment Bank to be able to play an even greater role in the expansion of the transport infrastructure in regions neighbouring the EU with long-term and special low-interest loans;

18. Considers more intensive development of the transport links in the Mediterranean area - as provided for in the various Euro-Mediterranean agreements signed by the European Union - to be indispensable and absolutely necessary as a means of contributing to regional integration and realising the goals set out in the Barcelona programme;

19. Points out that the still necessary extension and development of the transport infrastructure within the Community must not be neglected and that the investment of financial resources for transport links with third countries should accordingly take place in the light of the principle of the greatest possible benefit;

20. Calls on the Commission in this context to bring the TINA process of assessing the transport infrastructure needs of the associated countries to a swift conclusion and to present the European Parliament with the scheduled report setting out the objectives, priorities and economic feasibility of projects in these countries without delay;

21. Considers it essential for a major effort to be made to ensure that a range of mature projects is available in each transport corridor, so that they can be carried out as soon as the political decision has been taken to build them and receive the necessary economic resources;

22. Takes the view, in the light of the limited financial resources available in most of the EU's neighbouring countries, that the idea of extending the concept of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to infrastructure projects in these countries should definitely be followed up, and calls on the Commission, particularly in negotiations with applicant countries, to ensure that the appropriate legal and regulative framework conditions are put in place;

23. Expects from the Commission an exact and regular assessment of the implementation of the planned strategies, their funding, the application of the timetable and the progress made in the applicant countries;

24. Calls on the Commission to report to Parliament on the necessary coordination of the Commission's various programmes and agencies (PHARE, TACIS, MEDA, INTERREG, TEN) and coordination with the International Financial Institutions;

25. Welcomes the proposed agreement negotiated by the Commission with the Swiss Federal Government on overland transport and urges the Council to conclude these arrangements without further delay, as part of a process of ensuring less-polluting and more sustainable transport across the Alpine region, with its strategic role in linking the Member States of the EU with neighbouring countries;

26. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.