COMMISSION OP THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
COM(92) 231 final 
Brussels, 11 June 1992 
Commission Communication 
•TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE' 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) 
amending Regulation (EEC) No 3359/90 for an action 
programme in the field of transport infrastructure 
with a view to the completion of an integrated 
transport market in 1992 
Implementation Report provided for in Article 11 of 
Regulation (EEC) No 3359/90 
Commission Communication 
and 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
on the creation of a Trans-European Road Network 
Commission Communication 
and 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
on the creation of a European inland waterway network 
(presented by the Commission) 
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CONTENTS 
I. Commission Communication 
1. Purpose of this communication 
2. The acquis communautaire in transport policy matters 
2.1 Existing rules and regulations 
2.2 Financial support to 1992 
3. The new approach 
3.1 Trans-European networks in the Treaty on European Union 
(Maastr icht) 
3.2 Future financing 
3.3 Cooperation with non-member countries 
4. The proposal for a new Regulation 
4.1 Objectives 
4.2 The extension of the programme of financial support 
5. Conclusions and perspectives 
II. Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation 
(EEC) No 3359/90 for an action programme in 
the field of transport infrastructure with a view to the 
completion of an integrated transport market in 1992 
Financial statement 
SME impact statement 
III. Implementation report provided for in Article 11 of Regulation 
(EEC) No 3359/90 
IV. Commission Communication and proposal for a Council Decision on 
the creation of a Trans-European Road Network 
V. Commission Communication and proposal for a Council Decision on 
the creation of a European inland waterway network 
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I. COMMISSION COMMUNICATION 
"TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE" 
1. PURPOSE OF THIS COMMUNICATION 
1.1 This communication deals with transport infrastructure in terms of 
Title XII of the Maastricht Treaty on European Union, which concerns 
trans-European networks: it lays down the procedures for Community 
involvement in the construction and financing of those networks. 
Implementation of this Title entails use of the new decision-making 
rules by the Council and Parliament and consultation of the Committee 
of the Regions. 
1.2 While the Commission, in line with Parliament's request to that 
effect, is willing to anticipate the application of those provisions of 
the Treaty, it cannot overlook a number of problems arising in the 
transitional period, particularly in the transport infrastructure 
field, which requires a certain continuity if measures are to be 
effective. 
1.3 Last December the Council asked the Commission to present by May a 
report on the progress of work conducted at its behest on the 
masterplans for combined transport, motorway and inland waterway 
networks, taking due account of the decisions of the Maastricht 
European Council. The masterplans follow on from the high-speed rail 
network masterplan already approved by the Council. 
1.4 The Commission's intention to make the Cohesion Fund operational 
next year presupposes that masterplans identifying transport projects 
eligible for support from that fund will be available at very much the 
same time. 
1.5 The Commission believes it possible to meet both of the above 
requirements. It feels there is nothing to stop presenting at this 
time masterplans based on the Treaty currently in force so that the 
Council and Parliament might begin work as soon as possible. The entry 
into force of the Maastricht Treaty will alter the legal basis and 
decision-making procedures governing the masterplans. It may even be 
agreed with the Council and Parliament that the work accomplished prior 
to the Treaty's entry into force be viewed as a "first reading" in 
respect of the prerogatives of the new - and as yet unestabl ished -
Committee of the Regions, to which the matter will have to be 
submi tted. 
1.6 The Community already has a Community transport infrastructure 
policy in the shape of a three-year Regulation due to expire on 
31 December. A legal vacuum is incompatible with that Community 
policy's consistency and could threaten certain major projects now 
being financed. The Commission therefore feels it necessary to propose 
that Regulation (EEC) No 3359/90 be extended beyond that date, pending 
the entry into force of Title XII of the Treaty and any attendant 
implementing procedures. 
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1.7 Apart from these transitional problems, the communication, in line 
with the Treaty on European Union's stance on trans-European networks, 
gives a broad overview of the approach that the Commission hopes to 
develop in the field of transport infrastructure. The aim is to 
establish a trans-European network for each mode of transport, 
gradually integrating them in a multimodal approach destined to guide 
future Community action, with due regard for the principle of 
subsidiarity. The Community will accordingly restrict itself to 
promoting and encouraging national projects of Community interest. 
1.8 It is against this background that the Commission is presenting to 
the Council and Parliament: 
a general communication regarding trans-European transport 
networks; 
a proposal for the amendment of Council Regulation (EEC) 
No 3359/90; 
the report required by that Regulation on the work so far; 
three proposals for network masterplans (combined transport, 
motorways and inland waterways). 
Masterplans for the remaining modes (conventional railways, air and 
sea) are under preparation and will be proposed next year. 
2. THE ACQUIS COMMUNAUTAIRE IN TRANSPORT POLICY MATTERS 
2.1. Existing rules and regulations 
The revival of Europe's economy in recent years has been accompanied by 
substantial growth in transport. Major economic and social change 
coupled with increasing integration have increased the demand for 
mobiIity. 
Thus, between 1970 and 1988, the volume of traffic in the Community 
grew by 3.1% a year for passengers and 2.3% for goods: simple 
extrapolation of these figures to 2000 suggests that volume will be 30% 
higher than in 1988 or nearly twice that of 1975. The growing 
saturation of some Community transport networks highlights an alarming 
problem, particularly on the eve of the entry into force of the 
internal market, which is expected to bring a further increase in 
traffic. 
The situation has been aggravated by liberalization in Central and 
Eastern Europe, which is likely to lead to the development of new types 
of transport (primarily East-West), for which infrastructure has long 
been underdeveloped. 
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This situation should normally have led to increased investment, but 
the figures show that, in real terms, the share of GNP invested in 
transport infrastructure declined from 1.5% in 1975 to 1% in 1990. 
This accounts for the accentuation of the imbalance between transport 
volume and investment. If the trend is not reversed soon, the 
objective of "the free movement of persons, goods and services" 
throughout the Community, a sine qua non for the completion of the 
integrated internal market in 1993, will not be achieved. 
This is why transport infrastructure has for some years been a subject 
of concern not only to industrialists1 and transport operators,2 but 
to politicians as well. As long ago as December 1988, the Rhodes 
European Council was catling on the "Council to consider with the 
Commission possibilities in this area". 
Long before that European Council meeting, the Community had equipped 
itself with an instrument enabling it to assist the harmonious 
development of communications networks of Community interest, namely 
the Transport Infrastructure Committee, which was set up In 1978 to 
ensure coordination between Member States.3 
With a view to strengthening coordination and promoting the development 
of intra-Community networks, the Commission for many years argued for 
the right to encourage Member States to carry out transport 
infrastructure projects of Community interest. it also underlined the 
importance of a multimodal system. 
It was very difficult to obtain acceptance for Community action in this 
field. Only in 1982 did the Council accept a one-year Regulation on 
the financing of transport infrastructure projects, thereby 
acknowledging the need for the coordination of national policies. 
However, until 1990 the year-to-year renewal of such a Regulation 
blocked medium- and long-term action. 
In 1990 the efforts of the Commission and Parliament4 to obtain a 
multiannual Regulation that would enable financial constraints to be 
counterbalanced by a longer-term commitment bore fruit in the form of 
Council Regulation (EEC) No 3359/90 of 20 November 1990 based on 
Article 75 of the Treaty. 
The Transport Infrastructure Committee's role was transformed for the 
purposes of implementing that Regulation. It became a regulatory 
committee as well as an advisory committee. 
1 Industry has long been sounding the alarm: the Round Table of 
European Industrialists has, since its inception in April 1983, 
repeatedly drawn the attention of politicians to the need to do 
something about growing transport demand. 
2 CER 1989: proposal for a European high-speed rail network 
IRF 1990: AIMSE - the blueprint for the European motorways of 
tomorrow. 
3 Council Decision of 20 February 1978. 
4 E.g. Romera report, Doc. PE 148.168 (final). 
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2.2 Financial support to 1992 
In order to encourage Member States to invest in projects of European 
interest that would not otherwise be accorded the same degree of 
priority, the Commission in 1982 obtained the inclusion in the budget 
of resources for that purpose. After a series of annual regulations, 
the three-year Regulation (EEC) No 3359/90 was adopted in 1990. 
Article 11 of that Regulation provides for the Commission to report to 
Parliament and the Council on the experience gained in the 
implementation of this financial support operation from 1982 to 1991 
inclusive. That document is annexed. 
The report shows that Community investment of ECU 702.7 million has led 
to the mobilization of ECU 11 167 million, an investment factor of 16. 
This Community policy has led to a considerable degree of alignment in 
Member States' Investment policy objectives and priorities. The result 
has been the establishment of an initial development phase for networks 
of Community interest, particularly in the field of inland transport. 
In the regions, the action programme has been complemented by the 
regional Funds. Thus in the period 1989-93, the ERDF will have 
contributed almost ECU 7 billion for transport infrastructure in 
Objective 1 regions, including at least ECU 3 billion for sections of 
major infrastructure of European interest. 
The ECSC (in the field of railways) and the EIB have also provided 
loans to finance transport infrastructure projects. 
The results and the experience obtained provide a solid foundation for 
capitalizing on the new opportunities offered by the Maastricht 
agreements. The multiannual programme has proved the most suitable 
instrument, particularly in view of the long periods required for the 
preparation and execution of projects. Since national planning and 
programming, to which Community measures must be subsidiary, is also 
multiannual, effective and consistent Community action requires a 
similar temporal approach. 
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3. THE NEW APPROACH 
3.2 Trans-European networks in the Treaty on European Union 
(Maastricht) 
Groundwork for the single market could not be restricted to transport 
alone: it had to include telecommunications and energy too. 
Following discussions at ministerial level, the Council in 
December 1989 and June 1990 showed the importance it attached to 
networks of European interest and called for "the development and 
interconnection of trans-European networks, notably in the area of air 
traffic control, the linking of the main Community conurbations by 
broad-band telecommunications networks, the most efficient surface 
communications links and energy distribution." 
The Commission responded with the communication of 10 December 1990 
entitled "Towards trans-European networks: for a Community action 
programme".1 Parliament backed the Commission's approach in its 
resolution of 7 April this year.2 Because completion of an area 
without internal frontiers has brought an urgent need for trans-
European networks in the four sectors of transport, telecommunications, 
energy and vocational training, their construction has been stipulated 
in the Treaty on European Union. 
In Articles 129b to I29d, Title XII provides that trans-European 
networks in the areas of transport, telecommunications and energy 
infrastructure should contribute to the establishment of the internal 
market and the promotion of economic and social cohesion. 
The Treaty further stipulates that, in order to achieve this dual 
objective, "the Community: 
shall establish a series of guidelines covering the objectives, 
priorities and broad lines of measures envisaged in the sphere of 
trans-European networks-, these guidelines shall identify projects 
of common interest; 
shall implement any measures that may prove necessary to ensure 
the interoperability of the networks, in particular in the field 
of technical standards; 
may support the financial efforts made by the Member States..." 
In the transport field, the Commission had already begun the groundwork 
for this. 
1 C0M(90) 585 final. 
2 Resolution A3-0125/92 
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This policy must, however, also be developed in coherence with the 
principle of subsidiarity. 
When applied to the trans-European transport networks, there are a 
number of aspects of this principle to be considered in terms of the 
extent of Community action. 
The principle objectives of the networks are to ensure the efficiency 
of the internal market, by improving the mobility of people and goods, 
and to reinforce economic and social cohesion. 
To achieve these objectives. Community action is needed on: 
the visibility of the overall development needs of the transport 
networks in the Community as a whole and beyond, in a multimodal 
perspective which ensures that the capacities and inherent 
problems of each mode are taken into account (drawing up master 
plans) ; 
the conditions of interconnection (completing the missing links) 
and interoperability of existing national links (e.g. ensuring 
technical harmonization) in order to ensure their total efficiency 
at Community level; 
the development, consistent with existing networks, of new 
networks where their absence causes isolation (integrating 
landlocked, island or isolated regions) or hampers the development 
of part of the Community's territory (participation in the 
internal market); 
The task of definition should be carried out at Community level but it 
is for the Member States to determine the precise details, the timing 
and the pace of completion of the infrastructure required to achieve 
the network defined. The indicative nature of the master plans defined 
at Community level allows Member States the freedom to act or not to 
act, but their actions must follow the guidelines which they have 
accepted at Community level. 
The incentives at the Community's disposal must allow it to help reduce 
certain constraints at national level and convince a Member State, if 
necessary, to carry out a project which is within its field of 
competence and is in the general interest. It is in this spirit that 
Community financing will favour measures on support or incentives. 
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Council Decision 78/184/EEC of 20 February 1978 setting up the 
Transport Infrastructure Committee was the beginning. It led 
eventually to the Council's request in December 1989 that the 
Commission set up a high-level working party with a view to drawing up 
a high-speed rail masterplan.1 Ten months later the Commission was 
asked to set up similar working parties, first for combined transport 
and then for roads and inland waterways. The Committee's brief must 
now be extended to cover maritime and air transport, since the 
multimodal approach has now become a priority. 
As a result of cooperation with the Member States and interest groups, 
the Commission, as explained in the working paper of 
29 November 1991,2 now has draft network masterplans for the four 
modes of transport mentioned above, which it is presenting, together 
with this communication, for the approval of the other institutions. 
Preparations are now also under way for the drafting of network 
masterplans for conventional railways, maritime and coastal shipping 
and air traffic control. 
The establishment of masterplans for all modes of transport heralds a 
multimodal transport system, capitalizing on the advantages of the 
different modes. Such an approach has become vital, since it paves 
the way for more rational use of existing and future infrastructure 
and so recognizes the environmental constraints on the expansion of 
transport infrastructure. It is one of a series of measures required 
to reconcile the transport infrastructure needed to provide the 
mobility generated by the freedom of movement with the need to respect 
the environment. 
In the field of maritime transport, ports and sea corridors should be 
integrated into the multimodal system by ensuring their connection 
with other transport networks. The different aspects of this 
integration are already being studies with interested parties. At the 
same time a proposal for a traffic management system is in the 
pipeline (the establishment of a vessel traffic system (VTS)). It 
should also contribute significantly to the protection of the 
environment by reducing the risk of accidents at sea. 
The need to develop a transport network that is more sensitive to the 
environment is another major element of the Community's new policy 
approach. In its Green Paper on Transport and the Environment, the 
Commission identified the areas in which transport has a major impact, 
be it in the form of local air and noise pollution at local level or 
global warming - some 25% of the Community's C02 output is 
generated by transport use. The Green Paper, born both of the 
Community's commitment to stabilize CO 2 emissions and the goal of 
sustainable development set out in the 5th Environmental Action 
Programme, asserts the need for new thinking in transport if mobility 
is to be sustainable. 
1 Doc SEC(90) 2402 final 
2 SEC(91) 2274. 
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At the fourth informal meeting of the ministers responsible for 
regional policy and land-use planning, held in Lisbon on 15 and 16 May, 
it was agreed that account must be taken of the territorial and 
regional aspects of trans-European networks, namely: 
the links between regional and local infrastructure; 
the concept of "overall viability" (incorporating land-use and 
environmental considerations); 
the need to coordinate the different network financing 
instruments. 
The efficiency and interoperability of the various modes of transport 
will be further increased by the development of an information, 
management and command and control system drawing on state-of-the-art 
communications technologies.1 Furthermore, the white paper currently 
being prepared by the Commission will show the importance of 
intermodality as a means of achieving greater flexibility in the 
management of supply. Intermodality should also help resolve the 
transport system's capacity problems by integrating different networks 
and connecting them to the urban network. 
When priorities are being established, a distinction must be made 
between long-term objectives, i.e. those to be attained within 10 to 
20 years, and medium-term projects for execution on a time-scale of 
5 years, the duration of the financial perspectives. 
Thus the masterplans describe the infrastructure of Community interest 
needed to meet increased demand for mobility. They also detail the 
priority projects to be implemented as and when funds become available. 
The limited resources available will be allocated to priority projects 
in accordance with policy objectives: a substantial percentage could, 
for example, be earmarked for rail and inland waterways in view of 
their comparative advantage in terms of protecting the environment, 
while road could be a priority in other regions for reasons of economic 
and social cohesion. 
Article 129d provides that the series of guidelines shall be adopted by 
the Council, acting in accordance with the new Joint decision-making 
procedure. Since the new Treaty is not yet in force, the Commission 
proposes that the legal instruments be based on Articles 75 and 84(2) 
of the Treaty and that they be transitional to permit their amendment 
once the Maastricht agreements and their implementing provisions have 
entered into force. 
Account should be taken of the experience obtained from research 
programmes, such as DRIVE, EURET and ATLAS. 
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The Commission draws to the attention of the Community institutions the 
fact that there must be continuity in transport infrastructure measures 
if projects, and in particular the high-speed rail network, currently 
receiving Community support are to continue according to plan. 
3.2 Future financing 
In the years ahead transport infrastructure will require considerable 
financial investment. The volume of investment required in the 
Community's transport infrastructure during the period 1990-2010 has 
been estimated at from ECU 1000 billion to ECU 1500 billion, i.e. 
between 1 and 1.5% of GDP. 
However, there is a danger that Member States' budget resources and 
borrowing capacity will become increasingly scarce. The tax burden 
appears to have reached the limits of the acceptable, while the scope 
for increasing the public debt burden is limited, especially in view of 
the 1997-99 deadline agreed for monetary union. 
It is clear that any effort to increase the volume of present 
investment, for which Member States retain chief responsibility, will 
require new solutions to the problems of financing. 
The background to all this may be found in the Commission's 
communication of 10 December 1990 on trans-European networks1 and the 
explanatory memorandum of the Commission communication of 24 February 
concerning the declaration of European interest of infrastructure 
projects.2 As elsewhere, private-sector financing is becoming 
increasingly important in the transport sector. To that end, the 
declaration of European interest will, in the form proposed, encourage 
and succour transport infrastructure projects financed wholly or partly 
by the private sector. 
The use of various Community instruments for the financing of trans-
European networks was broached by "From the Single Act to Maastricht 
and beyond: the means to match our ambitions"3 and "The Community's 
finances between now and 1997".4 Coordination between them must be 
improved. 
The horizontal networks policy will be supported in Spain, Portugal, 
Greece and Ireland by the Cohesion Fund or, where appropriate, by the 
regional Funds. 
A special EIB operation is also planned, in particular for the 
implementation of the financial support instruments listed in 
Article 129c of the Maastricht text. 
1 C0M(90) 585 final. 
2 C0M(92) 15 final. 
3 COM(92) 2000. 
4 C0M(92) 2001 final 
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The 1993 budget 
The 1993 budget framework for transport infrastructure operations must 
be consistent with the overall perspectives proposed by the Commission 
in the two documents mentioned above. The guideline given covers the 
Community's financial contribution to the development of trans-European 
networks under budget heading 4, which concerns horizontal internal 
policies. 
The transitional nature of the extension of the action programme In the 
field of transport infrastructure requires that financing for next year 
be established within the perspective for the Delors II package and the 
proposals of the 1993 preliminary draft budget. A sum of 
ECU 180 million is requested for this year. As emphasized in 
Commission communication C0M(92) 2001, the role of Community 
intervention after the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty should 
be characterized by three criteria: 
close coordination of national and Community programmes, 
effectiveness, through the identification where necessary of the 
implications of economic and social cohesion, 
an emphasis on promotional measures and incentives in line with 
the principle of subsidiarity. 
Community financial support in the field of transport infrastructure 
has generally taken the form of cofinancing. Financing procedures will 
gradually be brought into line with Title XII of the Maastricht Treaty. 
During the transitional period the Community will give priority to 
feasibility studies and interest rate subsidies, in line with the 
Regulation of 20 November 1990, and subsequently (other than the 
Cohesion Fund or the ERDF) to the three forms specifically mentioned in 
Article 129c, namely feasibility studies, interest rate rebates and 
loan guarantees. 
At the same time, and in a similarly transitional vein, thought must be 
given to the possibility of using the Cohesion Fund to finance trans-
European transport networks in Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland, for 
which the Commission has earmarked ECU 1.565 billion. Although that 
fund should be set up by the end of next year at the very latest, an 
interface will be necessary between it and the networks proposed in 
this communication in accordance with Articles 129c and 129d of the 
Treaty on European Union. 
The following table illustrates the modal breakdown of the Community 
funds available under the networks heading for the period 1993-97. 
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Indicative breakdown of aid for transport infrastructure in 1992 
Network 
High-speed raiI 
Combined transport and 
conventional railways 
Motorways 
Inland waterways 
Airports and air traffic 
control 
Maritime transport Total 
investment 
(ECU bill ion) 
150 
100 
120 
15 to 25 
8* 
N.d. Projects of 
Commun!ty 
interest 
(ECU biI I ion) 
45 
15 
12 
2 
3* 
1** 
TOTAL Breakdown 
of funds 
avaiI able 
1993-97 
(%) 
30 
20 
15 
7 
20 
8 
100 
* Air traffic control only 
** Southern European VTS 
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3.3. Cooperation with non-member countries 
The EEA Agreement, the Europe agreements with Poland, Czechoslovakia 
and Hungary, and the cooperation agreements with the other countries of 
Central and Eastern Europe provide for close cooperation between the 
Community and its co-signatories in the field of transport 
infrastructure. The same is true of the Alpine transit agreements 
recently initialled with Switzerland and Austria. Last year's transit 
agreement with Yugoslavia will have to be renegotiated with the 
republics concerned. 
Within this framework, the Community will have to promote the 
interconnection of its network of major European routes with those of 
its neighbours. The AGR, AGTC, TEM and TER agreements concluded at 
Geneva within the framework of the ECE for the identification of the 
major European routes will also have to be taken into account. The 
Commission will continue to work in the ECE for the application and 
development of these agreements. 
The above is in the spirit of the conclusions of the Prague Conference 
on pan-European transport policy. 
4. THE PROPOSAL FOR A NEW REGULATION 
In line with the preceding point, this communication is accompanied by 
a Commission proposal amending the Regulation to ensure the 
continuation of the Community action programme in the field of 
transport infrastructure in the light of the Maastricht agreements. 
The amendments do no more than bridge the gap between the three-year 
programme (1990-92) and the new Treaty. The changes include the 
filling-out of the objectives to be pursued. The articles laying down 
the procedures for Community financial support are unchanged. 
The declaration of European utility provided for in Article 2 of the 
present Regulation will in due course be replaced by the Declaration of 
European Interest proposed by the Commission on 24 February,1 
depending on the order in which this proposal for extension and that 
proposal concerning the declaration are adopted. 
C0M(92) 15 final - Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) 
concerning the declaration of European interest of infrastructure 
projects. 
- 15 
4.1. Ob lect ives 
Article 1(1) of the proposal includes most of the objectives for the 
development of networks of Community interest that have proved 
themselves in previous years. Some new objectives have, however, been 
included to underline the need for interconnection and interoperability 
not only between national networks but between modes too. Traffic 
management, safety and respect for the environment have likewise been 
included among the objectives. 
Article 1(2) of the proposal extends the powers of the Transport 
Infrastructure Committee to the air and maritime sectors in order to 
preserve the multimodal approach and take account of their growing 
importance to the transport system. 
4.2 The extension of the programme of financial support 
The extended action programme follows the broad lines of the previous 
Regulation. Article 3 is particularly important in that it specifies 
those priority projects of each network masterplan eligible for 
Community financial support under Article 4, where such support is 
vital to bringing the project under way. 
To the list of priority projects in Article 3 of the initial Regulation 
have been added the inland waterway, motorway, conventional rail, 
maritime transport and air networks. The traffic management system has 
also been included. 
The amendment made by Article 1(5) provides for an annual report. 
A new Article has been added on forecasting at Community level. 
As regards the duration of the Regulation, Article 1(7) provides that 
it will be replaced, as and when necessary, upon the entry into force 
of the Treaty on European Union and its implementing provisions. 
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5. CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES 
In pursuit of aims connected with the working of the internal market 
and economic and social cohesion, the scope of future Community policy 
on the European transport infrastructure network must be widened. 
The short-term measures planned for this purpose and covered in part by 
the proposals accompanying this communication are: 
(a) the establishment by the end of next year of series of guidelines 
for the different modes of transport, such as high-speed rail, 
road, inland waterways, combined transport, transport by air or 
sea, and for a European multimodal transport system; the 
development with the Member States of cooperation in the field of 
transport forecasting; 
(b) the continuation and reinforcement of measures taken since 1982 
with regard to transport infrastructure financing, based in 
particular on the adoption of multiannual programmes and the 
focusing measures on the priorities established when modal 
masterplans are drawn up; 
(c) the implementation of measures relating to interoperability 
between networks. 
At the same time, further back-up or follow-up measures must be planned 
to support the action taken, namely: 
(a) the coordination of Community or other financial instruments with 
a view to developing trans-European transport networks; 
(b) the decisive role that trans-European transport networks must play 
in land-use management and narrowing the gap between regions;1 
(c) the conclusion, within the appropriate forums, of agreements with 
non-member countries regarding the interconnection of different 
networks and measures for the interoperability of those networks; 
(d) the enhanced coordination of measures aimed at ensuring that 
transport infrastructure is developed and used in a context of 
sustainable mobility; 
(e) the study of methods for the social and economic analysis of 
infrastructure projects to identify clearly criteria of Community 
interest without neglecting externalities, all of which entails a 
suitable information system; 
(f) the in-depth analysis of the interplay of transport infrastructure 
and safety with a view to infrastructure measures aimed at 
increasing safety, especially on the roads; 
Cf 4th informal meeting of the ministers responsible for regional 
policy and land-use planning, held in Lisbon on 15 and 16 May. 
- 17 -
(g) the promotion of private-sector investment, and risk capital in 
particular, through the establishment of a framework conducive to 
solving the problems associated with public-sector and private-
sector partnership and permitting projects to become self-
financing in the longer term; 
(h) the development of a European approach on the application of the 
"user pays" principle with a view to helping rationalize the 
allocation of the capital available for new investment; 
(i) the continuation of concertation with the industry and other 
groups interested in transport infrastructure, and in particular 
with regard to logistics, telecommunications and telematic 
systems; 
(J) the continuation of research projects, especially in the fields of 
the traffic management and control and the interoperability of 
networks. 
(k) the establishment of the schemes needed for the standardization of 
transport infrastructure and its use. 
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Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) 
amending Regulation (EEC) No 3359/90 for an action 
programme in the field of transport infrastructure 
with a view to the completion of an integrated 
transport market in 1992 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES: 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic 
Community, and in particular Articles 75 and 84(2) thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee, 
Whereas, since the first multiannual financial support programme for 
infrastructure projects is due to expire at the end of 1992 and the 
various Community networks remain incomplete, it is vital that the 
present programme be extended; 
Whereas transport infrastructure is crucial to the working of the 
internal market; 
Whereas pilot projects should be planned to further the 
interoperability and interconnection of networks; 
Whereas the maritime and air sectors are also part of an integrated 
transport market; 
Whereas the equilibrium of Europe's territory, and in particular links 
with isolated regions, is of constant concern when transport networks 
are being planned; 
Whereas objectives should take account both of users' interests and 
requirements relating to the environment, safety and the rational use 
of energy; 
Whereas forecasts of future traffic development and land use will be 
needed and it is therefore desirable that the national forecasting 
organizations and institutions and the Commission should cooperate; 
19 -
Whereas, pending more comprehensive measures based on future decisions 
relating to trans-European networks, Council Regulation (EEC) No 
3359/901should be transitional in nature; 
Whereas that Regulation should not lay down an expiry date in order to 
prevent any gap in the action programme in the field of transport 
infrastructure, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
Council Regulation (EEC) No 3359/90 of 20 November 1990 is hereby 
amended as follows: 
1. Article 1 is replaced by the following: 
"Article 1 
The Community shall identify transport infrastructure projects of 
Community interest within the framework of the action programme defined 
below and aimed at meeting one of the following objectives: 
eliminating bottlenecks; 
- eliminating missing links; 
integrating areas which, geographically, are either landlocked 
islands, or situated on the periphery of the Community; 
reducing the costs associated with transit traffic and combined 
transport in cooperation with any third countries concerned; 
providing high-quality links between the major urban centres, 
including high-speed rail links; 
furthering the interconnection and interoperability of different 
transport networks with a view to a Community-wide multimodal 
network; 
improving compatibility with European networks outside the 
Community in cooperation with the non-member countries concerned, 
particularly in Central and Eastern Europe; 
ensuring optimal traffic management; 
ensuring a high level of safety for all modes of transport; 
protecting the environment and foster the rational use of existing 
and future infrastructures." 
OJ No L 326, 24.11.1990, p. 1 
- 20 -
2. A new Article 1a is added: 
"Article 1a 
Council Decision 78/174/EEC(*) shall apply mutatis mutandis to 
maritime and air transport infrastructure. 
(*) OJ No L 54, 25.2.1978, p. 16." 
3. In Art icle 3. points 4 to 7 are replaced by the following: 
"4. inland waterway network 
East-West routes 
- TwentekanaaI-M i t te 11andkanaI Ii nk 
improvement of the MitteI IandkanaI and the links between the 
Elbe and the Oder 
links between the Elbe/Oder and the Danube (non-Community 
project) 
North-South routes 
- wide link between the Seine and the Scheldt 
River ports 
intermodal development" 
5. trans-European road network 
- cross-border links 
links to Scandinavia 
- links to Central and Eastern European countries 
- interconnection of the motorway network with other networks 
- bypassing of major cities 
6. conventional rail networks 
- Community internal and external cross-border projects 
- refurbishment and modernization of networks 
7. the maritime network 
- Mediterranean VTS (Vessel Traffic System) installations 
- port developments for combined transport and short sea 
shipping 
8. the air transport network 
- airport development, including aids to navigation and to 
intermodaIi ty 
integrated air traffic management system in pan-European 
airspace 
- 21 -
9. traffic management system 
Development, for all modes of transport, of command, control 
and information systems using new communications technology 
10. links with Greece and Ireland 
Strengthening all types of modal links within and with both 
these Member States." 
4. The following is added at the end of Article 5(3): 
", without prejudice to the special rules permitting the 
cumulation of support from the Community budget." 
5. In Art icle 11 "31 December 1991" is replaced by "31 December each 
year". 
A new Article 11a is added: 
"Article 11a 
National and other transport forecasting institutions and organizations 
and the Commission shall cooperate in the preparation of Community-wide 
forecasts." 
7. The second paragraph of Article 12 is deleted. 
Article 2 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day following its 
publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly 
applicable in all Member States. 
Done at Brussels, For the Council 
The President 
- 22 -
FINANCIAL STATEMENT 
SECTION 1: FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
1. TITLE OF OPERATION 
Trans-European transport networks 
2. BUDGET HEADING INVOLVED: B5-70 
700 - Transport infrastructure 
3. LEGAL BASIS 
Articles 74 and 84 regarding the common transport policy. 
Extension of Regulation (EEC) No 3359/90. New Title XII of the 
Treaty, concerning trans-European networks, signed at Maastricht 
(Articles 129b, 129c, 129d). 
4. DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION 
4.1 Specific objectives of operation 
Once the infrastructure networks to be developed have been clearly 
identified in masterplans, the Community must be able to assist 
network construction by helping to fund projects of common 
interest covered by those masterplans. The aim is to speed up the 
construction of transport infrastructure by the Member States on 
the basis of a given project's importance to the functioning of 
the internal market and to mobility in general. 
4.2 Duration 
In principle, this multiannual operation should be permanent. 
Begun in the early eighties, it should be governed by an updated 
legal framework, the duration of which will be established at five 
years, in line with the new financial perspectives. 
4.3 Target population 
The Member States primarily, but also any promoter of transport 
infrastructure or anyone else eligible under the above Regulation. 
23 -
5. CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDITURE: Differentiated appropriations/ 
non-compulsory expenditure 
6. TYPE OF EXPENDITURE 
6.1 100% grant: NO 
6.2 Subsidy for joint financing with other sources in the public 
and/or private sector: YES 
6.3 Interest rate subsidy: YES 
6.4 Other: Loan guarantees, feasibility studies 
6.5 Should the operation prove an economic success, is there provision 
for all or part of the Community contribution to be reimbursed? NO 
6.6 Will the proposed operation cause any change in the level of 
revenue? If so, what sort of change and what type of revenue Is 
involved? NO 
7. FINANCIAL IMPACT 
7.1 Method of calculating total cost of operation 
The progress of projects of Community interest eligible for 
support is accelerated by the efforts at Community level of all 
concerned by a given transport network, such as high-speed rail, 
waterways, road, combined transport or VTS (Vessel Traffic System) 
and ATC (Air Traffic Control). These efforts have made it 
possible to calculate the sums needed for the construction of a 
network, and in particular for projects of Community interest. 
Many studies will probably be needed next year to determine the 
feasibility of projects and their impact; some projects may 
already begin to be financed or benefit from grants, interest rate 
subsidies or loan guarantees. 
Total annual investment in projects of Community interest is 
estimated at ECU 10 billion (out of a total annual investment of 
ECU 50-60 billion). When the planned aid of ECU 180 mi I I ion is 
being allocated, priority must be given to projects of Community 
interest which would not otherwise be carried out, or at least not 
with the same degree of urgency. The rate of return on the 
projects to be financed will also determine whether or not aid is 
given. 
There will be a particularly heavy involvement in preliminary 
studies, since, while vital for assessing a project's feasibility, 
they are always difficult to finance. 
- 24 -
7.2 Breakdown of operation by component 
(ECU mi I I ion) 
BREAKDOWN 1992 BUDGET 1993 PDB % CHANGE 
Grants to projects 81.8 p.m. 
Interest rate subsidies 20 100 
Studies 38.9 80 
Loan guarantees - p.m. 
140.7 180 
7.2 Indicative schedule of commitment appropriations 
PAYMENTS (ECU mi I I ion) 
Commitment 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 subsequent 
appropriations years 
93 180 70 30 40 40 
94 
95 p.m. (Package Delors II) 
96 
97 
8. What anti-fraud measures are planned in the proposal for the 
operation? 
Article 10 of the present Regulation contains specific provisions. 
That Article remains unchanged. 
(4) 
- 25 -
SECTION 2: ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURE (part A of the budget) 
1. Will the proposed operation involve an increase in the number of 
Commission staff? If so, how many? YES, 9(3xA, 3xB, 3xC) 
2. Administrative expenditure involved in the proposed operation 
BREAKDOWN 1992 BUDGET 1993 PDB % CHANGE 
Expenditure on temporary - 250 000 
staff and other human 
resources 
Expenditure on office space N 60 000 
Expenditure on publications I 100 000 
and information 
Computing L 50 000 
Other operating expenses - 50 000 
TOTAL 0 510 000 
Man-years 4/5 
SECTION 3: ELEMENTS OF COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS 
1. OBJECTIVES AND CONSISTENCY WITH FINANCIAL PROGRAMMING 
This operation directly concerns the construction of the trans-
European networks, which the Treaty on European Union (Article 3 
of the Treaty; Title XII) regards as a vital Community policy. 
It relates primarily to transport infrastructure and the 
application to that infrastructure of information technology 
designed for traffic management. 
This policy is explicitly included in the Delors II package set 
out in the Commission communication of 12 February 1992 (C0M(92) 
2000). 
1.1 Is the operation Incorporated in the financial programming of the 
DG for the years concerned? YES, a five-year action programme. 
1.2 To which broader objective defined in the DG's financial 
programming does the objective of the proposed operation 
correspond? 
Single market, economic and social cohesion, construction of 
trans-European transport networks, mobility, common transport 
poIi cy. 
26 -
1.3 Main factors of uncertainty which could affect the specific 
results of the operation 
The Member States' national budgets; their priorities are, 
however, included in Community programming. 
2. GROUNDS FOR THE OPERATION 
A policy to promote Community transport infrastructure networks 
presupposes the availability of budget resources for that purpose. 
While all forecasts suggest a steady growth in transport demand 
(at present 3.5% a year, compared with annual GDP growth of 2.3%), 
the expansion of transport infrastructure is slow and subject to 
delays for both environmental and financial reasons. 
Networks are at present far from homogeneous and affected by 
"missing links", bottlenecks and relative obsolescence: this is 
particularly true near borders, in underdeveloped regions, at 
points where they cross major natural barriers or in non-member 
countries of transit. 
Since 1986 several Commission communications have underlined both 
the need to resolve financing problems and the value of financial 
frameworks, which, supported by the Community budget, would help 
raise capital for investment in the sector. Besides grants, these 
frameworks include interest rate subsidies, budget guarantees, tax 
breaks and measures to enhance a project's ability to finance 
itself. 
To ensure the effectiveness of the Community operation, the 
Commission's most recent communications highlight the value of 
multiannual budgeting and stress the importance of programming and 
focusing aid. 
2.1 Cost: Community aid averaging up to 15% of the total investment in 
the projects selected. 
2.2 Spin-off effects (impact beyond the specific objective(s)): 
Facilitation of economic activities; integration of isolated 
areas; mobility of goods and persons. 
2.3 Multiplier effect (ability to raise capital from other sources): 
Public and private capital in the Member States is unlocked by the 
Community operation; pooling the available resources is made 
easier. 
- 27 -
3. MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF THE OPERATION 
Implementation of the Treaty on European Union entails the ongoing 
monitoring and evaluation of the operation, inasmuch as it is 
governed by a framework previously approved by the Council in the 
form of a series of guidelines (Article 129c of the Treaty). 
3.1 Performance indicators selected: transport costs, congestion 
costs, economic and social benefit, improved logistics 
3.2 Details and frequency of planned evaluation: the Transport 
Infrastructure Committee is responsible for monitoring. The 
Regulation provides for triennial reports. 
- 28 -
STATEMENT OF THE IMPACT ON SME AND EMPLOYMENT 
Subject: Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) 
No 3359/90 for an action programme in the field of 
transport infrastructure 
1. Administrative obligations arising from application of the 
proposed Regulation 
None. 
2. Advantages for small firms 
The amendments to the regulation have no direct impact on SME and 
employment. But the execution of the different network 
masterplans and their constituent projects may, however, be 
assumed to be beneficial. 
3. Disadvantages for small firms 
None. 
4. Disadvantages in terms of employment 
None. 
5. Have both sides of industry been consulted beforehand? 
No. 
6. Is there any alternative, less binding approach? 
No. 
- 29 -
REPORT 
on the experience gained in the implementation of the transport 
infrastructure policy provided for in Article 11 of Regulation (EEC) 
No 3359/90 for an action programme in the field of transport 
infrastructure with a view to the completion of an integrated transport 
market in 1992 
1. Since 1982 the Community has been conducting a financing policy 
with specific budget resources with a view to: 
- stimulating investment and channelling It towards the 
modernization of networks of Community interest; 
- unlocking other sources of financing. 
In the period 1982-92, ECU 702.7 million was earmarked for the 
execution of this policy, contributing to an investment totalling 
ECU 11 billion. With a rate of contribution of 6.5%, this policy 
has proved particularly effective in the mobilization of financing 
(a factor of 16). 
The type of financing breaks down as follows: 
TYPE AMOUNT (ECU MILLION) 
- Projects 
* Grants 555.05 
* Interest rate rebates 79.65 
- Studies 68.00 
TOTAL 702.70 
The policy has proved no less effective in achieving priorities, 
particularly since the adoption of the action programme permitting 
budget resources to be allocated, programmed and concentrated on a 
multiannual basis. 
As regards the chief priorities (see Table 1), mention should be 
made of the successful involvement in the Channel Tunnel, both in 
terms of the funding of preliminary studies - relating to 
technical and economic feasibility and the financing of the fixed 
link - and the construction of the associated infrastructure, the 
financing of which had previously blocked the entire project. 
- 30 -
PRIORITIES COST HEADING 700 
Channel Tunnel * (1) 
TGV Nord * (2) 
TGV Sud * 
Brenner route * (3) 
Pyrenean crossings (4) 
Links with Iberian Peninsula 
Links with Ireland (6) 
Scan I ink * (7) 
Links with Greece * (8) 
Combined transport * (9) 
Other: 
Border infrastructure 
Inland waterways 
Bypass roads (10) 
Studies (11) 
Other (12) (5) 700 
3 500 
1 800 
125 
1 460 
226 
465 
521 
950 
500 
82 
528 
45 36.7 
139.7 
50.9 
29 
49.5 
25.1 
31.8 
94.2 
53.2 
53.6 
8.2 
51.7 
68 
6.7 
TOTAL 11 167 702.7 
* For planning see footnote (11) 
(1) Additional infrastructure. 
(2) B, NL, D, L. 
(3) Ex 1st ing Iine. 
(4) Somport tunnel. 
(5) Investment in E, F, P. 
(6) Dublin-Belfast (road/rail), A5/A55 North Wales Coast Road. 
(7) Electrification of the railway network. 
(8) Rail/road routes Idomeni/Evzoni-Thessaloniki-Athens-Patras. 
(9) Tunnel widening and intermodal platforms. 
(10) London, Dublin, Luxembourg, Madrid, Tordes H las inter alia. 
(11) Planning: Channel Tunnel (0.5), TGV Nord (17.5), TGV Sud (14.3), 
Brenner tunnel (5.7), Scanlink (7.2), high-speed rail link with 
Eastern Germany (10), combined transport network (0.5), 
integration of Iberian rail networks (high-speed and combined) 
(1.5), links with Greece (2), European command and control system 
(9). 
(12) Chavants tunnel, Dordrecht bridge, port of Ostende. 
(**) Cost: ECU 265 million. NB the strategic nature of the studies in 
the context of future investment. E.g. the Channel Tunnel Rail 
Link Route Evaluation (cost: ECU 3 849 million), the Hamburg-
Copenhagen link (Fehmarn) (cost: ECU 4 000 million), the Lyon-
Turin link (cost: ECU 4 246 million), the Brenner Tunnel (cost: 
ECU 10 000 million) connection to the Portuguese and Spanish high­
speed rail network (cost: ECU 4 908 million). 
- 31 -
In this way road projects such as the M 20, A 20, A 2070, E 40, 
A 26 or RN 28 in the United Kingdom, France and Belgium have been 
carried out with Community support from budget heading 700. 
Community support amounted to ECU 26.7 million of a total 
investment of ECU 400 million. 
Heading 700 support for rail infrastructure directly connected 
with the Tunnel has focused on the London-Folkestone line 
(ECU 10 million out of a total of ECU 300 million). 
Community aid for this operation totalled ECU 36.7 million. With 
a total investment of ECU 700 million, this gives an investment 
factor of 19. 
High-speed rail link: Paris - London - Brussels - Amsterdam -
Cologne, with particular regard to sections in: 
Be I g i urn 
Community support has enabled this country to surmount the most 
severe obstacles to the execution of the project, namely 
environmental and financing problems. Heading 700 credits covered 
half the cost of the Belgian study into the environmental impact 
of the construction of this line, while the project's financial 
set-up includes a Community contribution of ECU 200 million over 
10 years in order to capitalize on its self-financing potential. 
Belgium has already received ECU 79.65 million in interest rate 
rebates for the execution of this project: when set against the 
total cost of the investment, some ECU 1 650 million, this gives 
an investment factor of 20.7. In ten years time this factor is 
expected to be 8.2. 
The Netherlands 
ECU 30 mill ion has been granted for projected investment on the 
Antwerp-Amsterdam route, including the construction of a new high­
speed railway line, which will branch off from the Schiphol-Leiden 
line towards Rotterdam and from Rotterdam to the Belgian border. 
The total cost of the investment is put at ECU 1 450 million. 
Over ten years the Community is expected to contribute 
ECU 172 million to this project. Today's investment factor of 
48.8 is expected to be 8:5 in ten years time. 
Germany 
ECU 20 million has been granted for investment on the Aachen-
Cologne line. Against a total investment of ECU 250 million, the 
investment factor 12.5. 
United Kingdom 
Support has been provided for the technical, economic and 
environmental assessment of the different options for the London-
Tunnel line. Environmental problems have prevented the government 
- 32 -
from finalizing the new route or deciding on how to finance it. 
The study is costing ECU 35 million, of which heading 700 is 
covering ECU 17 million. The construction work is costed at ECU 
3 849 mi I I ion. 
Luxembourg 
Support has been provided for the electrification of the 
Luxembourg-Liège line. The total cost of the work is 
ECU 178 million: ECU 84 million in Luxembourg and ECU 94 million 
in Belgium. ECU 10 million has been granted for investment in 
Luxembourg, an investment factor of 8.4. 
In this operation, the Community has provided ECU 139.7 million 
(plus ECU 17.5 million for planning in the UK) of a total 
investment of ECU 3 500 mi I I ion (plus ECU 3 849 mi I I ion). 
representing a current investment factor of 25. 
The Sev i 11e-Madr i d-Barce Iona-Lyons-Turi n-M iIan-Veni ce-
Tarvisio/Trieste high-speed rail line 
This involves the execution of preliminary studies for each 
section. A total of ECU 19.1 million has been granted for the 
planning of the TGV Sud: 
- ECU 5.2 million for the France-Mediterranean-Spain-Portugal 
route (including Madrid's Atocha station), 
- ECU 13.9 million on the France-Italy route. 
The cost of the studies totals about ECU 95 million. 
The Brenner rail crossing 
The construction of a new base tunnel is being considered as an 
alternative to the expansion of trans-Alpine road traffic. The 
project is costed at ECU 10 billion. Heading 700 support 
totalling ECU 5.7 million has helped pay for the preliminary 
technical, economic and financial feasibility studies. 
Heading 700 has also been used to increase throughput on the 
existing railway line, for the construction or widening of 
tunnels, for the introduction of two-way running and for track 
straightening. The support provided totals ECU 50.9 million out 
of a total of ECU 1 800 million, yielding an investment factor of 
35.4. 
Pyrenean crossings 
Community support has focused on the Somport route (Bordeaux-Pau-
Zaragoza-Valencia), and the construction of the tunnel in 
part icular. 
ECU 29 million of a total of ECU 125 million has been committed. 
This represents an investment factor of 4.3. 
(5) 
- 33 -
Links with Ireland 
With a view to improving links between Ireland and the rest of the 
Community, support from heading 700 has focused on: 
- doubling the width of the A5/A55 North Wales Coast Road, an 
operation costing ECU 189 million (involving the Pen-Y-Clip and 
Rhualit Hill bypass), of which the Community is providing 
ECU 16.1 million, an investment factor of 11.7; 
- modernization of the Dublin-Belfast railway line at a total 
cost of ECU 70 million, of which heading 700 is providing 
ECU 9 million, an investment factor of 7.8. 
- the North-South Dublin-Belfast road, including several bypasses 
(Dunleer, Wexford, ShankiIl-Bray), among them the Dublin ring 
road, at a cost of ECU 110 million, of which ECU 17.4 mi I I ion 
came from heading 700, providing an investment ratio of 1:6.3. 
Support totals ECU 42.4 million out of a total investment of 
ECU 369 million, an investment factor of 8.7. 
Scant ink 
Heading 700 support has been focused mainly on: 
- the preliminary studies and work required for the construction 
in Denmark of the Store-Belt, Oresund and Fehman fixed links at 
a total cost of ECU 6 000 million, of which heading 700 is 
providing ECU 7.2 million; 
- the electrification of the railways, and in particular the 
Ringsted-Odense line, at a total cost of ECU 60 million, of 
which heading 700 is furnishing ECU 13.8 million; 
- the Oresdum fixed link (earthworks), costing ECU 400 million, 
ECU 8 million of which comes from heading 700. 
The overall volume of these investments is ECU 465 million. 
ECU 57.2 million of which is accounted for by heading 700 support, 
representing an investment factor of 8.1. 
Links with Greece 
Heading 700 support for improving access to Greece has focused on 
modernizing the North-South Idomeni(raiI)/Evzoni(road)-
Thessaloniki-Athens-Patras routes, in particular: 
- the upgrading of the Idomeni-Thessaloniki-Athen-Patras rail 
line at a total cost of ECU 279.5 million, ECU 37.3 million of 
which was provided under heading 700; 
- doubling the width of the Evzoni-Thessaloniki-Athens-Patras 
road at a total cost of ECU 241.5 million, ECU 56.9 million of 
which came from heading 700; 
- 34 -
feasibility studies concerning the new Igoumenitsa-Volos road 
and two-way running on the Korinthos-Patras railway line. 
The overall volume of these investments is ECU 521 million. 
ECU 94.2 million of which is accounted for by heading 700 support. 
an investment factor of 5.5. 
Links with the Iberian Peninsular 
Heading 700 support for this operation includes: 
- work on road links in France: the RN 20 (ECU 9 million of a 
total of ECU 54.2 million); 
- upgrading links In Spain: the N 1 road (ECU 8 million of a 
total of ECU 57.9 mi 11 ion), the Coslada-AIcaI I and Zaragoza-
Barcelona railway lines and Madrid's Atocha station 
(ECU 20 million towards a total cost of ECU 1 068 million); 
- upgrading links in Portugal: the Paredes-Penafiel road 
(ECU 1.5 million out of ECU 10 million), the Beira-Alta and 
Northern rail lines (ECU 11 million of a total of 
ECU 205 mill ion). 
(Investment in the Iberian Peninsular has also been financed under 
the headings of "bypass roads", "combined transport", "TGV-Sud", 
"Pyrenees". Such projects include the M 40, the Valencia-
Barcelona line, the Lisbon intermodal terminal, the Tordesillas 
ring road and Somport. Of a total cost of ECU 440 million, 
ECU 49.6 has been covered by heading 700.) 
In principle, heading 700 support accounts for ECU 49.5 million of 
a total cost of ECU 1 395 million, representing an investment 
factor of28. (In fact, heading 700 is providing ECU 99.1 million 
of a total of ECU 1 835 million, an investment factor of 18.5. 
Heading 700 support for the studies needed for planning the 
various operations is particularly significant (see Table 2). 
Funding for studies covers ECU 68 million of a total cost of 
ECU 265 million. The total investment required for the execution 
of works amounts to about ECU 40 billion. 
TABLE 2 
STUDIES (ECU mi I I ion) 
PROJECT HEADING 700 INVESTMENT INVOLVED 
TGV Nord 17.5 
TGV Sud 14.5 
Brenner route 5.7 
Scan I ink 7.2 
Links with Greece 2.0 
Other 21.3 3 500 
15 000 
10 000 
6 000 
2 410* 
Total 68 about 40 000 
* Plus Igoumenitsa-Volos road 
- 35 -
4. The breakdown of the sums by country was as follows: 
HEADING 700 - BREAKDOWN BY COUNTRY (ECU MILLION) 
Belgium 91.85 
Denmark 37.00 
Germany 47.30 
Greece 97.00 
Spain 58.90 
France 67.80 
Ireland 26.60 
Italy 91.30 
Luxembourg 19.00 
Nether lands 
Portugal 22.20 
United Kingdom 85.50 
EEC 9.80 48.45 (13.07%) 
( 5.27%) 
( 6.73%) 
(13.80%) 
( 8.38%) 
( 9.65%) 
( 3.79%) 
(12.99%) 
( 2.70%) 
( 6.90%) 
( 3.16%) 
(12.17%) 
( 1.39%) 
TOTAL 702.70 (100%) 
- 36 -
COMMISSION COMMUNICATION 
on the creation of a Trans-European Road Network 
I. FRAMEWORK OF WORK TO BE CARRI ED OUT BY THE COMMUN ITY 
1. Following the European Council of Maastricht, the Commission 
indicated in its programme for 19921 that it intended to submit 
concrete proposals to the Council concerning the trans-European 
networks. 
The present communication meets this objective as far as the road 
network is concerned, this being an exceptionally important network for 
enabling the movement of people and goods within the frontier-free area 
and the internal market, strengthening the economic and social cohesion 
of the Community and creating an environment favourable for European 
compet i t ion. 
This communication also falls within the framework of the proposal for 
a Regulation amending Council Regulation No 3359/90 of 20 November 1990 
on the second multiannual action programme 1990-1992 on transport 
infrastructure2, presented at the same time by the Commission3. 
At the same time the Commission meets the express request of the 
Council of Ministers in charge of Transport which in its meeting of 
16 and 17 December 1991 had asked it for concrete proposals concerning 
the Trans-European Road Network. 
2. In drawing up its proposals, the Commission particularly took 
into consideration the recommendations adopted by a group of national 
and international experts, the Motorway Working Group4, specially set 
up for the purpose within the Transport Infrastructure Committee which 
met on six occasions between January 1991 and February 1992. 
The Commission moreover informed the Council of the initial conclusions 
of the Group in November 19915. 
1 COM(92) 2000: The Commission's programme for 1992. 
2 Regulation (EEC) No 3359/90 for an action programme in the field 
of transport infrastructure with a view to the completion of an 
integrated transport market in 1992. 
3 C0M(92) ...: Draft amendment to Regulation (EEC) No 3359/90. 
4 Made up of the Commission, the 12 Member States, the ECMT, the 
UN-ECE, the EIB and the following organizations: the IRF, the 
PIARC, the SECAP, the ERT, the ACEA, the IRU and the ITA. 
5 SEC(91) 2274 "Transport Infrastructure Networks". 
- 37 -
Since then the Working Group has reached a broad consensus on an 
approach to the road network as a whole within the European transport 
system. 
The report drawn up by the Motorway Working Group titled "Trans-
European networks: towards an outline plan for the road network and 
road traffic"1 deserves special attention from the Community 
institutions. Indeed, a coherent approach with a view to drawing up a 
Community policy on roads, while adhering to the principle of 
subsidiarity, would seem to be especially necessary and urgent for all 
the Member States, as well as for the international organizations, the 
operators, industrialists and users represented. 
This report is itself being sent at the same time to the Council as a 
Commission working document. 
3. On the basis of the work carried out by the Group and taking its 
recommendations into account, it is now possible to take a certain 
number of important decisions in planning the Trans-European Road 
Network and implementing a Community policy on roads, particularly in 
terms of 
an outline plan for the trans-European network, 
a road traffic policy, 
internalizing external factors, 
f i nanc i ng. 
This is the object of the present communication. 
4. This policy must also be developed in coherence with the 
principle of subsidiarity. 
When applied to the trans-European transport networks, there are a 
number of aspects of this principle to be considered in terms of the 
extent of Community action. 
The principle objectives of the networks are to ensure the efficiency 
of the internal market, by improving the mobility of people and goods, 
and to reinforce economic and social cohesion. 
To achieve these objectives, Community action is needed on: 
the visibility of the overall development needs of the transport 
networks in the Community as a whole and beyond, in a multimodal 
perspective which ensures that the capacities and inherent 
problems of each mode are taken into account (drawing up master 
plans) ; 
the conditions of interconnection (completing the missing links) 
and interoperability of existing national links (e.g. ensuring 
technical harmonization) in order to ensure their total 
efficiency at Community level; 
SEC(92) ... Trans-European Networks: towards an outline plan for 
the road network and road traffic. 
- 38 -
the development, consistent with existing networks, of new 
networks where their absence causes isolation (integrating 
landlocked, island or isolated regions) or hampers the 
development of part of the Community's territory (participation 
in the internal market); 
The task of definition should be carried out at Community level but it 
is for the Member States to determine the precise details, the timing 
and the pace of completion of the infrastructure required to achieve 
the network defined. The indicative nature of the plans defined at 
Community level allows Member States the freedom to act or not to act, 
but their actions must follow the guidelines which they have accepted 
at Community level. 
The incentives at the Community's disposal must allow it to help reduce 
certain constraints at national level and convince a Member State, if 
necessary, to carry out a project which is within its field of 
competence and is in the general interest. It is in this spirit that 
Community financing will favour measures on support or incentives. 
- 39 -
II. CONCLUSIONS OF THE WORKING GROUP 
1. The status of the road network of interest to Europe in the 
run-up to 1993 
1.1 The socio-economic importance of roads for the entire Community 
is constantly increasing. 
In terms of overland transport, roads carry more than 90% of transport 
users (in traveller km) and more than 70% (in tonne km) of goods 
transported. As regards international mobility, they carry 70% of 
travellers and 60% of goods traffic. 
This international traffic is concentrated mainly on: 
the motorway network, which appears essential from an economic 
point of view and is particularly well-suited to a frontier-free 
area 
the centre of the Community, geographically. 
1.2 In the run-up to 1993, the European network still appears to be 
ill-equipped and its smooth operation to be under threat. 
The network is incomplete particularly in those countries on the 
periphery of the Community. The motorway or expressway network is still 
in an embryonic state in Ireland, Greece and Portugal and is expanding 
significantly in Spain. There are still missing links in other 
Member States, such as the United Kingdom, France or Germany in its new 
Lânder. 
The interoperability of the network could be improved, particularly 
with regard to the standards of the infrastructure and road signs and 
signals. 
At the same time, the network is threatened by the heavy increase in 
traffic, particularly international traffic which is growing more 
rapidly than domestic traffic. Delays are becoming increasingly 
frequent in the Benelux countries, the Ruhr, around London, the Ile de 
France, Northern Italy and on the North-South corridors. 
1.3 Forecasts of growth in mobility suggest that the Community is in 
danger of being faced in the medium term with even more serious traffic 
problems if no large-scale action is taken to combat the congestion. 
2. Modernization of the network 
In order to create a truly trans-European Road Network, the Working 
Group is well aware of the need to construct the missing links and even 
missing networks in the countries on the periphery of the Community. In 
most cases these infrastructures have already been planned by the 
Member States. It is because of this national planning that it has been 
possible to put forward an outline plan for the network up to 2002. 
Nonetheless, in certain countries (Germany, Greece, Spain, France and 
Ireland) with longer-term plans, some 5 000 km of links for the trans-
European network will not be completed until after 2002. 
- 40 -
The plan for the network consists of approximately 37 000 km of links 
of motorway or near-motorway standard, of which approximately 12 000 km 
are motorways or high quality roads to be constructed in the next 
10 years, with approximately 40% being sited in the outlying countries 
of the Community. 
Stress is laid on the development of motorways in the four peripheral 
countries (E, P, GR, IRL) currently with a low density of motorways. 
The increase will be of the order of 70% and the length of roads will 
increase from about 7 000 km to 12 000 km in total. 
Execution of the outline plan will enable the Community area to be 
structured, particularly in the outlying regions of the Community, and 
will facilitate international trade, personal mobility and regional 
access to the major international routes. 
Particular attention should be paid to by-passing large European 
conurbations, to improving inter-connections with other forms of 
transport, particularly with multimodal terminals, as well as to the 
development of the network across the continent in order to guarantee 
transit of Community goods, and links to Scandinavia and the countries 
of Central and Eastern Europe. 
Standardization of the technical characteristics of the major road 
infrastructures would appear to be worthwhile. A special study will be 
set up to encourage the development of a typology of Inter-urban 
routes. 
Finally, the compatibility of road equipment, particularly that 
incorporating the new technologies, must be increased in order to be 
able to provide a uniform standard of comfort throughout the 
trans-European network, and work on standardization should be actively 
cont inued. 
3. The need for a road traffic policy 
3.1 In view of increasing congestion, the Community has to adopt a 
proper strategy in order to optimize road mobility. 
To this end, action must in particular be taken to 
rationalize existing traffic, 
encourage the use of other complementary forms of transport 
(particularly for the movement of goods) 
pass on the actual direct and indirect costs of using the network 
directly to the users1. 
It would appear that a structural measure on the costs of using the 
road infrastructure is appropriate to regulate traffic effectively and 
maximize initiatives for combating congestion. Whatever the possible 
solutions (raising taxes, collecting tolls), concerted consideration 
will actively be given to this subject. 
In accordance with the Commisison proposal: COM(90) 540, Proposal 
for a Council Directive on the charging of infrastructure costs 
to heavy goods vehicles, 
(6) 
- 41 -
Given the interfaces between the urban and trans-European networks, the 
Working Group is of the opinion that the Community could play a 
significant role in defining a frame of reference for regulating 
traffic (for example with regard to the development of systems using 
the new technologies) in and around towns, where traffic problems are 
even more serious than on the European network. 
3.2 Furthermore, in the trans-European network it will be necessary 
to develop the quality of the services offered to the user who, within 
a -frontier-free area, is becoming more and more European. This means 
that particular attention will have to be paid to the requirements of 
road safety, to the development of road information and to traffic 
management as well as to optimizing travel time. 
As for road safety, the choice of standards has a powerful influence 
and those applying to motorways would bring considerable advantages in 
this area. Tightening international regulations relating to road signs, 
signals and markings must be looked into. The Working Group underlined 
the importance of the proposals drawn up within the framework of the 
High-Level Group on Road Safety1. 
Road information and traffic management are currently undergoing a 
technological revolution which should permit a considerable increase in 
traffic fluidity. The "intelligent" road and "intelligent" vehicles, 
which have emerged from European research programmes such as Drive and 
Prometheus, should actively aid the development of a truly innovative 
traffic concept. However, a certain number of clarifications of a 
political nature will have to be made rapidly in order not to delay the 
introduction of equipment for integrated traffic management. It seems 
that a concerted European plan for the introduction of this 
equipment and its standardization would be particularly useful. 
The Community will have a major role in introducing effective 
management of international traffic on the trans-European corridors. 
Finally, optimizing travel time will in turn help to optimize the 
network: rest areas, service areas for professional travellers as well 
as intermodal transfer complexes will enable the use of the road 
network within the transport system to be rationalized. 
4. Taking external factors into account 
The creation of the Trans-European Road Network will require a better 
understanding of the effects which it will produce, whether they are 
negative (for the environment, for example), or positive (for spatial 
development). 
Report of the High-Level Group on Road Safety 
- 42 -
4.1 The effects of the Trans-European Road Network on the environment 
will have to be analyzed specifically. In this respect, it does, 
however, appear that: 
it will be necessary to limit the physical impact of the new road 
links which are to be constructed and to reduce the impact of the 
ex ist ing I inks. 
roads must play an important role in the Community strategy on 
controlling C02 emissions and the implications for the 
greenhouse effect. This consideration demonstrates the 
advisability of optimizing mobility on the roads. 
The Green Paper1 on the impact of transport on the environment: A 
Community strategy for sustainable mobility further emphasizes these 
two points. 
4.2 The effets of the Trans-European Road Network on spatial 
development should be felt: 
both at local level, where many regions should benefit from 
better access to the international network; 
and globally, where the balance and the cohesion of the Community 
will be strengthened by the creation of a network serving the 
whole of the Community and non-member countries, providing the 
entire population and economic agents with a high an comparable 
level of service wherever they may be. 
5. Financing 
The cost of turning the master plan for the network into reality is 
estimated at around ECU 120 billion, based on available information. 
In view of the restrictions which have affected investment in 
infrastructures and of the need to look for greater mobilization of 
financing capacities, particularly from the financial markets, and of 
the trend towards internalizing the external costs and regulating road 
traffic mobility, it is probable that there will be a concerted 
overhaul of the financing of road infrastructure. 
Toll-levying motorways are an excellent example of successful financing 
of transport infrastructure without recourse to budget capacities. 
6. Final recommendations of the Working Group 
At its meeting of 27 February 1992, the Working Group adopted the 
following recommendations addressed to the Commission: 
"To enable the Community to contribute to the establishment and 
development of a trans-European road network, the group recommends that 
the Commission present appropriate proposals to the Council in order 
to: 
Green Paper on the impact of transport on the environment: A 
Community strategy for sustainable mobility. 
- 43 -
1. reach the objective of providing the territory of the Community 
with a high quality road network, i.e. a network of motorways and 
expressways, which will: 
provide for the interconnection of national networks, by 
means of the construction of missing stretches of road and 
the improvement of existing ones if necessary, so that they 
are fully accessible and coherent across the Community; 
bring the interoperability of the network up to standard, In 
particular by means of the standardization of road design and 
the adoption of a policy of traffic management. 
2. declare the projects listed below to be of common interest on the 
grounds of their socio-economic impact, and establish a list of 
priorities of Community intervention in accordance with the 
fol lowing cr iter ia: 
contribution to the creation of trans-European axes; 
elimination of bottlenecks; 
integration of landlocked or peripheral regions; 
facilitation and safeguarding of international trade, 
including transit, in cooperation with any third country 
concerned; 
improvement of links on land/sea routes; 
provision of high quality links between major conurbations. 
These projects are the following: 
(a) The completion of links as depicted on the annexed map and 
upgrading of links on the existing network. 
(b) The introduction of advanced telematics systems in road 
transport and the application of road management measures in 
the trans-European network. 
3. promote, where appropriate and within the framework set out 
above, the following lines of action in order to ensure the 
homogeneous, balanced and sustainable development of the 
trans-European road network: 
definition of a European standard of service; 
implementation of measures needed to improve road safety; 
establishment of a European strategy for road traffic 
management and for optimizing mobility on major 
trans-European routes, taking regional and multimodal aspects 
into account ; 
adoption of a concerted plan for road telematics; 
implementation of measures needed to reduce the impact of the 
road schemes on the environment; 
- drafting of proposals for financing infrastructure needed for 
road transport." 
- 44 -
III. COMMISSION PROPOSALS 
1. The Commission takes due note of the progress of the work and of 
the recommendations made by the Working Group 
These recommendations are in line particularly with the guidelines 
defined within the framework of the policy on transport infrastructure 
networks drawn up by the Commission in the document C0M(92).... 
Transport infrastructure. 
These recommendations are in accordance with the proposals already sent 
to the Council on trans-European networks1 and introduced in the 
Treaty on political union. 
Execution of the plan of the Trans-European Road Network as it will 
look in 2002 and the various types of action proposed to ensure its 
interoperability will contribute towards guaranteeing the 
competitiveness of the European economy. 
The construction of the missing links, or even of the missing networks, 
will significantly strengthen the economic and social cohesion of the 
Community, at the same time as the action taken directly within the 
framework of the Community's regional policy. Ultimately, according to 
the needs in the area of spatial development evaluated by the 
Commission2, the territorial balance of the Community will be 
strengthened by it. 
The network plan is also an important step forward in stressing the 
need to develop a traffic policy at Community level. Such a policy is a 
priority in view of the congestion on the roads, mobility trends and 
environmental prerogatives. It should, in particular, address the 
challenge of the estimated 35% increase in the number of vehicles 
within the Community by 2010. 
The setting up of urban and interurban systems using new technologies 
for managing traffic, drawing on the results of the Drive and Eureka 
research programmes (Prometheus in particular), will be significant in 
this respect. It should, moreover, be pointed out that the 
standardization of this new equipment for traffic management will have 
a considerable industrial impact, since European industry will meet 
with serious competition in this market from American and Japanese 
industr ies. 
Similarly, the introduction of a multimodal transport network, 
particularly for the transportation of goods, should be made easier by 
the development of interconnections between the Trans-European Road 
Network and the large multimodal centres. The reallocation of long­
distance traffic to the combined transport network and to the inland 
waterway network would be increased by developing systems for charging 
for the use of infrastructures, further integrating the external costs 
of transportation in terms of time lost, congestion and pollution. 
1 C0M(90) 585 "Towards trans-European networks - For a Community 
action programme". 
2 C0M(91) 452 "Europe 2000 - Outlook for the development of the 
Community's territory". 
- 45 -
In accordance with the Green Paper on the impact of transport on the 
environment which it has recently adopted1, the Commission stresses 
that it is particularly necessary that road traffic contributes towards 
limiting air pollution, particularly in a multimodal framework, while 
not putting at risk the economic efficiency of the transport system and 
the freedom of choice of the users. 
The part played by the Trans-European Road Network should be evaluated 
with this in mind. 
2. The Commission proposes that the Council adopt the proposal for a 
Decision annexed hereto. 
3. Continuing the work 
In order to promote the development and smooth running of the Trans-
European Road Network, it is necessary to continue the work started in 
the following way2: 
Monitor the development of traffic flows, particularly 
international flows, on the major European corridors. Evaluate 
any action taken, in terms of the creation of new road 
infrastructures, traffic management and transfers to other forms 
of transport. 
Define a Community strategy for developing standards for the user 
services in terms of information, safety and optimization of 
travel time. 
Examine the consequences of cost internalization policies for 
road users and for the transport system. 
Continue work on a European plan for developing equipment for 
traffic management, drawing on the European research programmes 
on telematics, particularly Drive. 
Evaluate the impact of the trans-European network on the 
environment, so that it does not adversely affect the economic 
efficiency of the transport system and the freedom of choice of 
the users. 
Evaluate the impact of the trans-European network on the spatial 
development and economic and social cohesion of the Community. 
study initiatives to encourage the private financing of the road 
infrastructures. 
Green Paper on the impact of transport on the environment: A 
Community strategy for sustainable mobility. 
These points largely emerged from the report of the Motorway 
Working Group: SEC(92) ... Trans-European networks: Towards a 
master plan for the road network and road traffic. 
- 46 -
evaluate the implications for the multimodal urban transport 
system of policies to combat road congestion in and around towns. 
examine the interrelations between the Trans-European Road 
Network and logistics systems for the transportation of goods. 
- 47 -
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
on the creation of a Trans-European Road Network 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES. 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic 
Community, and in particular Article 75 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission^1), 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par Iiament^2), 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee^3), 
Whereas it is essential for the proper functioning of the internal 
market to improve the efficiency of the transport infrastructure 
networks between the regions of the Community, 
Whereas road infrastructure plays a fundamental economic and social 
role in the transport of goods and persons throughout the Community as 
well as to and from third countries. 
Whereas the interconnection of national road networks needs to be 
completed by constructing the links that are missing and making the 
necessary improvements to existing links in order to improve regional 
accessibility and to reinforce economic and social cohesion throughout 
the whole Community area, 
Whereas road infrastructure are needed to provide intermodal 
connect ions, 
Whereas environmental impact assessments for road projects must be 
taken into account, 
Whereas there is a need to guarantee the inter-operabi I ity of the 
network to a satisfactory level, in particular through road standards 
and equipment and through traffic management policies, 
Whereas the development of a Trans-European Road Network requires the 
formulation of a plan delimiting the priority operations to be 
undertaken, 
Whereas the outline plans of transport infrastructure networks are of 
an indicative and evolutionary nature and tend progressively towards a 
multi-modal transport system. 
(1) 
(2) 
(3) 
- 48 -
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1 
The plan for a Trans-European Road Network by the year 2002, as shown 
on the attached maps in the Annex, shall be composed of motorways and 
high-quality roads. 
The completion and functioning of the network shall be ensured by: 
construction of the missing links and upgrading of existing 
links, where necessary, and 
implementation of advanced road computerized information systems 
and development of traffic management measures. 
Art icie 2 
Priority measures shall be taken within the appropriate framework for 
the following projects: 
(a) Missing links, in particular those situated on cross-border 
intra-Community axes and those of interest to peripherical and 
isolated regions; 
(b) Third country-Community links 
* Scandinavian I ink 
* Links with Central and Eastern European countries; 
(c) Intermodal connections, in particular with a view to combined 
transport axes; 
(d) Bypasses around the main urban centres on the trans-European 
network; 
(e) Traffic management projects, including demonstration projects. 
Art icle 3 
The completion and functioning of the Trans-European Road Network shall 
involve: 
a common methodology for assessing the environmental impact of 
road projects; 
a unified European system for road classification and signs; 
a harmonized set of standards to ensure full compatibility with a 
view to traffic management systems and computerized information 
systems; 
a traffic policy for the trans-European axes. 
- 49 -
Art icle 4 
The plan for a Trans-European Road Network by the year 2002 shall be 
indicative in nature, being intended to promote action by the Member 
States and, where approriate, by the Community with a view to carrying 
out projects relating to the networks. This Decision shall not entail 
any financial commitment on the part of the Member States or the 
Community. 
Article 5 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 
Done at Brussels, For the Council 
The President 
j SCHEMA DIRECTEUR DU RESEAU ROUTIER 
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! i SCHEMA OIRECTEUR OU RESEAU ROUTIER 
TRANSEUROPEEN (HORIZON 2002) 
TRANSEUROPEAN ROAD NETWORK 
OUTLINE PLAN (2002 HORIZON) 
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SCHEMA DIRECTEUR OU RESEAU ROUTKR 
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- 62 -
STATEMENT OF THE IMPACT ON SME AND EMPLOYMENT 
Subject : Proposal for a Council Decision on the creation of a Trans-
European Road Network 
1. Administrative obligations arising from application of the 
proposed Regulation 
None. 
2. Advantages for small firms 
The main advantages for small firms are: 
the development of a speed network for the whole Community 
terr itory, 
the implementation of a policy for combating congestion and 
economic wastes which it involves. 
3. Disadvantages for small firms 
None. 
4. Disadvantages in terms of employment 
None. 
5. Have both sides of industry been consulted beforehand? 
No. 
6. Is there any alternative, less binding approach? 
No. 
- 63 -
CONTENTS 
1. Introduct ion 
1.1 The importance of inland waterways 
1.2 Work already undertaken 
1.3 Main conclusions 
1.4 The Commission's proposals 
2. Inland waterways in Europe 
2.1 Classification of inland waterways 
2.2 Inland waterway links 
2.3 Traffic flows 
2.4 Conclusions 
3. Towards a European inland waterway network 
3.1 Criteria used to draw up the master plan 
3.2 Short and medium-term priorities for the 
Community 
3.3 Other projects in the Community 
3.4 Waterways of regional importance 
3.5 Short and medium-term priorities in 
Eastern Europe 
3.6 Long-term projects in Eastern Europe 
4. Other possibilities for improvements 
4.1 Combined transport 
4.2 Information systems 
5. FoI Iow-up 
- 64 -
COMMISSION COMMUNICATION 
on the creation of a European inland waterway network 
1. INTRODUCTJON 
1.1 The importance of Inland waterway 
A sound infrastructure is one of the factors on which the development of a 
single internal market and economic growth throughout Europe depend. 
Together with road and rail inland waterways form one of the three so-
called modes of surface transport. 
As such it forms part within Europe of a very diversified network of 
differing capacity. Its role is, however, not simply confined to that of 
transport, it has other contributions to make to the economy. 
As the 2000 Pius Report and predictions by various economic study 
institutes have underlined, road and even rail infrastructure have now 
reached saturation in many places. 
It is unlikely that the problem can be solved by simply developing or 
improving road transport or building new rail links. Clearly there will 
have to be an attempt to develop inland waterway transport which is cheap, 
non-polluting, consumes little energy and has spare infrastructure and 
vessel capacity. Inland waterways have a very special role to play in 
Community transport infrastructure policy as they can link up national 
networks and operate in conjunction with other modes of transport. 
1.2 Work already undertaken 
At its informal meeting in Rotterdam on 5 and 6 July last year at which it 
discussed transport policy, the Council underlined the importance of a well 
developed infrastructure for an effective transport and traffic policy in 
Europe. 
The Commission was asked to collaborate with national experts in drawing up 
a project to define inland waterway networks. This was seen as a 
continuation of the work already undertaken on the high-speed train, 
combined transport and road infrastructure networks. 
In the course of these discussions attention was drawn to the need to 
eliminate bottlenecks and weaknesses in the links to and from Central and 
Eastern Europe. 
- 65 -
The Commission accordingly convened for 30 September last year a meeting of 
a Group composed of government representatives from Member States and 
organizations representing inland waterway operators and users. 
Representatives of the UN Economic Commission for Europe, the European 
Conference of Ministers of Transport and the Central Commission for 
Navigation of the Rhine were also invited to attend as observers. 
The Group has been asked by the Commission to consider the following 
aspects: 
(a) a plan of waterway infrastructure in the Member States; 
(b) identification of priority projects; 
(c) establishment of a master plan for inland waterways of Community 
interest. 
At its meeting on 3 February this year the Group adopted a report after the 
inclusion of a number of amendments; this was forwarded to the Transport 
Infrastructure Committee1 for discussion on 11 and 12 March. This report, 
which forms the basis for future action, contains a number of conclusions 
based on available information and a proposed master plan for inland 
waterways of Community interest. 
1.3 Main conclusions 
1.3.1 Inland waterways offer a real alternative to road and rail transport 
which, on some major routes in Europe, are becoming congested and 
whose growing use can only have a deleterious impact both on the 
environment and transport costs. 
1.3.2 If inland waterway transport is to be made more attractive and more 
economic, a more integrated European network must be created. This 
can be done by completing the links which are missing and 
eliminating the main bottlenecks which exist at present. 
1.3.3 In order to promote its integration with other modes of transport, 
the opportunities offered by combined transport2, especially for 
the initial and final stages of freight operations, need to be taken 
into account and certain inland ports need to be carefully developed 
as intermodal logistics centres for this type of transport. 
1.3.4 These objectives need to be given practical expression in a master 
plan of inland waterways of Community interest. Such a plan should 
be based on the present and anticipated pattern of interregional 
traffic flows and take account of opportunities for transfer from 
other modes of transport. The technical specifications of the 
projects to be undertaken under the plan are sufficiently 
broad-based. 
1 Council Decision 78/174/EEC of 20 February 1978. 
2 See the Commission Communication concerning the creation of a 
European combined transport network (C0M(92) 230/4). 
- 66 -
1.3.5 This policy must also be developed in coherence with the principle 
of subsidiarity. 
When applied to the trans-European transport networks, there are a 
number of aspects of this principle to be considered in terms of the 
extent of Community action. 
The principle objectives of the networks are to ensure the 
efficiency of the internal market, by Improving the mobility of 
people and goods, and to reinforce economic and social cohesion. 
To achieve these objectives, Community action is needed on: 
the visibility of the overall development needs of the 
transport networks in the Community as a whole and beyond, 
in a multimodal perspective which ensures that the 
capacities and inherent problems of each mode are taken 
into account (drawing up master plans); 
the conditions of interconnection (completing the missing 
links) and interoperability of existing national links 
(e.g. ensuring technical harmonization) in order to ensure 
their total efficiency at Community level; 
the development, consistent with existing networks, of new 
networks where their absence causes isolation (integrating 
landlocked, island or isolated regions) or hampers the 
development of part of the Community's territory 
(participation in the internal market); 
The task of definition should be carried out at Community level but 
it is for the Member States to determine the precise details, the 
timing and the pace of completion of the infrastructure required to 
achieve the network defined. The indicative nature of the plans 
defined at Community level allows Member States the freedom to act 
or not to act, but their actions must follow the guidelines which 
they have accepted at Community level. 
The incentives at the Community's disposal must allow it to help 
reduce certain constraints at national level and convince a Member 
State, if necessary, to carry out a project which is within Its 
field of competence and is in the general interest. It is in this 
spirit that Community financing will favour measures on support or 
incent ives. 
- 67 -
1.4 The Commission's proposals 
The Commission suggests that the Council, in accordance with the 
appended proposal: 
(a) approve the master pian drawn up on the basis of available data; 
(b) approve the following list of missing links and bottlenecks to 
be given priority within an appropriate framework: 
(i) upgrading of the Mittellandkanal and construction of 
the aqueduct over the Elbe at Magdeburg; 
(ii) upgrading of the links between the Elbe and the Oder; 
(iii) linking the Twentekanaal and the MitteIlandkanal; 
(iv) linking the Seine and Scheldt in France and Belgium; 
(v) upgrading the Scheldt-Rhine link in Belgium (southern 
section and Charleroi-Brussels Canal); 
(vi) upgrading the eastern section of the north-south link 
via the Meuse and the Lanaye and Juliana Canals to 
the Rhine; 
(vii) linking the Rhine and Rhône; 
(viii) upgrading the Elbe between Magdeburg and the 
CzechosIovak border ; 
(ix) linking the Main and Danube and upgrading the Main 
and Danube between Straubing and Vilshofen; 
(x) upgrading the Danube between Vienna and Budapest 
(non-Community project); 
(c) take note of its intention to examine further appropriate 
measures with the Member States to build the links which are 
missing and eliminate the bottlenecks identified in the master 
plan. 
It should be pointed out that the Commission has included the first 
four projects listed above in its proposal for a Council Regulation on 
the implementation of a second transport infrastructure programme. 
- 68 -
2. INLAND WATERWAYS IN EUROPE 
2.1 Classification of inland waterways 
The European inland waterway network is very diverse in terms of its 
technical characteristics. 
In 1961 the European Conference of Ministers of Transport adopted 
Resolution No 8 on the classification of inland waterways and standard 
vessel and infrastructure dimensions. This is illustrated in the 
following table which also includes the ECE's classification which is 
based on vessels' deadweight capacity. 
TABLE 
Class Length 
(m) Beam 
(m) Draught 
(m) Headroom 
(m) Deadweight 
capacity 
(tonnes) 
0 
I 
I I 
111 
IV 
V 
VI 38.50 
50.00 
67.50 
80.00 
95.00 5.00 
6.60 
8.20 
9.50 
11 .50 2.20 
2.50 
2.50 
2.50 
2.70 3.55 
3.95 
4.20 
4.40 
6.70 <250 
250-400 
400-650 
650-1000 
1000-1500 
1500-3000 
< 3000 
With the development of pusher craft and, to a lesser degree, container 
transport the 1961 classification no longer fully corresponds to 
reality, especially on certain international routes where these two 
techniques have taken off. 
For all these reasons the ECMT and ECE embarked last year upon a study 
of a new single classification. 
This will probably be adopted by the ECMT at the meeting of Ministers 
of Transport in June and by the ECE at the annual meeting of its main 
Working Party on Inland Waterway Transport in October. 
- 69 -
2.2 Inland waterway links 
There are four major I inks - in the broadest sense of the term: 
2.2.1 The Rhine link connecting the main Dutch and Belgian seaports 
(Rotterdam, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Ghent) with Germany (the Ruhr, 
industrial zones of Frankfurt, Mannheim and Stuttgart) with 
Strasbourg and the Metz-Nancy industrial region in France and 
with the north of Switzerland (Basle). The main waterways are 
the Rhine and its tributaries (Moselle, Main and Neckar), to 
which should be added the Weser-Dattelnkanal and the Rhein-
Hernekanal which connect the Rhine and the waterways of northern 
Germany. 
2.2.2 The east-west link connecting certain northern and eastern areas 
of Germany, in particular the new Lander of the former GDR, with 
the western part of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. The 
most important waterways are the Elbe (Hamburg), the Weser 
(Bremen) and the Ems, plus the Dortmund-Ems Canal, the 
Elbe-Seitenkanal and the Elbe-LUbeck Canal. The MitteIlandkanal 
and, to a lesser extent, the KUstenkanal provide the structure 
of the east-west route on to which are grafted the waterways 
ment ioned above. 
2.2.3 The north-south link connecting the Netherlands, Belgium and 
France via waterways other than the Rhine. Two rivers, the 
Meuse and the Scheldt, link the Dutch and Belgian seaports, as 
well as Dunkirk, with the interior of the Benelux countries and 
the industrial regions around Lille in the north of France. The 
main waterways are the Scheldt, the Meuse, the Lys, the Sambre, 
the Albert Canal, the Char Ieroi-Brussels Canal, the canal 
linking Brussels with the Scheldt, the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal and 
the series of canals linking Dunkirk with Lille. 
The Seine basin and the Dunkirk-Lille link are sometimes 
considered as forming part of this link. It must be pointed 
out, however, that the Canal du Nord, the main waterway linking 
the Seine and the Scheldt, can only take vessels with a maximum 
capacity of 700 to 800 tonnes provided their beam is less than 6 
m. Consequently there is a lack of continuity in this link 
between the northern France, the Seine which connects the 
seaport of Le Havre with Paris and the Oise, an important 
tributary flowing from the north. 
2.2.4 The south-east link, including navigation in the countries 
through which the Danube flows. As a result of the 
liberalization policies embarked upon by the countries of 
central and eastern Europe this river has taken on a new 
importance for the Community. The Danube flows from southern 
Germany to the Black Sea, through Austria, Czechoslovakia, 
Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and the former USSR. 
- 70 -
In addition to these four main links there is the Rhône-Saône link 
which connects the seaport of Marseille with the Lyons and Dijon 
regions. There are also a number of small waterways which connect 
various points along several of these links. In France, for example, 
the Canal de l'Est connects the Moselle with the Belgian network and 
the Rhine-Rhone Canal links the Saône near Dijon with the Rhine near 
Basle; both waterways are restricted to vessels of 350 dwt. Finally, 
between the waterways of northern Germany and those of Poland a whole 
network of canals links the MitteIlandkanal and the Elbe with the Oder 
and Vistula in Poland, thus extending the east-west link. 
2.3 Traffic flows 
According to forecasts by various institutes for economic studies, the 
anticipated changes in transport demand and logistics needs will lead 
to an increase in the volume of traffic on the Rhine from 
297.5 million tonnes in 1989 to 309.9 million tonnes in the year 2000. 
On the east-west link around six million tonnes were carried in 1988 
between the FRG and the former GDR, to and from Berlin or to and from 
other regions of the GDR. Inland waterway transport demand between the 
Federal Republic and the countries of eastern Europe (including the new 
German Lander) is expected to rise to around 19.4 million tonnes. 
Although traffic on the north-south link as a whole increased by some 
8% between 1982 and 1987, it is important to note that all the flows to 
and from France and Belgium and the Netherlands registered a decline 
during this period. According to estimates, traffic could be expected 
to grow by 1.78 million tonnes in the year 2000, providing freight 
regulations on the north-south market are liberalized. 
In 1988 only 2.5 million tonnes of south-east traffic were recorded 
between the FRG and the countries through which the Danube flows. 
Experts predict the volume of traffic will rise in the future to 
between 5 and 7 million tonnes. If trade between Germany and other 
Danube states is taken into account, total transport demand on the 
south-east link could reach between 8 and 10 million tonnes. 
- 71 -
Table Traff ic 
tonnes) flows on the main European waterway links (million 
Rhine I ink East-west 
I Ink North-south 
I ink South-east 
I ink 
1989 traffic 297.5 
Forecast 2000 309.9 
Variation (%) + 4.2 8.31 
19.4 
+133.8 47.32 
49.1 
+3.8 2-7 
8-10 
+200-300 
1 1988 figure 
2 1987 figure Source : NEA/PLANC0 
2.4. Conclusions 
A certain amount of information can be gleaned from the present state 
of the network. 
2.4.1. The situation on the waterway links between western Germany (the 
Ruhr, Hamburg, Bremen, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Mannheim), eastern 
France (Strasbourg) the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and 
northern Switzerland (Basle) is in general satisfactory. 
Nonetheless, there are certain weak points in the network. 
2.4.2. In due course an increase in the flow of goods between western 
and eastern Europe can be expected, beginning with those regions 
whose economies are more developed, that is to say: the five 
new German Lender, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland. Existing 
waterway links are not capable of coping with this increase. 
2.4.3. Inland waterways play an insignificant role in transport between 
the countries of north-western Europe and those to the south. 
This is in part due to the state of the French waterway network 
but also to the fact that neither Italy, Spain nor Portugal can 
be linked into this form of transport. Nevertheless, as an 
element of combined transport inland waterways could be used for 
the initial and final road sections of combined freight 
operations to those countries, for example via the Rhône. 
Combined sea/inland waterway transport is another possibility in 
this respect. 
2.4.4. The above comments apply also to transport between north-western 
Europe and Scandinavia and the British Isles. 
2.4.5. With the opening of the Main-Danube Canal this year there will 
be a new direct 3 000 km link via the Rhine basin from the North 
Sea to the Black Sea through southern Germany, Austria, 
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and the 
former USSR. 
- 72 -
3. TOWARDS A EUROPEAN INLAND WATERWAY NETWORK 
3.1 Criteria used to draw up the master plan 
3.1.1 The present and future importance of the waterway in question 
for international intra-Community transport, transit traffic and 
trade with non-Community countries: in most cases the waterway 
will be situated on one of the main traffic arteries connecting 
seaports with major industrial centres or conurbations; 
3.1.2 opportunities for transferring traffic from other modes of 
surface transport to the waterways to relieve road and rail 
congestion; intermodal logistics centres using combined 
transport techniques would have to be available alongside the 
waterway or neighbouring waterways; 
3.1.3 the project's contribution to the integration of the overall 
network: newly constructed or upgraded waterways must be able 
to carry container traffic on sections where it can be 
developed; 
3.1.4 although there is no time to discuss this aspect in any detail 
here, emphasis should be put on the economic benefit of any 
construction or upgrading project for a particular waterway: 
the benefits deriving from its use must be greater than the sum 
of the costs of its upkeep, maintenance and operation 
(cost/benefit ratio greater than 1). 
3.2 Short-and medium-term priorities for the Community 
On this basis the following links of Community interest have been 
identified on which the following projects can be undertaken: 
(a) east-west link: improvement of the connections via the 
Mi tteIlandkanal with extensions to the east towards the Polish 
frontier and the west towards the Twentekanaal; improvements to 
the Elbe between Lauenburg/Elbe-Seitenkanal and the Czechoslovak 
border ; 
(b) north-south link: improvement of the links between the Benelux 
seaports and Dunkirk and central and eastern Belgium, the Paris 
basin, the Moselle and, eventually, the Rhône; 
(c) south-east link: completion of the Rhine-Main-Danube link and 
elimination of the bottlenecks created by insufficient depth of 
water at certain points, by certain bridges on the Main and 
Main-Danube Canal and by certain sections of the Danube 
(Regensburg to Passau). 
- 73 -
3.2.1 East-west I ink 
The north German and east European waterway networks are I inked by the 
Elbe and the MitteIlandkanal. Navigability on the latter is hampered 
by the water levels of the Elbe, which is not canalized in the area of 
Magdeburg. For a large part of the year the Elbe is not accessible to 
large vessels. The water levels fluctuate but the average annual 
draught, especially up river from Magdeburg, (11) is below the 2.5 m 
required for classes II and III. At low water the east German inland 
ports (Berlin and Magdeburg) are accessible only to shallow-draught 
vessels and the industrial regions of Halle and Dresden, Czechoslovakia 
and Poland cannot be reached. Nor does the Elbe downstream of 
Magdeburg in the direction of Hamburg (10)1 offer a suitable link at 
low water, but the Mi tteIlandkanal and the EIbe-Seitenkanal serve as a 
reasonable alternative. 
In view of the expected increase in traffic in these regions, the 
shallow depth of the Elbe (1.3 m at low water) is a major obstacle. 
The section of the Elbe in Czechoslovakia has already been canalized. 
In Germany some upgrading is being considered. 
If further regulation work is undertaken, it would be economically 
feasible to increase the draught from 0.2 to 0.3 m on most sections of 
the Elbe. This would enable some rail traffic to be transferred to the 
waterways. 
However, no solution has yet been found to the problem of how to 
improve the poor navigability on certain sections of the Elbe caused by 
to the hard bedrock and steep gradients, particularly in the Magdeburg 
region. Similarly, it is not economically feasible to canalize the 
Elbe to raise the draught to 2.5 m or more all the year round because 
of the very high cost of the considerable infrastructure work this 
would involve and consequently, there is little prospect of this being 
undertaken. This also applies to any idea of building lateral canals 
with fewer locks with lifts. 
The construction of an aqueduct has also been considered where the 
Mi tte I landkanal crosses the Elbe (7). The building of a dam on the 
Elbe to enable vessels to use the river throughout the year is 
technically feasible and is being considered as an alternative 
so lut ion. 
The MitteIlandkanal is at present accessible only to class III vessels 
with a draught of 2 m. The German Government has drawn up a plan for 
two-barge pushed trains and large self-propelled craft (11.4 beam and 
2.8 m draught) to operate on the MitteIlandkanal, the Elbe-Havel Canal, 
the Havel as far as Berlin and the link to the Magdeburg ports. 
Upgrading of the western section of the MitteIlandkanal has been under 
way since 1965 and has been completed on most sections of the canal 
(8). Since it has been possible to raise headroom under bridges to 
only 5.25 m, containers can be carried in two stacks only. 
The figures in brackets correspond with those on the map 
attached to the master plan of inland waterways of Community 
interest. 
- 74 -
Economie ways must be found of extending the east-west link towards the 
Polish border to establish "attractive" waterway links with the port of 
Stettin, Warsaw (Oder-Havel Canal) and the industrial region of Silesia 
(Oder-Spree-Canal) (9). At present the maximum draught is only 1.85 m 
on the two canals which link up with the Oder. The southern route is 
the Oder-Spree Canal which can be used only by vessels with a maximum 
capacity of 600 tonnes. 
In the Netherlands it is planned, In the west, to connect the 
Mi tte I landkanal and the Twentekanaal by building a new 50 km long 
canal (6) linking the Rhine estuary ports and the MitteIlandkanal. 
This will provide a much shorter route than the present one between the 
Dutch and Belgian seaports, via the Wesel-Dattel/Rhein-Hernekanal, and 
eastern Europe. A pre-feasibiIIty study carried out by the Dutch does 
not consider that the feasibility of such a project has yet been 
demonstrated. The Germans will also be carrying out an economic 
feasibiIity study. 
3.2.2 North-south link 
A north-south artery could be established by improving links between 
the coastal ports from Amsterdam to Dunkirk and the Meuse and Scheldt 
industrial hinterland and with the Paris and Lyons regions. At present 
only small vessels can reach these regions via this route. 
In France the Scheldt-Seine, Seine-Moselle and, eventually, the 
Moselle-Saône links would have to be upgraded. 
The Scheldt-Seine link (14) will have to be improved if inland waterway 
transport is to be developed. The Canal du Nord, which Is at present 
the main link between the Belgian network and the Seine and Oise, is 
navigable only by self-propelled craft or 700 to 800 tonne barge 
trains. The proposed upgrading of this north-south link to 4 500 
tonnes would involve re-routing via the Saint Ouentin Canal. This 
project is being studied by the relevant French authorities. 
In a second phase, a new link between the Seine and Moselle (15), which 
would be extended in the longer term to link the Moselle and Saône 
(16), will provide a waterway link to France's major industrial 
centres. Given the considerable volume of traffic between the Benelux 
and Paris and Lyons, such a waterway would be of direct benefit to a 
number of European countries including southern Europe (via the 
Moselle-Seine link connecting with the Rhône). 
In addition to the construction of these missing links, creation of a 
north-south waterway route of Community importance involves eliminating 
a certain number of bottlenecks. Modernization of the links between 
France and Belgium has already led to the upgrading of the Scheldt. 
From now on work must be concentrated on improving the links with 
Dunkirk by upgrading to class IV the Lys, by increasing headroom at the 
Courtrai bridge (19), completing the work of upgrading to class IV the 
Canal du Centre between Mons and La Louvière (20) (constructing a lift 
at Strépy-Thieu, a canal bridge at Houdeng and completion of the 
Strépy-Thieu section), upgrading the Nimy-Blaton section of the Nimy-
Blaton-Péromes Canal to class IV and widening the lock at Evergem sur 
le Ringwaart near Ghent (21). 
- 75 -
Several other improvements could usefully contribute over time to the 
development of navigation on the north-south route, in the Netherlands 
the widening of the Zuid Bevel and Canal to take four-barge trains, 
doing away with the locks at Wemeldinge in 1993 and renovating those at 
Hansweert, would allow the Rotterdam-VIissingen-Ghent/Antwerp link to 
be upgraded. 
In Belgium most of the network's main waterways have been upgraded to 
take 1 350 tonne vessels. Once the lock at Wijnegem is completed by 
the end of this year/beginning of next year, the Albert Canal between 
Antwerp and Liege will be navigable for 9 000 tonne barge trains 
between Wijnegem and Liege (although navigation will continue to be 
limited on the Antwerp-WiJnegem section to 4 500 tonne vessels). 
Further south, completion of a fourth lock at Lanaye on the Lanaye 
Canal which connects the Albert Canal to the stretch of the Meuse in 
the Netherlands would reduce waiting time and improve navigational 
safety in the event of a breakdown of the present lock system. 
Upgrading of the Meuse in southern Belgium and replacement of old 
barrages by modern infrastructure to improve water control will help 
develop navigation on the eastern section of the north-south link (23). 
Finally, mention should also be made of the lock at Hingene which is 
virtually completed. This will link the Scheldt to the Brussels 
Maritime Canal. A major drainage and dredging project is under way to 
enable the Char Ieroi-Brussels Canal to again carry 2.5 m draught 
vessels. 
3.2.3 South-east I ink 
The main gap in the inland waterway network between north-west and 
central Europe should be plugged this year when the Main-Danube Canal 
is completed (24). This will be navigable for two-barge pushed trains. 
The Main itself is navigable for articulated trains only on special 
authorization. It will not be accessible to two-barge pushed trains 
until the mid 1990s. There are, however, a number of other projects 
planned for this waterway: the deepening of the river downstream from 
Aschaf fenburg to bring the draught up to 3.1 m and between 
Aschaffenburg and Bamberg upstream from Freudenberg to provide a 
draught of 2.9 m. 
Work is being carried out on the German section of the Danube 
downstream from Regensburg and in Austria to bring it up to the same 
gauge as the Main-Danube Canal. In the long term it is hoped to make 
the Danube downstream from Regensburg navigable by four-barge pushed 
trains. Finally, the problem of headroom under the bridges over the 
Main and the Main-Danube Canal must be taken into consideration; this 
constitutes a major impediment to the expansion of container traffic on 
this route (25). 
- 76 -
2.4 Rhine-Rhône link 
The proposed Rhine-Rhône link will provide access from northern and 
eastern Europe to the Mediterranean and vice versa through a wide-gauge 
inland waterway network incorporating the Rhine, the Rhine-Main-Danube 
I ink and the Rhône. 
The Rhine-Main-Danube link, which will come into service this year, 
will link up the inland waterways of north-west Europe, the major 
Benelux ports and eastern Europe. 
The Rhine-Rhône link will improve communications between the 
Mediterranean countries and eastern and northern Europe and provide a 
link between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. 
Problems will be encountered on the north-south link in the years 
ahead. At present the only route is through the Alps or the Rhoden 
Corridor. However, with the introduction of restrictions on road 
traffic in Austria, where there is a night-time ban on heavy goods 
vehicle between 2200 and 0600 hours, and in Switzerland, which Is 
considering tax measures, traffic will switch to the Rhône valley. 
Consequently rational use will have to be made of existing 
infrastructure and national networks will have to be linked up in order 
to develop complementary means of transport. The completion of the 
Rhine-Rhône link creating a wide-gauge inland waterway network will 
provide increased freight capacity by: inland waterway and sea, 
combined transport, container transport and maritime cabotage services 
from Spain to Séte or Marseille from where goods can be shipped by 
inland waterway to northern Europe. 
3. Other projects in the Community 
3.1 The Rhine I ink 
The Rhine basin and Scheldt-Meuse network of waterways are connected to 
the Netherlands downstream only by the Waal-Meuse Canal. A navigable 
link from the Rhine near Neuss, Germany, via Aachen to the Meuse in 
Belgium, in the area of Liege, was designed but never got off the 
drawing-board. Such a new canal would offer an additional route 
through a heavily industrialized region (1). Germany does, however, 
not consider such a project to be economically feasible. 
As far as the elimination of the existing bottlenecks on the Rhine and 
its tributaries is concerned, mention should be made of the project to 
upgrade the locks near Kembs on the Rhine lateral canal (2) and the 
deepening of the Rhine in its central course upstream from Koblenz (3). 
On the Waal, deepening of the channel and improvements on the bends at 
Erlecom, Hulhuizen and Haalderen above Nijmegen are proposed to allow 
the passage of six-barge trains (4). On the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal it 
is proposed to eliminate certain difficult points, especially near 
Zeeburg; at present four-barge pushed trains cannot be loaded to their 
max imum draught. 
- 77 -
The aim of ensuring a draught at low water of 2.1 m, equivalent to a 
draught of 3 m at mean water, on the Rhine has virtually been achieved. 
Control operations to improve navigation on the Rhine should also 
enable erosion of the river bed to be measured and appropriate action 
to be taken to reduce it. Flood water control and management of water 
resources is also proposed for the upper reaches of the Rhine. 
On the Moselle (5) the rapid growth in the volume of traffic 
necessitates modernization work to increase the draught from 2.7 m to 
3m; this will make waterway transport more cost-effective. Initially 
the capacity of a number of overloaded locks, beginning with Fankel and 
Zeltingen, which are the busiest, needs to be increased. Upstream from 
Thionville work will be undertaken to canalize, upgrade and deepen the 
Moselie. 
3.3.2 East-west I ink 
A certain amount of work, especially deepening of the Dortmund-Emskanal 
between Datteln and Bergeshovede (12), will have to be undertaken to 
improve the waterway network linking the North Sea with the Rhine in 
western Germany. 
3.3.3 North-south link 
The absence of an adequate link between Zeebrugge and the Scheldt-Meuse 
basin (17) excludes the possibility of transporting containers and bulk 
cargoes by water to the Belgian interior and the industrialized regions 
of north-west Europe. Although the port of Zeebrugge is witnessing 
rapid growth and extension of its installations, there are no real 
plans for a waterway link with its hinterland. The canal linking the 
two important seaports of Ghent and Zeebrugge needs upgrading to at 
least class VI. 
Construction of the Caberg Canal would create a direct link between the 
Juliana and Albert Canals by eliminating the need for vessels to make 
the present detour via Maastricht and Lanaye (18). In the Netherlands 
improvements on the Meuse, the Lisse-Buggenum lateral canal and the 
Juliana Canal (22) are proposed to permit the passage of two-barge 
pushed trains. On the Meuse it is proposed to build an additional lock 
at Lith. 
3.4. Waterways of regional importance 
There are certain areas in the Community where inland waterways are of 
greater regional importance and are often not linked up to the main 
European network. This chiefly concerns the Po (Italy), the Douro 
(Portugal) and Tagus (Spain and Portugal) basins. Some of these 
regions are already industrialized and suffer from road traffic 
congestion. Others will be able to develop their industrial fabric. 
Consequently, the development of inland waterways will provide enormous 
opportunities for them all. The Po network, in particular, is of 
interest to transit traffic passing through Austria and Switzerland, 
which give it a certain Community interest. 
- 78 -
Under Italy's general transport plan construction work Is to be carried 
out on the Po and Venice waterway network (28), where the volume of 
traffic is considerable (67% of freight in Italy is concentrated in the 
four regions of Piedmont, Lombardy, Emi11a-Romana and Venice). It is 
hoped that some of this traffic, which at present operates solely by 
road, will be transferred to the inland waterways. 
The study carried out on the proposed waterway linking the Adriatic and 
the Danube (29), forms part of a project which involves six countries 
("iniziative esagonale"). 
An application has been made (to the G24) on the Community's side for 
funding for a feasibility study. 
3.5. Short and medium-term priorities in Eastern Europe 
Once the Main-Danube link is open and on completion of some 
improvements on the south-east route, around 1995, there will be a 
direct link from Rotterdam to the Black Sea for two-barge pushed 
trains. The canal itself may be open this year, permitting the 
carriage of goods by water to and from Austria, Hungary, southern 
Czechoslovakia and the other eastern European countries through which 
the Danube flows. 
The main difficulty encountered on this route is the draught on the 
Danube between Bratislava and Budapest (1.6 m), which makes navigation 
risky (26). 
Three dams had been planned for the Vienna-Budapest section of the 
Danube where it was uneconomic to maintain the draught of 2.5 m on 
navigable sections recommended by the Danube Commission along the whole 
section. The Hainburg and Nagynaros barrages have not been built for 
environmental reasons but the Gabcikovo barrage is going ahead. 
In the medium and long term the upper section of the Danube will 
continue to be a bottleneck as the main traffic flows culminate here 
(10 days' voyage from the point of loading). High construction 
standards have to be used because of the draught of vessels and the 
problems connected with low water. More modest projects than those 
originally planned are now being considered. It should, however, prove 
possible to eliminate the bottleneck downstream from Passau by means of 
appropriate measures owing to good hydraulicity. 
3.6. Long-term projects in Eastern Europe 
In the coming years the need to expand the inland waterway network and 
in particular the usefulness of a link between the waterways of the 
east-west route and the Danube basin (13) may well show itself in 
central Europe. Construction of canals between the Elbe, Oder and 
Danube is a project on an even greater scale than the Rhine-Main-Danube 
link. It would link up east European, German and Polish waterways with 
the Danube countries. 
- 79 -
In 1959 the UN Economic Commission for Europe set up a group of experts 
to study the feasibility of the project. In 1982 their study was 
published and at the present time efforts are being made to encourage 
the countries concerned to plan, design and finance the project. 
4. Other possibilities for improvement 
4.1. Combined transport 
While road and rail transport are approaching the limits of their 
capacity on the principal routes, the spare capacity of the inland 
waterway fleet could advantageously be utilized, especially in the form 
of combined transport. Container transport and, to a lesser extent, 
roll-on roll-off (Ro/Ro) transport on the Rhine and Danube is growing 
apace; container transport on the Rhine rose from 40 000 TEU in 1977 
to 450 000 TEU in 1990. 
In order to build on the assets of combined transport using inland 
waterways it is essential to target minimum technical demands for 
vessels, waterways and trans-shippment points (ports/terminals). To 
provide cost-effective combined transport services vessels must be able 
to carry containers in stacks of at least 4 wide and 3 high; this 
necessitates a minimum height under bridges of 7 m (including a safety 
margin). Ro/Ro services are operated mainly by vessels in class V or 
above. 
If the minimum infrastructure requirements (draught, headroom) are 
taken into account, the following waterways are well suited to 
container transport: 
(a) the Rhine: from Basle to the North Sea; 
(b) north-south route: linking canals between Amsterdam, Antwerp, 
Ghent and between Brussels and the Rhine; the Meuse up to 
Namur, and the Juliana and Albert Canals; 
(c) south-east route: the entire section of the Danube downstream 
from Deggendorf would be suitable for 4 wide x 3 high stacked 
container transport provided navigability upstream from Budapest 
is guaranteed. 
The following waterways are suitable to some extent (i.e. for 
3 wide x 2 high stacked containers): 
(a) Rhine basin: Moselle up to Nancy, the canalized Sarre, the 
Neckar; 
(b) east-west route: the EIbe-Seitenkanal, (upgrading of the 
Mi tteIlandkanal is proposed); 
(c) north-south route: Scheldt, Seine as far as Paris; 
(d) south-east route: Main-Danube; 
(e) the Rhône and Saône up to Chalon. 
- 80 -
This network has been defined1 by a high-level Working Party set up 
under the Council Resolution of 30 December 1990. It is based on an 
economic and technical analysis of inland waterways' ability to provide 
an efficient service for container and swap body transport. The 
present network is not very large but requires investment if it is to 
be extended. This could be provided through the projects forming part 
of the inland waterway master plan. 
4.2 Information systems 
Rapidly evolving information technology provides an opportunity to 
improve traffic guidance and control. Communication between the 
operator of a vessel and an on-shore control centre can lead to greater 
efficiency in the use of the waterway and greater transport speed and 
safety. 
The Commission is considering a proposal concerning potential IT 
applications for inland waterway transport under the R&D programme 
European Nervous System (ENS). This will require a massive research 
programme into the definition and use of standard European messages for 
the operation of locks and traffic control centres along waterways. 
One of the main objectives of such research is the creation of a 
harmonized information technology network between the relevant national 
authorities; this will make inland waterways an important component of 
the logistics chain with greater use of inland waterway vessels in an 
integrated multimodal transport system. 
5. Fo11ow-up 
Although some significant conclusions have already been drawn, it is 
impossible at this stage to formulate an overall strategy. 
Consequently, the work embarked upon by the Group needs to be 
cont inued. 
Future work should concentrate on: 
5.1 forward studies into traffic flows and cost/benefit analyses 
which are essential to an economic assessment of the master 
plan's projects; 
5.2 the (primarily environmental) potential of the new links given 
the pollution which a growth in traffic in other inland modes 
might cause without an inland waterway infrastructure; 
5.3 an analysis of techniques enabling inland waterways to be used 
for the initial and final stages of freight operations involving 
coastal or short-sea transport; 
See the Commission Communication concerning the creation of a 
European combined transport network (COM (92) 230/4) 
- 81 -
5.4 the use of harmonized information systems for inland waterways 
and information technology which will make a significant 
contribution to traffic safety and rationalization and will, 
thereby, increase infrastructure capacity through more efficient 
operation of the existing network; 
5.5 a study of (public or private) financing techniques for inland 
waterway infrastructure; 
5.6 a more sustained policy to promote the use of inland waterways 
in tandem with infrastructure measures to ensure more effective 
investment in network upgrading. 
On this basis an overall strategy can be mapped out in the light of 
scientific and policy data and the relevant conclusions and 
recommendations can be put before the Council. The Commission will 
undertake the requisite work. 
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Proposa I for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
on the creation of a European inland waterway network 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic 
Community, and in particular Article 75 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission1, 
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament2, 
Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee3, 
Whereas it is essential for the proper functioning of the internal 
market that the Community's transport infrastructure between major 
seaports and the industrialized regions of the European hinterland be 
improved and made more efficient through the development of an inland 
waterway freight transport network; 
Whereas inland waterways can play a greater role in trade, since they 
offer a less expensive, less-polluting and low energy-consuming mode of 
transport ; 
Whereas there is considerable spare vessel and infrastructure capacity 
in this sector and it is a mode which lends itself to use with other 
modes of transport; 
Whereas a master plan must be drawn up to ensure technical consistency 
between waterways and to define the priority measures to be taken in 
order to develop a European inland waterway network; 
Whereas action should focus on the links which carry most freight 
traffic in the Community; 
Whereas the outline plans of transport infrastructure networks are of 
an indicative and evolutionary nature and tend progressively towards a 
multi-modal transport system, 
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HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1 
The European inland waterway network shall incorporate existing river 
basins and a number of major traffic arteries using rivers and canals 
and the branches and links which connect them. It shall serve 
industrial regions and major conurbations and link up the major 
seaports. The minimum technical specifications adopted for the 
network's waterways shall correspond to class IV and permit in a 
satisfactory way the passage of vessels used for combined transport. 
The network shall be developed over a period of at least ten years as 
specified in the master plan in the Annex. 
Article 2 
Priority measures shall be taken within the appropriate framework to 
create the links which are missing and eliminate the following 
bottlenecks: 
upgrading of the MitteIlandkanal and construction of the 
aqueduct over the Elbe at Magdeburg; 
upgrading of the links between the Elbe and Oder; 
linking the Twentekanaal and the Mittellandkanal; 
linking the Seine and Scheldt in France and Belgium; 
upgrading the Scheldt-Rhine link in Belgium (southern section 
and Char Ieroi-Brussels Canal); 
upgrading the eastern section of the north-south link via the 
Meuse and the Lanaye and Juliana Canals to the Rhine; 
I inking the Rhine and Rhône; 
upgrading the Elbe between Magdeburg and the Czechoslovak 
front ier; 
linking the Main and the Danube and upgrading the Main and 
Danube between Straubing and Vilshofen-, 
upgrading the Danube between Vienna and the Black Sea 
(non-Community project). 
- 84 -
Article 3 
This plan shall be indicative in nature, being intended to promote 
action by the Member States and, where appropriate, by the Community 
with a view to carrying out projects relating to the networks. This 
Decision shall not entail any financial commitment on the part of the 
Member States or the Community . 
Article 4 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 
Done at Brussels, For the Council 
The President 

- 86 -
STATEMENT OF THE IMPACT ON SME AND EMPLOYMENT 
Subject: Proposal for a Council Decision on the creation of a 
European inland waterway network 
1. Administrative obligations arising from application of the 
proposed ReouI at i on 
None. 
2. Advantages for small firms 
The development of a European inland waterway network will 
benefit small businesses in general by improving transport 
conditions, and especially small businesses which use semi­
finished products in particular. 
3. Disadvantages for small firms 
None. 
4. Disadvantages in terms of employment 
None. 
5. Have both sides of industry been consulted beforehand? 
No. 
6. Is there any alternative, less binding approach? 
No. 
#1 -
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM (92) 231 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 07 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-92-363-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-46980-3 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg