on the exercise of the power to adopt delegated acts conferred on the Commission pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network and repealing Decision No 661/2010/EU

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL

on the exercise of the power to adopt delegated acts conferred on the Commission pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network and repealing Decision No 661/2010/EU

1. INTRODUCTION

Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network and repealing Decision No 661/2010/EU sets out a long-term strategy for the development of a complete trans-European transport network (TEN-T), consisting of infrastructure for railways, maritime and air transport, roads, inland waterways and rail-road terminals. The regulation covers the identification of the elements of the TEN-T, their technical standards as well as the requirements for interoperability of infrastructures and defines priorities for the development of the TEN-T.

Article 49(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 empowers the Commission to adopt delegated acts concerning the adaptation of Annexes I and II to take account of possible changes resulting from the quantitative thresholds applicable to certain components of the TEN-T. These requirements are laid down in Articles 14, 20, 24 and 27 of this Regulation.

Article 49(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 empowers the Commission to adopt delegated acts concerning the adaptation of Annex III in order to include or adapt indicative maps of neighbouring countries.

2. LEGAL BASIS

This report is required under Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013.

3. EXERCISE OF THE DELEGATION

3.1. Adaptations of the list and the maps based on statistical data

Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 contains maps of the comprehensive and core networks which define the scope of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 and identify projects of common interest. Annex II to this Regulation establishes the list of nodes of the core and comprehensive network.

Under Article 49(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts which will adapt the maps and lists annexed to the Regulation as regards the quantitative thresholds which are necessary to be met by sea and inland ports, airports and rail-road terminals to be part of the TEN-T. These adaptations are based on the latest available statistics published by Eurostat or, if not available, by the national statistical offices. The Commission may also adjust the maps for road, railway and inland waterway infrastructure in a strictly limited way so as to reflect progress in completing the network.

The Commission launched the updating process at the TEN-T Committee meeting held on 30 September 2015 and consulted experts of Member States' competent authorities, in the presence of experts of the European Parliament, in a meeting on 9 December 2015 and on 16 March 2016.

Based on this consultation process and analysis of the available data, the Commission adopted on 7 December 2016 the Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2017/849.

The adaptations laid down in the delegated regulation do not include exclusions according to point (b) of Article 49(4) since this assessment will only be relevant six years after the adoption of the Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013.