Trans-European Transport Networks

The Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) are a planned set of road, rail, air and water transport networks in the European Union. The TEN-T networks are part of a wider system of Trans-European Networks (TENs), including a telecommunications network (eTEN) and a proposed energy network (TEN-E or Ten-Energy). The European Commission adopted the first action plans on trans-European networks in 1990.^[1]

TEN-T envisages coordinated improvements to primary roads, railways, inland waterways, airports, seaports, inland ports and traffic management systems, providing integrated and intermodal long-distance, high-speed routes. A decision to adopt TEN-T was made by the European Parliament and Council in July 1996.^[2] The EU works to promote the networks by a combination of leadership, coordination, issuance of guidelines and funding aspects of development.

These projects are technically and financially managed by the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA), which was established for this purpose by the European Commission in October 2006.

History

TEN-T guidelines were initially adopted on 23 July 1996, with Decision No 1692/96/EC^[2] of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network.

In May 2001, the European Parliament and the Council adopted a Decision No 1346/2001/EC,^[3] which amended the TEN-T Guidelines with respect to seaports, inland ports and intermodal terminals.

In April 2004, the European Parliament and the Council adopted Decision No 884/2004/EC (added to the list by Decision No 884/2004/EC^[4]), amending Decision No 1692/96/EC on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network. The April 2004 revision was a more fundamental change to TEN-T policies, intended to accommodate EU enlargement and consequent changes in traffic flows.^[5]

In 2017, it was decided that the Trans-European Transport Networks would be extended into Eastern Europe and would include Eastern Partnership member states.^[6]

Funding timeline

Financial support for the implementation of TEN-T guidelines stems from the following rules:

• Regulation (EC) No 2236/95^[7] of 18 September 1995 contains general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks.
• Regulation (EC) No 1655/1999^[8] of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 July 1999 amends Regulation (EC) No 2236/95.
• Regulation (EC) No 807/2004^[9] of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 amends Council Regulation (EC) No 2236/95.
• Regulation (EC) No 680/2007^[10] of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2007 supplies general rules for granting Community financial aid for trans-European transport and energy networks.

In general, TEN-T projects are mostly funded by national or state governments. Other funding sources include: European Community funds (ERDF, Cohesion Funds, TEN-T budget), loans from international financial institutions (e.g. the European Investment Bank), and private funding.

List of transport networks

Each transportation mode has a network. The networks are:^[2]

• Trans-European road network
• Trans-European Rail network, which includes the Trans-European high-speed rail network as well as the Trans-European conventional rail network
• Trans-European Inland Waterway network and inland ports
• Trans-European Seaport network
• Motorways of the Sea (added by Decision No 884/2004/EC^[4])
• Trans-European Airport network
• Trans-European Combined Transport network
• Trans-European Shipping Management and Information network
• Trans-European Air Traffic Management network, which includes the Single European Sky and SESAR concepts
• Trans-European Positioning and Navigation network, which includes the Galileo

Priority axes and projects

On 17 October 2013 nine projects were announced.^[11] These were:

1. The Baltic-Adriatic Corridor
2. The North Sea-Baltic Corridor
3. The Mediterranean Corridor
4. The Orient/East-Med Corridor
5. The Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor
6. The Rhine-Alpine Corridor
7. The Atlantic Corridor
8. The North Sea-Mediterranean Corridor
9. The Rhine-Danube Corridor^[12]

Previous Priorities

At its meeting in Essen in 1994, the European Council endorsed a list of 14 TEN-T ‘specific’ projects, drawn up by a group chaired by then Commission Vice-President Henning Christophersen.^[1] Following the 2003 recommendations from the Van Miert TEN-T high-level group, the Commission compiled a list of 30 priority projects to be launched before 2010.^[13]

Related networks

In addition to the various TENs, there are ten Pan-European corridors, which are paths between major urban centres and ports, mainly in Eastern Europe, that have been identified as requiring major investment.

The international E-road network is a naming system for major roads in Europe managed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. It numbers roads with a designation beginning with "E" (such as "E1").

See also

• Transport in Europe

References

External links

• Innovation and Networks Executive Agency
• TEN-T Map (as of 2013)
• Maps and Guidelines for TEN-T from the European Commission
• TEN-T - The Trans-European Transport Networks on the European Commission website
• Map of the 30 priority axes and projects
• Plans as of October 2013