9 Transport
| (28356)
6115/07
+ ADDs 1-2
COM(07) 32
| Commission Communication: Extension of the major trans-European transport axes to the neighbouring countries and Guidelines for transport in Europe and neighbouring regions
|
| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 31 January 2007
|
| Deposited in Parliament | 8 February 2007
|
| Department | Transport |
| Basis of consideration | EM of 20 February 2007
|
| Previous Committee Report | None
|
| To be discussed in Council | Possibly 22-23 March 2007
|
| Committee's assessment | Politically important
|
| Committee's decision | Cleared
|
Background
9.1 The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is intended to avoid
the emergence of new dividing lines between the Community and
its neighbours: it aims at promoting peace, stability, security,
growth, development and prosperity in the neighbouring countries
as well as modernisation of economy and society.[26]
In addition to which, it is an objective of the Community's external
policy to facilitate the spread of its policies, such as the internal
market principles and rules, to neighbouring countries. This is
set out most recently in the Commission Communication Strengthening
of the European Neighbourhood Policy.[27]
In the transport sector, the aim is to ensure that legislation,
standards and technical specifications of the Community's main
trade partners are compatible with its own.
9.2 The Community's transport policy includes developing
and improving major transport intra-Community routes, especially
the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), and encouraging
better integration of different transport modes and use of modes
most appropriate to particular circumstances, for example greater
use of railways or short-sea shipping in place of freighting by
road. During the 1990s the Community promoted Pan-European corridors
(PEC) to connect the then 15 Member States to their third country
neighbours, but most of these PECs are now subsumed by the TEN-T.
The 2004 revised guidelines for the TEN-T focuses investment on
30 priority trans-national axes and projects in order to reinforce
the competitiveness and cohesion of the Community.[28]
The document
9.3 In its Communication the Commission outlines
the first steps of its policy for closer integration of the Community
transport system with its neighbouring countries, the aim being
to gradually bring neighbouring countries into line with Community
transport legislation and policies, such as interoperability of
systems, speeding up border crossing procedures and promoting
improved safety and security standards. The policy proposal follows
on from a report in November 2005 by a high level group (HLG)
advising the Commission.[29]
The Commission suggests conceptual changes to the PEC:
- extend coverage to take into
account the Community's accession framework and ENP objectives;
- widen internal market principles to neighbouring
countries and emphasise the importance of non-infrastructure measures
to help trade and transport flow along the main axes; and
- strengthen the monitoring and coordination process
to ensure the countries involved are fully committed.
9.4 The Commission notes that, in the context of
the PEC, the HLG proposed five trans-national axes:
- Motorways of the Seas —
to link the Baltic, Barents, Atlantic (including the Outermost
Regions),[30] Mediterranean,
Black and Caspian sea areas as well as the littoral countries
within the sea areas and with an extension through the Suez Canal
towards the Red Sea;
- Northern axis — to connect the northern
Community with Norway to the north and with Belarus and Russia
to the east, including a connection to the Barents Sea region
linking Norway through Sweden and Finland with Russia;
- Central axis — to link the centre of the
Community to Ukraine and the Black Sea and towards the Caucasus
and Central Asia, with inland waterway connections to the Baltic
and Caspian Seas and a direct connection from Ukraine to the Trans-Siberian
railway;
- South Eastern axis — to link the Community
through the Balkans and Turkey to the Caucasus and the Caspian
Sea and to Egypt
and the Red Sea, with access links to the Balkan countries and
connections towards Russia, Iran, Iraq, the Persian Gulf and,
from Egypt, south towards other African countries;
and
- South Western axis — to connect the south-western
Community with Switzerland and Morocco, including the trans-Maghrebin
link connecting Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and its extension
to Egypt.
The HLG analysis of these five axes found that they
contribute most to promoting international exchange, trade and
traffic.
9.5 The Commission proposes to adopt five trans-national
axes, in line with those put forward by the HLG, but will consider
at this stage only the connections linking the Community with
neighbouring countries and not those links from the neighbouring
countries to third countries. It adds also that these five axes
do not amend the priorities set for the TEN-T for the Community.
The Commission intends to implement the axes following a two step
approach. First, exploratory talks will be launched with neighbouring
countries to assess their interest and commitment to strengthening
multilateral coordination frameworks (where they are in place)
or to putting such frameworks in place. Following this, the Commission
will put forward recommendations or proposals to develop the five
axes.
9.6 Financially implementation will be taken forward
by bringing together sources of finance, public and private, national
and international and the European Investment Bank, the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank will
be utilised. The Commission also proposes to use the European
Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument to provide financial
assistance to neighbouring countries.
The Government's view
9.7 The Minister of State, Department for Transport
(Dr Stephen Ladyman) tells us that his department was represented
in the HLG, and that as participants the Government welcomes the
identification of these axes in promoting inter-linkages between
the Community and neighbouring countries. It believes this will
aid the free flow of trade from Europe to neighbouring countries
and regions, whilst enabling and aiding regional cooperation in
the given area. The Minister says there are no financial implications
for the UK, but comments that the proposal may create opportunities
for UK business.
Conclusion
9.8 Although we clear this document, development
of the transport links as proposed by the Commission clearly
is important for economic and wider reasons, and so we draw it
to the attention of the House.
26 The
ENP applies to the Community's immediate neighbours by land or
sea - Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel,
Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority,
Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine. Although Russia is also a neighbour
of the EU, relations are instead developed through a Strategic
Partnership covering four "common spaces".
Back
27
(28120) 16371/06: see HC 41-iv (2006-07), para 14 (14 December
2006). Back
28
(24941) 13297/03 (24970) 13244/03: see HC 63-xxxvi (2002-03),
para 3 (5 November 2003) and Stg Co Debs, European Standing Committee
A, 11 November 2003, cols. 3-26. Back
29
Networks for Peace and Development: Extension of the major trans-European
transport axes to the neighbouring countries and regions. Report
from the High Level Group chaired by Loyola de Palacio, see
http://europa.eu.int/comm/ten/transport/external_dimension/index_en.htm.
Back
30
Canaries, Azores and Madeira. Back
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