WRITTEN QUESTION E-0510/01

by Karla Peijs (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 February 2001)

Subject: TEN's and the development of the inland waterways

A report on bottlenecks in waterways was submitted to the European Commission (Round Table on bottlenecks in waterways, 23 November 2000, Lille, France).

The report, drawn up by the inland waterway sector, reviews the status of the trans-European transport network of waterways five years after the European TEN framework decisions were put in place. The Report reviews the history of the TEN policies, starting with the White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment (1992). The initial list of projects has been evaluated and defined in further detail by the Christophersen Group and has been shaped by the principles established at the Essen Council in 1994. The result was a fine-tuning of the major transport projects and the outcome was the following: A list of 14 priority projects which does not contain any projects related to inland waterways: while recognising that public investment in infrastructure is under severe pressure as a result of budgetary constraints, it is nevertheless regrettable that waterways development finds itself at the bottom of the priority list.

The waterways network urgently needs investment in its infrastructure in order to facilitate intermodal transport (sea-river, river-rail, river-road), to remove a number of existing bottlenecks and to construct a number of missing links that will enhance the network function.

In view of the increasing lack of space and the fact that waterborne transport is cheap, clean and green:

- Why has the Commission not allocated a larger share of the EU-TEN funds to stimulate the development of the waterways network (1,5 % to inland waterways compared to 55 % to rail)?

- Can the Commission explain why it has not played a more active role in the coordination to develop TEN waterways projects crossing national borders?

- In view of the enlargement of the European Union, what actions has the Commission in mind to realise optimal inland waterway-transport on the Danube towards the Black Sea (e.g. obstructions between Straubing and Vilshofen)?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 2001)

The inland waterway network is part of the trans-European network (TEN) defined by Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network(1).

Decisions on the Community funding that the Commission may award under the budget line for the Trans-European Transport Network to projects of common interest associated with the various modes of transport are the outcome of a detailed examination of whether such projects comply with all the conditions and criteria set in the relevant regulation(2). One criterion is the maturity of projects (particularly in technical and financial terms). In the interests of managing the Community budget efficiently,

the Commission can therefore only support projects for which a sound implementation timetable has been submitted. Given that the Commission can cover only a relatively small proportion of the total costs of projects, Community cofinancing in this sector is influenced by the investment policies of the Member States (or, if applicable, private partners) who are still the main backers of TEN-T projects.

Nonetheless, the Commission's Trans-European Transport Network cofinancing policy has in the past given considerable priority to the inland waterways sector. For the period 1995-1999, some 32 million in absolute terms was granted to projects specifically related to inland waterways (for example, eliminating bottlenecks on the East-West axis connecting the Benelux countries, Germany and Poland, including the Dortmund-Ems canal project, Madgeburg and Berlin hub projects and those between Berlin and the Polish border) as well as a number of inland port redevelopment projects (for example the Dresden Elbe river port).

There can be no simple comparison of the percentages of Community contributions to the rail sector with those to inland waterways because, while the railway network covers the entire Community, the inland waterways network is confined to a limited number of Member States. The Commission is of the view that its cofinancing policy in this sector has been an accurate reflection of Member State investment activity and has provided real impetus for a number of high priorities.

The abovementioned projects (as well as others cofinanced by the Community) play a key role in cross-border traffic and in addition are crucial to traffic into Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries. In order to boost cross-border cooperation further in the inland waterways sector, the Commission selected this area as a priority in the indicative multiannual programme for TEN-T cofinancing for the period 2001-2006. This programme is due to be adopted by the Commission in May-June 2001 after being submitted to the European Parliament.

The Danube system was identified by the Pan-European Transport Conferences in Crete (1994) and Helsinki (1997) as a priority corridor, Corridor VII, with a view to promoting the integrated development of inland navigation traffic on the river. A joint memorandum of understanding on developing this corridor is due to be finalised and signed by the Danube river basin countries and the Commission this year. Moreover, at the request of the Danube Commission, the organisation responsible for upholding freedom of navigation on the Danube for international traffic, the Commission has been heavily involved for the last two years in facilitating the execution of the project of clearing debris from the river at Novi Sad, in Serbia, in the wake of the Kosovan conflict of spring 1999. Consequently, acting on a proposal from the Commission, in July 2000, the Council and Parliament in principle approved a Community contribution to the project of up to 22 million, or a maximum of 85 % of its estimated cost. Finally, for the next few years, the Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession (ISPA) is expected to support infrastructure projects on the Danube which help promote inland shipping.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 2236/95 of 18 September 1995 laying down general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks (OJ L 228, 23.9.1995) as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1655/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 July 1999 (OJ L 197, 29.7.1999).