Rome seeks fresh impetus in debate over TENs funds

Date: 11/04/1996

By Michael Mann

ITALY will urge its EU partners to complete the legal and financial changes necessary to make the Trans-European Networks a reality when transport ministers meet informally in Rome this weekend.

Caretaker Transport Minister Giovanni Caravale has made the completion of the infrastructure network a priority for the meeting which begins tomorrow (12 April).

The move comes just 12 days before crucial conciliation talks are due to begin between MEPs and member state governments on the guidelines for the TENs.

Without agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, the 280 million ecu earmarked for the crucial infrastructure projects in 1996 would remain blocked, not to mention the 1.278 billion ecu set aside for the future. Failure would also constitute an infringement of the treaty and could lead to protracted litigation in the European Court of Justice.

Although the Parliament has tabled 111 amendments to the Council's common position, the dispute centres on two main questions.

MEPs want a firm commitment to environmental concerns to be written into the guidelines - the member states disagree. The Parliament is also insisting on the inclusion of a third annex to the guidelines, specifying the current list of 14 priority projects, plus an additional 21 - the Council believes that this is not a question on which MEPs should have an input.

Once negotiations get under way, the committee has six weeks to reach a compromise, with a possible two-week extension.

The Commission will be keen to seize the opportunity presented by this weekend's meeting to bang the drum for increased funding for TENs, particularly in view of the problems it faces in persuading member states to divert unspent money from the farm budget to the projects.

Member state officials stress there is a genuine desire to honour recent commitments to combating unemployment and enthusiasm for high-profile infrastructure projects among transport ministers. But most face strong opposition to the idea from their finance ministry colleagues, who are concerned with ensuring strict budgetary discipline as the single currency deadline looms.

At this weekend's meeting, ministers will also discuss key issues facing the transport sector, such as the question of how to shift more traffic from road to rail, the relationship between transport and the environment and how far the EU has come in harmonising transport regulations within the single market.