Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament – The EU and its neighbouring regions: A renewed approach to transport cooperation

Transport contributes significantly to Europe's prosperity. It enables goods to be distributed efficiently and citizens to travel freely. The EU is a major political and economic partner of countries in neighbouring regions. Strengthened cooperation in the transport sector can make a difference in helping our neighbours to become economically stronger and politically more stable.

Citizens and businesses in the EU and in neighbouring regions are the direct beneficiaries of improved transport cooperation, which aims to reduce the time and resources spent on transportation of goods and passengers. Closer market integration can also help to open up new market opportunities for businesses both in the EU and the neighbouring regions.

The present Communication sets out a renewed transport policy cooperation with the EU´s neighbouring regions. It covers both the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and the enlargement countries, with primary emphasis on the ENP countries. The high level of transport cooperation already attained with enlargement countries can be a model for improving transport connections with other neighbouring regions.

The Commission has recently reviewed the ENP, and proposed a new response to a changing neighbourhood. In line with this response, transport cooperation will be tailored to the needs of each sub-region. The EU will apply a higher level of differentiation in the transport sector depending on each country's ambition and readiness to integrate more closely with the EU.

EU support, in the shape either of financing for infrastructure connections or of greater market access, will be conditional on progress in the neighbouring countries.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2011)415: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2011:415:FIN

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