The aim is to make progress in the creation of a single market and in improving European social and territorial cohesion to achieve more sustainable, efficient and resilient transport.

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An important agreement to approve the Trans-European Transport Network regulation

The Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union has reached a provisional agreement with the European Parliament to give the green light to the revision of the Trans-European Transport Network Regulation (TEN-T), an important dossier on EU guidelines for infrastructure development.

The new legislation aims to foster the development of a reliable and high-quality transport network that ensures sustainable connectivity across Europe without physical interruptions, bottlenecks and missing links. Thus, special attention is given to the completion of cross-border sections of the European Transport Corridors, such as the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

The network will contribute to the achievement of the EU’s sustainable mobility objectives, to the smooth functioning of the internal market and to the improvement of European economic, social and territorial cohesion.

The revised regulation includes that the Mediterranean Corridor will regain its maximum length, reaching the Ukrainian border, a position that the Ministry of Transport has been defending during the negotiations. Thus, the Mediterranean will be the only corridor that runs the entire length of Europe from west to east.

The agreement, which has the backing of the European Commission, is ambitious and realistic in its technical requirements and establishes that the network will be developed or modernised in phases, as the new regulation sets clear deadlines for its completion: the core network must be finished by 2030, the extended core network by 2040, and the comprehensive network by 2050. Strict and homogeneous criteria have been used to define these layers for the 27 EU member states.

The new regulation reinforces the importance of rail interoperability with relevant aspects such as electrification or safety systems (ERTMS), promoting more efficient freight transport and rail motorway services on certain routes.

The role of ports and short sea shipping is recognised with the creation of the European Maritime Space, the deployment of solutions such as eco-incentives and guaranteeing interconnection with the outermost regions such as the Canary Islands.

Multimodal transport of goods and passengers is boosted through the promotion of rail connectivity at airports and the creation of multimodal hubs in urban nodes.

On the road, standards are established for the deployment of safe parking and rest areas, fulfilling the commitment to the road transport sector to improve safety and working conditions.

The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility argues that the Trans-European Transport Network contributes to “making more Europe” as it is aimed at promoting seamless connectivity between territories and a clear commitment by all Member States to meet the deadlines set for completing the network, especially in those cross-border sections included in the Corridors. The regulation provides instruments to back up this commitment by strengthening the role of the European transport corridor coordinators.

Following today’s provisional agreement, work on the Regulation will continue at a technical level. Once concluded, the Spanish Presidency will transmit the text to the representatives of the Member States (Coreper) for approval. The text will then undergo legal-linguistic revision before being formally adopted by the co-legislators (Council of the European Union and European Parliament) and entering into force.

The agreement, of great importance for the sector, is a great success for the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, which joins the one reached at the Council of EU Transport Ministers, held on 4 December, where it was agreed to approve eight general guidelines in legislative proposals in the fields of land, maritime and intermodal transport, a record number.

The Spanish Presidency has contributed to continuing to promote the European Union’s transport policy along the path of sustainability, safety, digitalisation and social justice, which is essential for uniting citizens and territories through efficient, high-quality and seamless transport infrastructures and services.