Transport infrastructure: Commission amends TEN-T proposal to reflect infrastructure impacts of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine

The Commission yesterday amended its December 2021 proposal, under discussion by the European Parliament and the Council, to revise the TEN-T Regulation. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has redefined the geopolitical landscape. The war’s impacts on global markets, supply chains, and food security have demonstrated how better connections with the EU’s neighbouring partner countries are critical more than ever before. Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean said: “By extending four European Transport Corridors to the territory of Ukraine and Moldova – including the ports of Mariupol and Odesa – our proposal will help improve transport connectivity between these two countries and the EU, facilitating economic exchanges and better connections for people and businesses alike. These corridors will also be a key priority in rebuilding the transport infrastructure of Ukraine once the war ends. Our efforts to facilitate the export of grain from Ukraine via the Solidarity Lanes have also demonstrated the importance of interoperability within the transport system, and reinforced the need to increase convergence within the EU network, making it more resilient and strengthening the internal market.” The Commission prepared the ground for this extension when it adopted revised maps for the TEN-T network in Ukraine earlier this month. Yesterday’s amended proposal removes Russia and Belarus from the TEN-T maps; in the current context, cooperation with these countries is neither appropriate nor in the interest of the Union. Finally, the proposal requires that new built lines in the EU Member States which share a land border with another Member State be built to the standard European gauge, and invites the Member States to plan the migration of existing railway lines, when economically justified, to the European standard track gauge. The amendment responds to the ‘Solidarity Lanes’ communication, which is designed to help Ukrainian agricultural produce and other goods to reach the EU and world markets. You can find more information here.