The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) welcomes the European Court of Auditors’ updated report on transport megaprojects, published as a follow-up to its 2020 Special Report. The report highlights serious concerns regarding delays in the implementation of several transport infrastructure projects along the Trans-European Network for Transport (TEN-T), as well as escalating costs caused by unforeseen crises and geopolitical challenges. These concerns have led the EU auditors to change their assessment of the 2030 goal for the completion of the core TEN-T from “unlikely to be met” five years ago to “will not be met”.
One of the key causes in infrastructure project delays is the complexity of permit-granting procedures. Multiple, lengthy authorisation processes continue to jeopardise implementation timelines, endanger the binding targets of the TEN-T Regulation, and significantly increase costs. Completing the TEN-T Network is essential for the railway sector to deliver a seamless, efficient, green, and dual-use multimodal mobility system, strengthen infrastructure resilience, and ensure interoperable cross-border connections.
Missing the 2030 deadline is not an option. In 2021 the EU adopted the ‘Smart TEN-T’ Directive, designed to streamline administrative procedures so that key TEN‑T projects – especially cross‑border links and missing links – can be completed faster and more efficiently. CER urges the European Commission to go even further to simplify and accelerate permitting procedures for rail infrastructure projects and is working to provide concrete rail sector proposals for the upcoming review of the Streamlining Directive. (....)