TEN-T Days conference gets underway in Riga

The two day transport conference known as TEN-T Days, organised by the European Commission and Latvian Presidency, aims to close the gap between Member States’ transport networks.

Transport Ministers from 12 European Member States, CEOs and over 1000 transport stakeholders joined the high-level transport conference ‘TEN-T Days’ in Riga on the 22nd and 23rd June 2015. The conference discussed the trans-European networks (TEN-T) policy aimed at removing bottlenecks or technical barriers between Member States’ transport networks. The conference also looked at attracting funding solutions.

At this point the TEN-T Days conference has established an agreement by the Ministers of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland on the implementation of the Rail Baltica project, which is to become the backbone of the North Sea Baltic Core Network Corridor. Furthermore, Commissioner Bulc and Ministers of the Western Balkan States agreed on the indicative extension of the Core network and the Corridors in the Western Balkan countries.

Violeta Bulc, EU Commissioner for Transport said, “We must now join forces to make the trans-European transport network a reality. The basis for our future progress is the implementation of the work plans, including key cross-border projects. I am counting on all actors – national and regional, public and private, to make the best use of our instruments such as Connecting Europe Facility and the new European Fund for Strategic Investments. In this respect, the recommendations made in the Christophersen – Bodewig – Secchi report play a vital role in attracting the necessary private investment.”

Anrijs Matiss, Minister of Transport, Latvia commented, “I am pleased to welcome the TEN-T Days to Riga – a key event that takes place on the eve of the successful completion of Latvia’s historic first EU Presidency. I am delighted that innovative and cohesive infrastructure development and the means of its financing have received a prominent place in this high-level conference. Rail Baltica is an excellent example of such cohesive infrastructure. It shall not only connect the major Baltic cities via the European standard gauge – paving the way for new mobility solutions for passengers and freight – but also mark the symbolic reconnection of the Baltic region with the core of Europe.”

The next meeting, by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Committee, on the 10 July 2015 will vote on projects selected for the allocation of funds. €11.9 billion of EU funding is available to improve European transport connections.