Trans-European transport network: Union guidelines. Recast

The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report by Brian Simpson (S&D, UK) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (recast).

It recommended that the European Parliament’s position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure (formerly known as the codecision procedure) should be to adopt the report, take taking into account the recommendations of the Consultative Working Party of the legal services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission.

To recall, this proposal is technically speaking a proposal for codification of the legislative text. Nevertheless the Commission was forced to do it via recast procedure as the text contains minor modifications in the Annex.

The necessary amendments consist of adding the maps relating to the 10 Member States listed in the 2003 Act of Accession in Annex I to the Decision to the existing maps relating to the 15 countries that were Members of the European Union before the enlargement of 1 May 2004. In the interests of clarity, it is proposed to replace Annex I to the codified text with a new Annex I which would include the maps concerning the 27 Member States of the European Union. At the same time, in line with Art 1(1) of Decision No. 884/2004/EC, the date is changed to 2020 for all Member States.

Considering the technical nature of this proposal, coordinators decided to give the report to the chair as the real revision of the guidelines is in preparation and will be ready only towards the end of next year.

The Council has agreed on a text and a general approach was taken at the Council meeting on 18 December. Council followed the Commission and has not introduced any substantial modification to the text, just some minor modifications in the recitals and some technical corrections on the maps.

Following these legal and political reassurances, the rapporteur suggests to agree on the text, including the minor modifications and corrections proposed by the Council and to conclude the file with a 1st reading agreement.