Community financial aid in the field of the trans-European transport and energy networks, 2007- 2013

The Council adopted its common position by a qualified majority. The text of the common position not only represents the Council’s position but also reflects the compromise agreed upon by the three institutions following the trilogue negotiations held from September to November 2006. The Chairman of the European Parliament’s Budget Committee and the rapporteur for this proposal have informed the Council Presidency by letter that if the compromise text is adopted by the Council as it stands, they would be recommending the Budget Committee and the plenary to approve the common position without amendments in the Parliament's second reading.

The common position introduced a number of changes in the Commission proposal; the main

ones are listed below:

- Article 2, article 6 and the annex introduce two new forms of granting Community aid for public-private-partnership projects in the field of transport. They have been elaborated in close cooperation with and are supported by the Commission and the EIB;

- Article 5, concerning the selection of projects, was modified in order to make these rules as coherent as possible with the existing transport and energy guidelines and taking into account views expressed by the Council and Parliament;

- the proposed support rates for inland waterway priority projects and energy priority projects were not accepted;

- the Article concerning the non-cumulation of Community financial aid, was deleted. Although the Commission would have preferred that this paragraph had been maintained, it considers that the principle of non-cumulation is not affected;

- it was made clear in the text that the work programmes only apply the criteria laid down in the guidelines decisions and the TEN-Regulation and do not add, amend or reduce non-essential elements of the basic act;

- Article 9 was changed in order to ensure consultation of the regulatory committee for the Commission decision on the amount of financial aid to be granted to the projects or part of projects selected;

- Article 15, concerning the committee that is to be consulted for certain Commission decisions – for example concerning the work programme – was changed in order to have a regulatory instead of a consultation committee