While the environmental, economic and connectivity benefits of completing the Trans-European Transport network (TEN-T) are immense, the procedures that this entails are quite complex, which has led to delays of TEN-T implementation, especially in the case of cross-border projects.
The Directive 2021/1187 on streamlining measures for advancing the realisation of the trans-European transport network, entered into force on 9 August 2021, aims to ensure a better coordination and an effective realisation of key TEN-T core network projects by making permit granting and public procurement procedures clearer.
The Directive covers pre-identified cross-border and missing links of the core network corridors and corridors project exceeding € 300 million, to ensure:
- That Member States designate one Designated Authority for each project or permit granting procedure.
- Simplified procedures with a permit granting authorisation limited to 4 years
- Clearer and transparent permit granting procedures for both project promoters and relevant authorities
- Better coordination for cross-border permit granting and procurement
To minimise delays, national authorities have to give priority to projects covered by the Streamlining Directive in granting procedures. The Streamlining does not apply to projects for which the permit-granting procedures started before 10 August 2023, which is also the deadline for transposition.
Following two workshops with Member States on the transposition of the Streamlining Directive, DG MOVE has developed Guidelines on its application and a non-paper of the challenges and best practices in the transposition of Directive.