Mediterranean Corridor

Connecting Europe | Iveta Radicova | Mediterranean Corridor (audio file)

CEF support to Mediterranean Corridor - May 2020

CEF support to Mediterranean Corridor - April 2018

Overview

The Mediterranean Corridor is the main east-west axis in the TEN-T Network south of the Alps. It runs between the south-western Mediterranean region of Spain and the Ukrainian border with Hungary, following the coastlines of Spain and France and crossing the Alps towards the east through Italy, Slovenia and Croatia and continuing through Hungary up to its eastern border with Ukraine. The corridor primarily consists of road and rail, aside from the Po River, several canals in Northern Italy and the Rhone River from Lyon to Marseille. The corridor is approximately 3000 km long; it will provide a multimodal link for the ports of the Western Mediterranean with the center of the EU. It will also create an east-west link through the southern part of the EU, contribute to a modal shift from road to rail in sensitive areas such as the Pyrenees and the Alps, and connect some of the major urban areas of the EU with high-speed trains.

Main bottlenecks and missing links

The key section of the corridor is the new cross-border rail link between France and Italy (Lyon-Turin). In addition, the cross-border links with Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary need to be taken into account. Multimodal connections with ports in Spain and France have to be developed and some railway sections in Italy and France need to be upgraded in order to remove key bottlenecks. The coexistence of two gauges (1668 mm in Spain and 1435mm in the other countries) is another challenge for this corridor, as is the full integration of the newest Member State, Croatia.

Success stories

The 621 km Madrid-Barcelona high-speed line, opened in February 2008, has seen millions of passengers move from air and road to rail due to the reduction of journey times between the two cities from 5 hrs to 2 hrs 38 mins. This line was extended towards France via the Perpignan-Figueras cross-border tunnel and links Spain to the trans-European high-speed network. High-speed passenger services between Barcelona and Paris started in December 2013.

CEF: Pre-identified projects

Working Group on Freight Transport in the Mediterranean Corridor – Malpensa Airport, 4 March 2022

This is was the first working group of the Mediterranean Corridor held in presence since the Covid pandemic had started.

The main objective was to discuss with around 50 stakeholders the latest developments/investments on the Mediterranean Corridor with regard to mobilisation and dynamisation of freight operations. Presentations were heard from various stakeholders representing differing modes of transport including air, railways and inland waterways.

Signature of the financial protocol for the implementation of railway investments in the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur – core railway lines from Marseille to the border in Ventimiglia, 28 February 2022.

The Coordinator participated in the online event and provided a welcoming speech for the ceremony in the title. It gathered various regional stakeholders and the Ministry of Transport, including the Minister Djebbari.

The signing of the financial protocol is a major breakthrough for acceleration of a global project aimed at modernisation of core railway lines between Marseille and the border with Italy. The investment also envisages significant works in urban nodes with the intention to build modern multimodal hubs and improve connectivity within various modes of transport in this highly dense and congested region.

Online seminar by European Coordinators, 18 January 2022

Coordinators discussed in detail the Commission’s proposal concerning the TEN-T revision.

Online Discussion with representatives of UNII (Unione Navigazione Interna Italiana) on the inland waterway system in Italy, 16 December 2021

The discussion focused on the development of the inland waterway system in Italy (PO river). It offers a great potential in terms of cargo routing between Venice-Cremona and proximity of Milan.

Inter-governmental Commission CIG Lyon-Turin, 15 December 2021

The Coordinator participated in the meeting of CIG Lyon-Turin. Discussion and her intervention focused on the necessary planning with regard to access lines on both sides of the base tunnel. She called for greater synchronisation of planning and works and symmetry in capacity of access lines.

XVI Mediterranean Corridor Forum meeting, 24 November 2021

Regular exchange with all stakeholders of the Mediterranean Corridor. Exchange of views focused, in particular, on the upcoming TEN-T revision, the first call for proposal under CEF II, updated from stakeholders on ongoing and planned investments.

TEN-T Conference organised by the European Economic and Social Committee, 15 November 2022

The Coordinator gave a keynote speech on contribution of the TEN-T policy to European Green Deal.

Connecting Europe Express, events in Strasbourg and Paris, 6-7 October 2022

Seminar of European Coordinators in Strasbourg – discussion on TEN-T revision.

Meetings with stakeholders on the Connecting Europe Express train between Strasbourg and Paris.

Ministerial meeting in Brdo, 23 September 2021

Exchange of views with Transport Ministers on the revision of TEN-T.

Connecting Europe Express train, 5-7 September 2021

The Coordinator participated in a number of event related to journey of the Connecting Europe Express train across Europe. It was an occasion for exchange of views with relevant stakeholders of the Mediterranean Corridor, in particular:

Visit to Saint Martin La Porte construction site (base tunnel) and exchange of views with Minister Djebbari, participation in ceremonies at stations in Chambery, Turin, and Milano. Meeting with journalists representing region of Lombardia.

September 2020

Publication of the Coordinator’s IV Work Plan for the Mediterranean Corridor together with a video message from Ms Iveta Radicova.

24 June 2020, online meeting with representatives of Member States responsible for the Mediterranean Corridor

The meeting aimed at exchanging views on the latest developments in TEN-T policy. Discussions focused on the latest revision of the Coordinator’s IV Work Plan for the Mediterranean Corridor.

Seminars of European Coordinators, online, 24 April, 18 June, 22 September 2020

The European Coordinators held together three online seminars with the objective to discuss latest developments related to transport policy. In particular, they focused on the impact of COVID pandemics on the transport sector, exchanged views on possible delays with investments on core sections of corridors, and discussed jointly the Next Generation Europe program. They highlighted potentially positive impact of the planned Recovery and Resilience Facility on continued transport investment in Europe and its complementary role vis a vis already programmed CEF funding.

29-30 January 2020, The European Coordinator, Ms Iveta Radičová visit to Marseille

The section between Marseille and the Italian border will become part of the Mediterranean Corridor as from 2021.

The Coordinator held a number of meetings with regional authorities and discussed planned maritime and railway projects on this saturated section of the Corridor. The following meetings and exchange of views were organised:

Management of the port of Marseille (GPMM)
SNCF Réseau on future development of the railway station Marseille Saint-Charles.
Meeting with the regional authorities of Nice and Monaco – important transport nodes on the section between Marseille and Ventimiglia.

Participation in the meeting of Inter-Governmental Commission, Turin, 11 December 2019

Coordinator Radičova participated in the annual meeting of the Inter-Governmental Commission France-Italy, responsible for the monitoring of progress achieved with regard to Lyon-Turin project.

This Commission stems directly from articles of the bilateral treaty between France and Italy on the construction of cross-border base tunnel.

It was the first occasion for the Coordinator to present herself in front of this particular Commission. She underlined Europe’s unequivocal support to the project as confirmed by the large volume of co-financing from CEF funding. She also welcomed recent progress achieved on the construction site both in terms of visible progress in the tunnel (9km completed) as well as fulfilment of important steps related to ongoing tendering of additional boring machines.

The Coordinator participated also in the joint press conference together with the President of Piemonte, Mr Alberto Cirio, as well as Managing Director of TELT, Mr Mario Virano.

TEN-T Coordinators Seminar, Brussels 10 December 2019

Coordinator Radičova attended the bi-annual seminar of the TEN-T Coordinators at INEA.

The seminar allowed for different exchanges between the Coordinators, the representatives of DG MOVE and INEA on the current state of play of CEF and the projects management/results. The reallocation of reflow funding has been analysed and future priorities have been discussed. A very interesting meeting took place in the afternoon with a delegation of representatives of the “chefs” of the large tunnel projects in Europe.

This was an excellent opportunity to exchange views about the long term planning and investments of very large projects.

Mediterranean Corridor Working Group meeting on ports, Valencia, 26 November 2019

The meeting gathered all representatives of core ports situated along the Mediterranean Core Network Corridor. They discussed major trends in the sector and the necessity to address them through a coherent set of future

investments in the port area. In particular, a discussion related to the issue of decarbonisation and transition to green shipping, connectivity with hinterland, and growing importance of short sea shipping.

14^th meeting of the Mediterranean Corridor Forum meeting, Brussels, 20 November 2019

In total around 100 participants from all corridor countries attended the meeting. Coordinator Iveta Radičova outlined her activities since the last forum. Presentations were given on:

An overview of the studies on the Mediterranean Corridor;
The infrastructure needs from the rail market perspective until 2023;
The state of play of the CEF-funded Actions implemented on the corridor;
Presentation on CEF 2019 multi-annual work program (MAP);
Update on the TENtec with a demonstration of the website new functionalities;
Presentation on Padova Rail Road Terminal project;
Presentation on the European ITS Platform;
Update regarding the situation on the project of new railway between Montpellier-Narbonne-Perpignan.

West Med Sea basin event, 30 October 2019, Madrid

The meeting was organised under the auspices of Coordinator Kurt Bodewig responsible for the Motorways of the Sea. The working group addressed the Western Mediterranean sea basin and was organised jointly with the European Coordinators Pat Cox (Scan-Med Corridor) and Iveta Radicova (MED Corridor) and hosted by the Spanish Ministry of Public Works & Transport and ‘Puertos del Estado’. The seminar addressed the issue of "Connecting TEN-T corridors and sustainable MoS in the West Med Sea basin”. Around 100 participants participated in the event and discussed about the evolution of maritime transport in the West Med area, about tools and technologies to boost environmental protection and finally yet importantly about an improved connectivity within and outside EU borders.

Coordinator Radičová held also a bilateral meeting with the Spanish Minister of Transport Mr José Luis Abalos.

European Coordinator Iveta RADICOVA participation in the Logistic and Maritime Forum, La Spezia, 16 October 2019

The Coordinator participated in the logistic and maritime forum organised by the port of La Spezia. This port will become part of the Mediterranean Corridor as from 2021. The Coordinator delivered a keynote speech on the TEN-T policy and investments. La Spezia is the second container port in Italy (after Genoa). High modal shift for railways. Around 35% of goods moved by rail to hinterland.

Working Group meetings about France-Spain rail connections, 25 September 2019, Paris

In follow-up of the meeting and an agreement between Commissioner Bulc and the Transport Ministers of France, Spain and Portugal in April 2018, a Working Group was set up by France and Spain to develop a calendar of interventions on the France-Spain cross-border rail connections. In particular, the Bordeaux-Vitoria line on the Atlantic Corridor and the Montpellier-Barcelona line on the Mediterranean Corridor. This work aims to increase the capacity of the lines for freight transport, in order to address the growing freight transport flows to and from the Iberian Peninsula, in the context of France having postponed the construction of new high-speed lines.

Hearing of the European Coordinator in the European Parliament, Brussels, 24 September 2019

Iveta Radičová took part in the hearing of several European Coordinators in the European Parliament. She provided the members of the TRAN Committee with information on the development of the Mediterranean Core Network Corridor, as well as on the European Coordinators’ way of working. Members of the EP took the floor to ask questions or make comments on issues of horizontal nature but also specific to the Corridor, such as CEF investments in Spain or Lyon-Turin project.

Conference on the Mediterranean Corridor, Turin, 26 June 2019

Event organised by Confindustria Piemont. The Coordinator delivered the keynote speech and had extensive contacts with the Italian press. Discussion mostly centred on progress achieved with regard to Lyon-Turin project.

28^th meeting of the Administrative Council TELT SAS, Paris, 25 June 2019

The Coordinator participated in the regular TELT Board of Directors meeting.

13^th Mediterranean Corridor Forum meeting, Brussels, 19 June 2019

Regular meeting of the Corridor Forum gathering stakeholders responsible for the implementation of the Mediterranean Corridor. Update on Commission’s initiatives and discussion on major projects developed on the Corridor.

Participation in the Annual General Assembly of the Transalpine Committee, Lyon, 4 June 2019

The Coordinator delivered a keynote speech on Lyon-Turin project highlighting the importance of access lines to the tunnel on the French side. She then discussed with regional authorities on future phasing and planning of projects related to access lines linking in the future the agglomeration of Lyon with the base tunnel.

The Coordinator visited also the Lyon inland port and the logistic platform at Saint Exupéry airport, where she discussed, respectively, with CNR ongoing and planned projects in the port and the current investment planning around the Lyon urban node.

Meeting of the Working Group on cross-border cooperation along the TEN-T Mediterranean Corridor, Port of Trieste, 15 May 2019

Major objective of the working group was to identify challenges and remaining bottlenecks to improve the functioning of cross-border sections along of this crucial corridor. The idea is to come up with a list of operational conclusions that could be addressed, by the Coordinator, in contact with various interlocutors (state/regional/infra managers level) with a view to resolve them (short term/long term) and assure coherent investment planning following the logic of the Corridor.

Visit by the European Coordinator to Zagreb, 24 April 2019

The visit was a part of Coordinator’s broader planning – visits to all capitals situated along the Mediterranean Corridor in first months of Coordinator’s mandate. The Coordinator met with the delegation of the Ministry of Sea and Transport Infrastructure headed by the State Secretary Nikolina Brnjac. Discussion centred around the Croatian transport strategy, its links with investment planning along the MED Corridor and exchange of views on ongoing implementation of CEF. Port of Rijeka is a cornerstone of the HR National Transport Strategy 2017-2030. Thus, focus on CEF railway projects (delayed) situated in sections between Rijeka-Zagreb - Hungarian border.

Working Group on Urban Nodes, Milan 1 April 2019

European Coordinators Iveta Radičová and Paweł Wojciechowski presided over a joint Working Group meeting of the Mediterranean and Rhine-Alpine Core Network Corridors. The purpose of the session was to share experiences and best practices in tackling transport policy challenges faced by urban nodes. Discussion focused on such issues as soft mobility, congestion, charging schemes, public acceptance, etc.

Meeting with the AIPo, 27 March 2019, Mantova

Exchange of views with regard to achievements and development needs necessary for the completion of the Po inland navigation system.

Meeting with the Slovenian State Secretary and visit to 2TDK consortium, 13 March 2019, Ljubljana

Exchange of views on the state of implementation of CEF projects in Slovenia, including future planning and investment priorities.

Dedicated visit to the consortium (2TDK) responsible for the construction of the second railway track in the section of Koper- Divača.

Meeting with representative of the Hungarian Ministry for Innovation and Technology, 20 February 2019, Budapest

Exchange of views on the state of implementation of CEF projects in Hungary. Discussion on future investment planning with a specific attention to Budapest urban node. Presentation on the CEF II proposal and a discussion on “lessons learnt” from the current multi-annual financial perspective.

Meeting with the French Minister of Transport, Ms Elisabeth Borne, 24 January 2019, Paris

Four Coordinators participated in the meeting - Peter Balazs, Carlo Secchi, Iveta Radicova and Matthias Ruete.

The exchange of views related to the ongoing debate on “Loi d ’Orientation des Mobilités” and its links and impact on the EU TEN-T policy. Key projects per corridor were highlighted.

Iveta Radičová in Brussels, Seminar of European Coordinators for TEN-T policy, 19 December 2018

The European Coordinators held a seminar in Brussels to review the progress made in TEN-T policy, discuss strategic issues for the preparation of the next multi-annual financial framework. The seminar included a session with Commissioner Violeta Bulc.

European Coordinator Iveta Radičová in Barcelona, 9-10 December 2018

European Coordinator’s agenda featured the following activities:

Visit to Le Perthus tunnel – cross border section ES/FR on the mixed high-speed line linking Figueres (Barcelona) with Perpignan.
Meeting with the Catalan Transport Administration and the Spanish Commissioner for the Mediterranean Corridor.
Participation in the Catalan Strategic Table of the Mediterranean Corridor
Meeting with the President of port of Barcelona
Discussion with shippers and rail operators on main problems/challenges with regard to combined transport, out and into the region.

European Coordinator Iveta Radičová in Brussels, 22 November 2018

The European Coordinator chaired the XII Mediterranean Corridor Forum meeting. It was the first occasion to meet all transport stakeholders and Member States situated along this particular Core Network Corridor and discuss the most pressing issues (80 people attended), including the timetable for the 3rd phase of Corridor study.

The Coordinator met also bilaterally with the following delegations:

The Spanish Commissioner for the Mediterranean Corridor, Mr Josep Boira
The Minister of Murcia region, Mr Jose Valverde
The Catalan Secretary of Infrastructure and Mobility, Mr Isidre Gavin
Vice-President of the Regional Council of Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, Mr Philippe Tabarot

European Coordinator Iveta Radičová in Torino, 21 November 2018

The Coordinator visited the construction site of the future rail Mont Cenise Base tunnel linking Lyon-Turin with modern rail connection in full compliance of the TEN-T standards. The Coordinator was present at the Saint Martin La Porte construction site hearing a general briefing on the ongoing project, descending into the gallery and meeting with a large number of journalist representing Italian and French Media.

The latest state of play was also discussed with Tunnel Euralpin Lyon Turin (TELT), a public promoter responsible for the construction and supervision of the project.

Seminar of the European Coordinators, 5 October 2018, Brussels

European Coordinators gathered in Brussels on 5 October 2018 to discuss topics of common concern, such as the further evolution of the TEN-T and the state of play of the Commission proposal on a Connecting Europe Facility 2. Horizontal priorities (ERTMS and Motorways of the Sea), cross-border cooperation, military mobility were also on the agenda. Coordinators welcomed Ms Jensen, Ms Radicova and Mr Ruete as new members of the team and expressed their gratitude to Mr Brinkhorst and Mr Simpson whose mandate as Coordinator ended on 15 September 2018.

Mediterranean Corridor

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