Trans-European Transport Networks
Encyclopedia
The Trans-European Transport Networks are a planned set of road, rail, air and water transport networks designed to serve the entire continent of Europe
. The TEN-T networks are part of a wider system of Trans-European Networks
(TENs), including a telecommunications network (eTEN) and a proposed energy network (TEN-E or Ten-Energy). The European Commission
adopted the first action plans on trans-European networks (transport, energy and telecommunications) in 1990. The transport network is known as TEN-T.
TEN-T envisages coordinated improvements to primary roads, railways, inland waterways, airports, seaports, inland ports and traffic management systems, so as to provide integrated and intermodal long-distance high-speed routes for the movement of people and freight throughout Europe. A decision to adopt TEN-T was made by the European Parliament and Council
in July 1996, and as a result of this, the EU works to promote the networks by a combination of leadership, coordination, issuance of guidelines, and the funding of aspects of development through a series of projects.
These projects are technically and financially managed by the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency
(TEN-T EA), which was established exactly for this purpose by the European Commission in October 2006.
A document, in which the Decision No 1692/96/EC and the amending decisions have been consolidated, is available here (13 MB).
In general, TEN-T projects are nonetheless funded to a major extent by from national governments. Other funding sources include: European Community funds (ERDF
, Cohesion Funds, TEN-T budget), loans from international financial institutions (e.g. the European Investment Bank
), and private funding.
in 1994, the European Council
endorsed a list of 14 TEN-T ‘specific’ projects, drawn up by a group chaired by then Commission Vice-President Henning Christophersen
. Following the recommendations of 2003 from the Van Miert
high-level group on the TEN-T, the Commission compiled a new list of 30 priority projects to be launched before 2010.
The 30 axes and priority projects are listed below. A map showing the 30 projects, in PDF format, may be found here:
, which are paths between major urban centres
and port
s, mainly in Eastern Europe, which have been identified as requiring major investment.
The international E-road network
is a naming system for major roads in Europe managed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
. It numbers roads with a designation beginning with "E" (such as "E1").
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The TEN-T networks are part of a wider system of Trans-European Networks
Trans-European Networks
The Trans-European Networks were created by the European Union by Articles 154-156 of the Treaty of Rome , with the stated goals of the creation of an internal market and the reinforcement of economic and social cohesion...
(TENs), including a telecommunications network (eTEN) and a proposed energy network (TEN-E or Ten-Energy). The European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
adopted the first action plans on trans-European networks (transport, energy and telecommunications) in 1990. The transport network is known as TEN-T.
TEN-T envisages coordinated improvements to primary roads, railways, inland waterways, airports, seaports, inland ports and traffic management systems, so as to provide integrated and intermodal long-distance high-speed routes for the movement of people and freight throughout Europe. A decision to adopt TEN-T was made by the European Parliament and Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
in July 1996, and as a result of this, the EU works to promote the networks by a combination of leadership, coordination, issuance of guidelines, and the funding of aspects of development through a series of projects.
These projects are technically and financially managed by the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency
Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency
The Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency is an executive agency established by the European Commission in October 2006 in order to realise the technical and financial implementation of the TEN-T programme....
(TEN-T EA), which was established exactly for this purpose by the European Commission in October 2006.
Timeline for TEN-T guidelines
- TEN-T guidelines were initially adopted on the 23rd of July 1996, with Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network.
- In May 2001, the European Parliament and the Council adopted Decision No 1346/2001/EC, which amended the TEN-T Guidelines with respect to seaports, inland ports and intermodal terminals.
- In April 2004, the European Parliament and the Council adopted Decision No 884/2004/EC (added to the list by Decision No 884/2004/EC), amending Decision No 1692/96/EC on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network. The April 2004 revision was a more fundamental change to the TEN-T policy, intended to take account of EU enlargement and consequent expected changes in traffic flows.
A document, in which the Decision No 1692/96/EC and the amending decisions have been consolidated, is available here (13 MB).
Timeline for TEN-T funding
In order to give financial support to the implementation of the TEN-T guidelines, the Parliament and Council adopted the following rules:- Regulation (EC) No 2236/95 of 18 September 1995 laying down general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks.
- Regulation (EC) No 1655/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 July 1999 amending Regulation (EC) No 2236/95.
- Regulation (EC) No 807/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2236/95.
- Regulation (EC) No 680/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2007 laying down general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of the trans-European transport and energy networks.
In general, TEN-T projects are nonetheless funded to a major extent by from national governments. Other funding sources include: European Community funds (ERDF
European Regional Development Fund
The European Regional Development Fund is a fund allocated by the European Union.-History:During the 1960s, the European Commission occasionally tried to establish a regional fund. Only Italy ever supported this, however, and nothing came of it. Britain made it an issue for their accession in...
, Cohesion Funds, TEN-T budget), loans from international financial institutions (e.g. the European Investment Bank
European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank is the European Union's long-term lending institution established in 1958 under the Treaty of Rome. A policy-driven bank, the EIB supports the EU’s priority objectives, especially European integration and the development of economically weak regions...
), and private funding.
List of Trans-European Transport networks
The Trans-European Transport networks are:- Trans-European Road networkTrans-European road networkThe Trans-European road network was defined by Council Decision 93/629/EEC of October 29, 1993, and is a project to improve the internal road infrastructure of the European Union...
- Trans-European Rail networkTrans-European Rail networkThe Trans-European Rail network is made up of the Trans-European high-speed rail network as well as the Trans-European conventional rail network...
, which includes the Trans-European high-speed rail networkTrans-European high-speed rail networkThe Trans-European high-speed rail network , together with the Trans-European conventional rail network, make up the Trans-European Rail network, which in turn is one of a number of the European Union's Trans-European transport networks...
as well as the Trans-European conventional rail networkTrans-European conventional rail networkThe Trans-European conventional rail network, together with the Trans-European high-speed rail network, make up the Trans-European Rail network, which in turn is one of a number of the European Union's Trans-European transport networks... - Trans-European Inland Waterway networkTrans-European Inland Waterway networkThe Trans-European Inland Waterway network is one of a number of the Trans-European Transport Networks of the European Union.According to Article 11 of the Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the...
and inland ports - Trans-European Seaport networkTrans-European Seaport networkThe Trans-European Seaport network is one of a number of the Trans-European Transport Networks of the European Union.According to Article 12 of the Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European...
- Motorways of the SeaMotorways of the SeaMotorways of the Sea are a concept in the transport policy of the European Union, stressing the importance of sea transport. The main aim of these Motorways of the Sea is to improve port communications with peripheral regions of the European continent and thus strengthen the networks between the EU...
(added to the list by Decision No 884/2004/EC) - Trans-European Airport networkTrans-European Airport networkThe Trans-European Airport network is one of a number of the Trans-European Transport Networks of the European Union.According to Article 13 of the Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European...
- Trans-European Combined Transport networkTrans-European Combined Transport networkThe Trans-European Combined Transport network is one of a number of the Trans-European Transport Networks of the European Union.According to Article 14 of the Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the...
- Trans-European Shipping Management and Information network
- Trans-European Air Traffic Management network, which includes the Single European SkySingle European SkyThe Single European Sky is a European Commission initiative by which the design, management and regulation of airspace will be coordinated throughout the European Union ....
and SESARSingle European Sky ATM ResearchSingle European Sky ATM Research is the name given to the collaborative project that is intended to completely overhaul the European airspace and its Air Traffic Management .- Project :The SESAR project is composed of three phases :...
concepts - Trans-European Positioning and Navigation network, which includes the GalileoGalileo positioning systemGalileo is a global navigation satellite system currently being built by the European Union and European Space Agency . The €20 billion project is named after the famous Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei...
TEN-T Priority Axes and Projects
At its meeting in EssenEssen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
in 1994, the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
endorsed a list of 14 TEN-T ‘specific’ projects, drawn up by a group chaired by then Commission Vice-President Henning Christophersen
Henning Christophersen
Henning Christophersen is a Danish politician, a former vice-president of the European Commission , former leader of the Danish liberal party Venstre and former member of the European Convention....
. Following the recommendations of 2003 from the Van Miert
Karel Van Miert
Karel Van Miert was a socialist Flemish politician.He was born in Oud-Turnhout. He studied at Ghent University and gained a degree in diplomatic sciences. In 1976 he became adjunct-national secretary of the – at that time – unitary Belgian socialist party...
high-level group on the TEN-T, the Commission compiled a new list of 30 priority projects to be launched before 2010.
The 30 axes and priority projects are listed below. A map showing the 30 projects, in PDF format, may be found here:
- Railway axis Berlin–Verona/Milan–Bologna–Naples–Messina–Palermo - map
- High-speed railway axis Paris–Brussels–Cologne–Amsterdam–London - map
- High-speed railway axis of south-west Europe - map
- High-speed railway axis east - map
- Betuwe lineBetuwerouteThe Betuweroute is a double track freight railway from Rotterdam to Germany. Betuweroute is the official name, after the Betuwe area through which it passes, but the line is popularly referred to as Betuwelijn, after an older track in the same region. The Germans have named their part the...
- map - Railway axis Lyons–Trieste–Divača/ Koper–Divača–Ljubljana–Budapest–Ukrainian border - map
- Motorway axis Igoumenitsa/Patras–Athens–Sofia–Budapest - map
- Multimodal axis Portugal/Spain–rest of Europe - map
- Railway axis Cork–Dublin–Belfast–Stranraer - map
- Malpensa AirportMalpensa AirportMilano Malpensa Airport "City of Milan" , former "Aeroporto Città di Milano" is Milan's largest airport. It is located 39.97 km northwest of central Milan, Italy...
- map - Øresund Bridge - map
- Nordic triangle railway/road axis - map
- United Kingdom/Ireland/Benelux road axis - map
- West Coast Main LineWest Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
- map - Galileo - map
- Freight railway axis Sines/Algeciras-Madrid-Paris - map
- Railway axis Paris–Strasbourg–Stuttgart–Vienna–BratislavaMagistrale for EuropeThe Magistrale for Europe is a Trans-European Networks project for the creation of a high-speed railway line between Paris and Budapest. It TEN project No. 17 , and is already under way.....
- map - Rhine/Meuse–Main–Danube inland waterway axis - map
- High-speed rail interoperability on the Iberian peninsula - map
- Fehmarn belt railway axis - map
- Motorways of the sea - map
- Railway axis Athens–Sofia–Budapest–Vienna–Prague– Nuremberg/Dresden - map
- Railway axis Gdansk–Warsaw–Brno/Bratislava–Vienna - map
- Railway axis Lyons/Genoa–Basle–Duisburg–Rotterdam/Antwerp - map
- Motorway axis Gdansk–Brno/Bratislava–Vienna - map
- Railway/road axis Ireland/United Kingdom/continental Europe - map
- ‘Rail BalticaRail Balticathumb|300px|Map of Rail Baltica...
’ axis Warsaw–Kaunas–Riga–Tallinn–Helsinki - map - ‘Eurocaprail’ on the Brussels–Luxembourg–Strasbourg railway axis - map
- Railway axis of the Ionian/Adriatic intermodal corridor - map
- Inland waterway Seine–Scheldt -map
Related networks
In addition to the various TENs, there are ten Pan-European corridorsPan-European corridors
The ten Pan-European transport corridors were defined at the second Pan-European transport Conference in Crete, March 1994, as routes in Central and Eastern Europe that required major investment over the next ten to fifteen years. Additions were made at the third conference in Helsinki in 1997...
, which are paths between major urban centres
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
and port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
s, mainly in Eastern Europe, which have been identified as requiring major investment.
The international E-road network
International E-road network
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe . The network is numbered from E 1 up and its roads cross national borders...
is a naming system for major roads in Europe managed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. It is one of five regional commissions under the administrative direction of United Nations headquarters. It has 56 member states, and reports to the UN Economic and...
. It numbers roads with a designation beginning with "E" (such as "E1").
External links
- Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency
- Maps and Guidelines for TEN-T from the European Commission
- TEN-T - The Trans-European Transport Networks on the European Commission website
- Trans European transport network - The Trans-European Transport Networks - non-official comprehensive website
- Map of the 30 priority axes and projects