EC to Release EUR 1.26 B to Fund Key TEN-T Projects

The European Commission has said it will allocate EUR 1.26 B to finance projects under the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).

The Commission announced the launch of two 2012 TEN-T Calls for Proposals, adding that it will finance transport infrastructure projects in all transport modes – air, rail, road, and maritime/inland waterways – plus logistics and intelligent transport systems.

The budget will be distributed among a number of spheres, including 30 30 TEN-T Priority Projects which are to absorb a total of EUR 725 M.

Two of the projects, Priority Project 7 and Priority Project 22, cross Bulgaria's territory.

Priority Project 7 envisages the construction of Motorway axis Igoumenitsa/Patra-Athina-Sofia-Budapest.

Priority Project 22 envisages the construction of Railway axis Athina–Sofia–Budapest–Wien–Praha–Nurnberg/Dresden.

After the latest update to the Network in 2011, the Hemus Highway and four high-speed roads were included into it.

The remaining funding which the EC will make available will go to river information services, air traffic management, and Motorways of the Sea (MoS) providing viable alternatives for congested roads by shifting freight to sea routes.

The TEN-T Executive Agency (TEN-T EA) manages the technical and financial implementation of the TEN-T program, under the auspices of Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport.

The deadline for the submission of proposals is 28 February 2013.