Activites

• 1999/04/14 Final act published in Official Journal
• 1999/01/13 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0017/1999 summary

    The resolution drafted by Alessandro DANESIN (I,EPP) supporting the involvement of the private sector in TENs programmes with high priority given to environmental protection was approved by the European Parliament. The report expresses the Parliament's conviction that without private investment the EU will fail to make significant progress with TENs within a reasonable time. The Parliament considers that TENs policy and financing should respect the goals of a sustainable mobility policy, promoting a more integrated use of all transport modes, in particular, intermodal transport favouring more environmentally-friendly modes, respect for the environment and safety, as well as the internationalisation of external transport costs and suitable arrangements to ensure that infrastructure users contribute to the relevant investment and maintenance costs. In the view of the Parliament, the success of public-private partnerships (PPPs) depends upon respect for an equilibrium between commercial and socio-economic criteria in project planning and a suitable division of risks. It considers that at both national and Community level, a suitable framework is required for the mobilisation of the private sector in the area of infrastructure, in particular by creating conditions of legal security. The Parliament appeals to Member States to devote at least 1.5% of their budget resources to TENs, especially in view of the multiplier effect of such investment for the economy and jobs. Finally, it requests that the Commission make proposals for new forms of long-term funding and, in cooperation with the EIB and the EIF, examine the possibility of improving the existing Community financial resources.�

• 1999/01/12 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 1998/10/27 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0372/1998
• 1998/01/16 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• #2032
• 1997/10/13 Council Meeting
  • 2032
• #2031
• 1997/10/09 Council Meeting
• 1997/09/10 Non-legislative basic document published
  • COM(1997)0453 summary

    OBJECTIVE: this communication describes how the Commission intends to follow up the recommendations of the High-Level Group on Public-Private Partnership Financing of Trans- European Transport Network Projects. SUBSTANCE: the report of the High-Level Group, set up at Commissioner Kinnock's initiative in September 1996, indicates that Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are an essential instrument in the development of the Trans-European Networks (TEN) envisaged in the Maastricht Treaty. The Commission therefore intends to take rapid action on the recommendations of the High-Level Group for action by the Commission in order to assist in the creation of PPPs for financing TEN projects. The Commission calls on the Member States to identify very quickly the specific projects for which the establishment of a PPP would be appropriate. The Commission for its part has identified a certain number of projects on which it will concentrate its efforts with a view to speeding up the conclusion of agreements on a PPP structure, the establishment of which would be entrusted primarily to the private sector: the HST south; the PKBAL, Dutch section; the Brenner tunnel; the new Berlin airport; the Semmering tunnel and the Piraeus-Athens rail link. The Commission also announced a series of initiatives in progress or for the future: - the establishment of revised guidelines on the application of EC public procurement legislation to transport infrastructure concessions; - clarification of the guidelines on the application of EC competition legislation; - discussions with the EIB and EIF on the possible development of structurally subordinated and early operational loans; - consultation of private sector investors on the possibility of setting up a mezzanine fund focused on TENs; - consideration of possible methodologies for assessing project benefits at a European level and establishment of a European database. Lastly the Member States are urged to make strong efforts to implement those recommendations of the High-Level Group requiring action on their part. They are therefore asked to: - seek to involve the private sector at the earliest possible stage of infrastructure project development; - work to remove barriers to the creation of ad-hoc project vehicle companies; - press ahead with the reform of their railway industries; - cooperate with the private sector in developing the necessary instruments to finance projects; - integrate environmental consideration at the earliest possible stage into their planning process. �

• #1846
• 1995/05/22 Council Meeting
  • 1846 summary

    The Council took note of the details that Commissioner KINNOCK provided on the progress of the priority projects defined in the conclusions of the European Council meeting in Essen and of their financing requirements. The Council agreed to return to this matter at its forthcoming meeting in June with a view to preparing the proceedings of the European Council meeting in Cannes. To that end, it asked the Commission to prepare a specific timetable - project by project - for the financing.

Documents

• Debate in Council: 1846
• Non-legislative basic document published: COM(1997)0453
• Debate in Council: 2032
• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A4-0372/1998
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0017/1999

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)