PURPOSE: to adapt the trans-European transport networks in the event of Brexit without agreement.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2019/495 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 with regard to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union.

CONTENT: this Regulation amends Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the mechanism for connecting Europe facility (CEF) to provide new maritime links between Ireland and other EU countries in the corridor of the North Sea-Mediterranean Central Network corridor of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) in the event that the United Kingdom leaves the EU without a negotiated agreement. It also introduces a limited number of targeted amendments to ensure the continuity of infrastructure investment and to provide legal clarity and certainty for infrastructure planning.

Realignment of the central network corridor North Sea - Mediterranean

In order to avoid a situation in which the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor is separated into two distinct and unconnected parts and to ensure connectivity of Ireland with mainland Europe, the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor shall include new maritime links between the Irish ports and the ports of Belgium, France and the Netherlands which are part of that Corridor.

The Regulation provides for the ports of Shannon Foynes, Dublin and Cork on the Irish side to be linked to the ports of Le Havre, Calais and Dunkirk (France), Zeebrugge, Ghent and Antwerp (Belgium) and Terneuzen, Rotterdam and Amsterdam (Netherlands) on this corridor in order to provide a direct link between Ireland and the rest of the EU 27.

Investment priorities

The Regulation introduces a new funding priority for the connecting Europe facility, namely investments into equipment and infrastructure for security and checks on external borders should be a prioritised action in the last phase of implementation of the current programming period of the Connecting Europe Facility. To address those needs, the Commission should propose a new annual work programme.

The Commission shall carry out, by 2021, an early revision of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 on the Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, to take into account possible changes in the flow of goods once the United Kingdom leaves the Union.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 28.3.2019. The Regulation shall apply on the day following the date on which the 2013 CEF Regulation ceases to apply in the United Kingdom.

The European Parliament adopted by 573 votes to 21, with 25 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 as regards the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union.

The European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amended the Commission proposal as follows:

Ensuring Ireland's connectivity to continental Europe

In order to take into account the exceptional circumstances following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, the proposal aims to amend Regulation (EC) No 1316/2013 establishing the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) as regards the realignment of the trans-European transport network to provide new maritime links between Ireland and other EU countries and the continuity of infrastructure funding.

The amended text underlines the importance of developing the necessary infrastructure to maintain and support existing and future trade flows between Ireland and continental Europe. Maritime links are an essential means of ensuring Ireland's direct connectivity with continental Europe.

Adaptation of the North Sea - Mediterranean corridor

In order to avoid a situation in which the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor is separated into two distinct and unconnected parts and to ensure connectivity of Ireland with mainland Europe, the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor should include new maritime links between the Irish ports and the ports of Belgium, France and the Netherlands which are part of that Corridor.

In addition, a link between the North Sea – Mediterranean Corridor and the Atlantic Corridor via Le Havre, which is on the Atlantic Corridor, should ensure better connectivity and integration of the internal market.

In concrete terms, the proposed Regulation should amend Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 and modify the route of sections of the North Sea-Mediterranean Corridor by adding new maritime links between, on the one hand, Dublin and Cork, the Irish ports of the central network, and, on the other hand, the ports of the North Sea-Mediterranean Corridor located in France, Belgium and the Netherlands (Le Havre / Calais / Dunkirk - Zeebrugge / Terneuzen - Gent - Antwerp / Rotterdam/ Amsterdam ”.

Investment priorities

Investments into equipment and infrastructure for security and checks on external borders should be a prioritised action in the last phase of implementation of the current programming period of the Connecting Europe Facility.

To meet these needs, the Commission should propose a new annual work programme.

The Commission should, by 2021, carry out an early review of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013, in order to take into account possible changes in the flow of goods once the United Kingdom leaves the Union.

The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report by Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 with regard to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union.

Since the United Kingdom has notified its intention to withdraw from the EU, Union legislation should in principle cease to apply to the United Kingdom from 30 March 2019. If there are no transitional provisions in a withdrawal agreement, the United Kingdom will no longer be a member of the North Sea - Mediterranean corridor from the date of withdrawal.

The European Commission is therefore proposing to review the route of the North Sea-Mediterranean Corridor in order to avoid splitting it into two distinct parts, which would have the effect of cutting Ireland off from the mainland.

The committee recommended that the position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading in the framework of the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows.

Ensuring connectivity between Ireland and mainland Europe

In order to take account of the exceptional circumstances arising from the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, Members stressed the need to provide for connectivity between Ireland and mainland Europe by modifying the route and composition of the TEN-T corridors with a view to incorporating the maritime links between Irish and continental ports in the core and comprehensive networks.

North Sea-Mediterranean Corridor

In order to avoid the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor being separated into two distinct and unconnected parts and to ensure connectivity of Ireland with mainland Europe, Members considered it essential to create direct links with the territories and ports closest to Ireland on the existing corridor.

They also considered it vital to ensure that Ireland and Northern Ireland (in accordance with the Good Friday / Belfast agreement of 1998) are connected to the other Member States participating in the North Sea-Mediterranean corridor.

Members suggested that the proposed regulation should amend Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 and modify the route of sections of the North Sea-Mediterranean Corridor by adding new maritime links between, on the one hand, Dublin and Cork, the Irish ports of the central network, and, on the other hand, the ports of the North Sea-Mediterranean Corridor located in France, Belgium and the Netherlands (Le Havre / Calais / Dunkirk - Zeebrugge / Terneuzen - Gent - Antwerp / Rotterdam).

Atlantic Corridor

In a Europe of 27, in which France, Belgium and the Netherlands are geographically the closest Member States to Ireland, Members considered that the Atlantic Corridor should be realigned to connect Ireland to it and take account of existing and future flows. Accordingly, they proposed incorporating Ireland into the Atlantic Corridor and, where appropriate, incorporating new French ports into the core network, taking into account existing flows.

The Commission and the Member States should speed up the procedure for revising Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council1a so as to adapt the network maps to the changes in the flow of goods after the United Kingdom leaves the Union.

Infrastructure

Members proposed mobilising the funds remaining in the Connecting Europe Facility for the period 2019-2020 to adapt core network ports to the new flows between Ireland and the EU27, as well as to the new constraints associated with cross-Channel traffic.

In addition, the programmes of the transport component of the Connecting Europe Facility should make provision for calls for proposals to finance the development of new or existing transport infrastructure, to provide maritime links between Irish and continental ports in the core and comprehensive networks and adjustments to those links in the event of the re-establishment of an external border with the United Kingdom.

Emergency fund

The Commission should establish financial support complementing the CEF in the form of an emergency fund for adjustment to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the Union. The aim of that fund shall be to offset the negative impact of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal by helping transport stakeholders and local authorities establish in advance new maritime freight routes and make it easier for goods and persons to cross the border between the Union and the United Kingdom.

PURPOSE: to amend Annex I of Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 establishing the Connecting Europe Facility with regard to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: a Union funding instrument, the Connecting Europe Facility , was established by Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The aim of the Connecting Europe Facility is to enable projects of common interest to be prepared and implemented within the framework of the trans-European networks policy in the sectors of transport, telecommunications and energy.

Part I of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 sets out a list of nine core network corridors . Those corridors constitute an instrument to facilitate the coordinated implementation of the core network. They should contribute to the cohesion of the core network through improved territorial cooperation, address wider transport policy objectives and facilitate interoperability, modal integration and multimodal operations. Member States are required to participate in core network corridors.

The United Kingdom is part of the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor (the ‘NSM corridor’) which includes links between Belfast, Dublin and Cork on the island of Ireland and links in Great Britain from Glasgow and Edinburgh in the north to Folkestone and Dover in the south. Moreover, United Kingdom sections and nodes are included in the table of ‘pre-identified sections including projects’ of the core network corridors included in Part I of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013.

The United Kingdom submitted notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union. This means that, unless a ratified withdrawal agreement establishes another date, all Union primary and secondary law will cease to apply to the United Kingdom from 30 March 2019, (‘the withdrawal date’). The United Kingdom will then become a third country, a non-member of the Union. If transitional arrangements are not established in a withdrawal agreement, the United Kingdom will no longer be a member of the NSM corridor from 30 March 2019 .

Given the degree of integration between the Irish and United Kingdom economies, and Ireland’s location on the geographical edges of the Union, Ireland will be significantly affected by the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the Union. The United Kingdom is a vital transport link between Ireland and the continent.

The Commission proposes to revise the route alignment of the NSM corridor in order to prevent the corridor from being cut into two distinct parts, with Ireland no longer linked to the continental EU.

CONTENT: in order to avoid the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor being separated into two distinct and unconnected parts and to ensure connectivity of Ireland with mainland Europe, the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor should include maritime links between the Irish core ports and core ports of Belgium and the Netherlands .

The proposed Regulation, by amending Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013, would adjust the NSM corridor’s route alignment by adding new maritime links between the Irish core ports of Dublin and Cork and the NSM corridor’s ports in Belgium (Zeebrugge, Antwerp) and the Netherlands (Rotterdam), It would take effect from the date when the CEF Regulation no longer applies to the United Kingdom, and therefore the United Kingdom no longer be part of the NSM corridor.