The European Union is supporting the TEN-T implementation by several EU financial instruments and by loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Grants, in particular under the TEN-T Programme and the Cohesion and European Development Funds, play a major role in both project preparation and implementation phases. Grants are allocated to studies (from feasibility studies to comprehensive technical or environmental studies and costly geological explorations), helping to overcome early stage project difficulties, and to the works phase. A key issue for the implementation of the TEN-T Programme is to link the efficient allocation of grants to the projects' European added value so as to ensure the best value for EU money.
In this context, the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA or the Agency) was created in 2006 to implement and manage the TEN-T programme on behalf of the Commission.
| European Commission (DG MOVE): defines the policy | TEN-T EA: turns the policy into action |
| • Makes political decisions regarding the TEN-T programme • Defines strategy, objectives and priority areas of action • Takes the final financing decisions • Monitors and supervises the Agency | • Implements the TEN-T programme on behalf of the European Commission and under its responsibility • Efficiently manages entire project lifecycle, including: o Organising calls and evaluations o Giving support to Member States • Prepares financing decisions • Provides key feedback to the European Commission |
Two fundamental legal documents guide the allocation of EU financial support in the transport sector and provide information about the specific types of projects which are funded and in what amounts:
• TEN-T Guidelines: Decision N° 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 provides EU guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network
• TEN Regulation: Regulation (EC) No 680/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2007 lays down general rules for the granting of EU financial aid in the field of the trans-European transport and energy networks.
The financial envelope for the implementation of the TEN-T Programme under the TEN Regulation for the period 2007-2013 is EUR 8.013 billion to support studies or works which contribute to the TEN-T programme objectives. The budget also includes EUR 500 million for the Loan Guarantee Instrument known as LGTT, an innovative financial instrument set up and developed jointly by the European Commission and the EIB which aims at facilitating a larger participation of the private sector in the financing of TEN-T infrastructure (please also see Annex I). Another EUR 80 million of the budget has been allocated to the Marguerite Fund23.
The majority of the TEN-T funding is provided through grants. To allow this funding to ultimately improve the European transport network and increase mobility, there is a specific sequence of activities which need to take place in order to award it. These activities are summarised below.
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23 For more on the Marguerite Fund, please see http://www.margueritefund.eu/.