Shaping the future of core network corridors – improved dialogue for smart and sustainable transports

On 24^th and 25^th October 2016 in Milan, Italy, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) organised an important conference in the process of shaping Europe’s core network corridors. It was organised together with the Region of Lombardy and a group of Italian stakeholders, among them the Ferrovie dello Stato Group, in close cooperation with the European Commission (DG MOVE).

As underlined many times during the conference, the core network corridors are now mapped and the European Coordinators have submitted work plans with proposals for measures and actions. The importance of the use of ITS, efficient management and the promotion of future-oriented clean transport solutions are the most important pillars. However, many crucial questions concerning infrastructure and regulatory issues still need to be addressed. The conference focused mainly on the Southern and Central Europe Corridor, and dialogue between authorities and civil society aiming at the development and improvement of the corridor.

On the first day, the conference began with keynote speeches by high-level policy-makers and civil society representatives. Among them, they discussed the main Italian institutions (Ministry of Infrastructures and Transports, Trade Unions, European Parliament, Industrial Association, Region Lombardy, Italian Railways), and the commissaries and directors of the main European projects on the TEN-T corridors, with a specific focus on the most important Italian new railways (Turin-Lyon, the Brenner tunnel, Naples-Bari and Milan-Genoa railway lines).

On the second day by three parallel breakout sessions, which gave the participants an opportunity to take part in the following in‑depth discussions:

• Social dialogue: Better dialogue for better solutions, with a focus on specific projects in regions where participatory dialogue could have clear added value and potential for improving implementation. Indeed, a transparent and a structured exchange of views between civil society European, national and local authorities at different levels that ensure access to information offer the best way for ensuring public acceptance and support for TEN-T Project.
• Financing solutions, presenting the possibilities of the CEF, EFSI and structural/regional funds, PPP solutions. The governance system is a key driver of efficient implementation and development of the work plans for the Core Network Corridors as a step toward coordinated cross border planning in the corridors to achieve coherent capacity and avoid bottlenecks.
• Efficient smarter and greener transport solutions and corridors. The objective of reducing transport-related GHG emissions by 60% can therefore still be considered to be relevant and in line with the EU’s general objective under COP 21, provided the associated actions and initiatives are implemented urgently, with the necessary determination and as soon as possible.

The conference aimed at demonstrating the potential of a participatory dialogue between authorities and civil society as a problem solver and as a means to gain time and support for Core Corridors projects.

In addition, the conference was a means of promotion of the Talking Transport platform, an EESC´s website intended to support a structured dialog between the civil society and authorities on transport issues. The dialogue would improve understanding and acceptance of policy measures and quality and efficiency of the decisions to be taken.

Source: On the MoS Way