PREPARED
Policy Rethink: Enhanced Planning and Governance for North Sea-Rhine-Mediterranean Corridor
The PREPARED project builds on the framework of the Trans-European Transport Network, which is a cornerstone of European Union transport policy and a key instrument for strengthening sustainable mobility as well as economic, social, and territorial cohesion. In line with the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, the TEN-T Regulation of 2013 has been revised and adopted (June 2024) to support the transition to cleaner, greener, and smarter mobility. The updated regulation aligns infrastructure planning with operational needs by integrating rail, road, and waterways, consolidating the core network corridors with rail freight corridors into the ‘European Transport Corridors.’
The revised TEN-T regulation merges the Rhine-Alpine (RALP) and North Sea-Mediterranean (NSM) Corridors into the North Sea Rhine Mediterranean Corridor (NSRM). The NSRM connects Belgium, Ireland, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, linking cities from Dublin and Cork to Paris, Strasbourg, Amsterdam, and Marseille. The Rhine-Alpine Corridor, stretching 1,200 km from Rotterdam to Genoa, is a key transport backbone, serving seven countries and a fifth of the EU’s population. It connects major North Sea ports to Northern Italy, with a unique governance structure, the EGTC RALP, in place since 2015.
This targeted analysis should form the basis for facilitating connections with new territories/partners in the eastern and western part of the new corridor and stimulate development of an integrated governance approach, considering all policy levels from the local to European. It may serve as a blueprint or good practice for other transport corridors, too. This represents added value for all stakeholders involved including how to valorise the merged corridor with regard to exploiting funding opportunities.
Stakeholders
The Interregional Alliance for the Rhine-Alpine Corridor- EGTC RALP (Germany) is the lead stakeholder.
Other stakeholders:
- Rhine-Rhône high-speed line association – Rhine-Rhône HSL (France);
- METREX Network for European Metropolitan Regions and Areas (Belgium);
- A.L.S.E.A. Lombard Freight Forwarders and Haulers Association (Italy)
- Metropolitan City of Milan – MCM (Italy).
The project is funded by ESPON EGTC, which is in turn Co-Funded by the European Union via Interreg.