Final approval for new TEN-T regulation

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The EU Council  approved the new trans-European transport network (TEN-T) development regulation. Before being published in the EU’s official journal, the act must be signed by the EU Council and European Parliament presidents. The regulation will take effect 20 days after publication.

The EU Council expects the process to finish in weeks. The TEN-T law guides EU Member States in creating a unified intermodal transport network.

The EU Council gave the final approval after the European Parliament approved the new TEN-T rule two months earlier. The updated edition emphasises military mobility and multimodality and provides migration instructions for nations with rail gauges other than 1435 mm.

The new TEN-T rule has many benefits, notably for the rail sector, but there are still some concerns. Industry players say the ERTMS plan should prioritise on-board deployment, while the EU focuses on trackside implementation. The lack of coordination between countries and ERTMS levels is also criticised. The TENtec system, which should simplify EU country-institutional communication, also needs work. The new TEN-T regulation outlines TENtec implementation requirements but does not set a timeline.

Source:

https://www.railfreight.com/corridors/2024/06/14/eu-council-gives-final-approval-for-new-ten-t-regulation/

Mediation committee agrees on rail modernisation in Germany

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The German rail network renovation and modernization cost sharing disagreement between the federal and state governments has been resolved. Mediation helped the federal states greatly improve the Bundestag law. The refurbishment offensive includes railway stations and buildings.

The Bundestag-Bundesrat mediation committee agreement lays the groundwork for a substantial railway renovation campaign. Both the high-performance corridors and the local network will be updated.

A Federal Rail Infrastructure Expansion Act (BSWAG) change will allow the federal government to directly fund rail network modernization, maintenance, and repair, not simply building projects.  The committee’s accord proposal needs Bundestag and Bundesrat approval. The BSWAG amendment will be decided by the state chambers on Friday.

Source(in German):

Ministerium für Verkehr Baden-Württemberg

Brussels approves 570 million for Italian ports

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In May, the European Commission approved Italy’s €570 million state aid scheme to encourage ships in seaports to use land-based electricity. The Green Deal in Europe aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and noise.

This plan offers ship operators economic incentives to link to onshore electrical infrastructure in ports. This project, which runs until Dec. 31, 2033, covers up to 100% of “general system charges” in electricity prices, making shore-based electricity competitive with fossil-fueled on-board electricity.

Ship operators will pay much less for electricity, promoting greener choices. Italy monitors the cost differential between land-based and fossil-fueled power produced on board annually to adjust aid.

Source(in Italian): https://www.trasportoeuropa.it/notizie/marittimo/bruxelles-approva-570-milioni-italiani-per-i-porti/