EU and Eastern Partnership transport ministers met in Luxembourg this autumn to assess current progress and endorse the next steps for improving transport connections.
The EU has launched a range of flagship initiatives since the creation of the Eastern Partnership, whose member states are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, which are regularly discussed within the relevant multilateral platform. An assessment of them will be conducted in this period and the EU will reflect on possible new flagship initiatives in the run up to the next Eastern Partnership Summit, in the framework of programming for the 2014-2020 programming period to be implemented from 2014.
As a next step, the Eastern Partnership Summit to be held in Vilnius on 28 and 29 November 2013 is expected to endorse some concrete and achievable targets resulting from transport cooperation. Following the summit, the Eastern Partnership Transport Panel will oversee continuing technical cooperation to advance regulatory convergence and the implementation of specific projects.
Transport cooperation with the Eastern Partnership countries is essential for increasing trade links and bringing the eastern and western halves of the European continent closer together. The EU’s focus is on helping the partner countries to converge with EU rules in all transport modes, as well as on improving transport infrastructure and connections between the EU and its closest neighbours.
Harmonization with the EU legislation and gradual market integration are included in the objectives. The partner countries have started reforms to align their transport systems with EU transport standards. The association agreements that the EU has negotiated with several partner countries envisage more regulatory convergence in transport.
Partner countries have agreed on priority connections in road, railway, air and sea transport in the Eastern Partnership region. Most importantly, this network connects with the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) and will serve as guidance for future investments.
The upgrade of the railway line between Georgia and Azerbaijan is among those which partner countries have identified as priorities for improving connections with the EU and within the region. These projects could benefit from financing under existing EU funds and loans from international financial institutions.
The EU promises to facilitate partner countries’ participation in the work of EU agencies and the EU programmes which are open to them on the basis of the relevant Communication of the Commission. By the end of 2013, protocols allowing further Eastern Partnership countries to participate in EU programmes will have been negotiated based on mutual agreement.
While transport sector reforms covering all transport modes have been started, they are far from complete. Most countries are gradually aligning with EU transport standards. A high level of transport safety, security and social standards is crucial for closer integration of the partner countries in the EU’s transport system.
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