Auditors from the three Baltic countries see potential risks stemming from land purchase and also fear the lack of sources of funds after the end of EU financing in 2020, when Lithuania alone would still need up to EUR 2.5 billion.
Arunas Zabulionis, chief state auditor representing Lithuania in the joint task force of Baltic auditors, told BNS that the risks observed also included lack of infrastructure for the maintenance and repairs of the European-standard gauge railway, operations of the joint venture and the issues of environmental protection.
“Since Rail Baltica had been awarded with the status of national importance, land could be purchased under a stand-alone procedure, the auditor said.
“The issue of land purchase is very complicated as the project will involve ‘green field’ work between Kaunas and Lithuania’s border with Latvia, there’ll be thousands of land parcels which will have to be purchased from private land owners. This is the largest infrastructure project since the restoration of Lithuania’s independence hence this land purchase will be of unprecedented scale,” Zabulionis told BNS.
EUR 2-2.5 billion will be required to finalize this project after 2020. The EU has already earmarked EUR 550 million to the three Baltic countries for the Rail Baltica project. However, Lithuania will ask the European Commission for additional support of EUR 197.582 million.
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