European infrastructure - what have the EU networks achieved?
Summary
The paper describes the motives of the EU for defining European axes which are to be prioritised and built to uniform standards. The ways towards the definition of such axes and the marketing process are scrutinized. There is a danger of dissipation of efforts instead of concentrating the resources to target the tightest bottlenecks and quality deficits.
The EU should favour and promote new financing approaches, such as the one chosen in Denmark, by establishing a fund with the participation of private investors. Bi-national agreements on the coordinated elimination of bottlenecks on both sides of borders have not proven successful in a number of cases. The EU should play a more prominent role in such instances.
The guidelines for a European infrastructure have so far not met with the response and willingness for implementation which they would deserve as a means of helping Europe grow together.