Visegrad Group transport ministers meet to talk about European transport
03.12.2020
Minister of Infrastructure Andrzej Adamczyk and Deputy Minister Marek Gróbarczyk took part in a video conference of transport ministers of the Visegrad Group (V4), which was held on 3 December 2020. Organised by the Polish presidency of the V4, the meeting focused on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) review process launched by the European Commission.
The Trans-European Transport Network is an instrument helping to coordinate and ensure cohesion and complementarity of infrastructural investments in the EU. The TEN-T network encompasses railways, inland waterways, roads, maritime transport, airports, and multimodal transport infrastructure. The construction of a trans-European network aims to bring accessibility and connectivity to all EU regions.
The transport ministers of Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary discussed the progress of TEN-T network investments, as well as proposals of infrastructure projects which will be submitted to the European Commission in the context of the upcoming update of TEN-T network maps, as projects of regional importance.
“The expansion of the TEN-T network improves security, boosts economy and the development of new technologies, reduces transport’s environmental impact, as well as allows uninterrupted transport of goods and movement of passengers. Its development is one of priorities of Poland’s transport policy set out in strategic documents adopted by the Polish government,” said Minister Adamczyk.
The V4 transport ministers jointly confirmed the consensus on priority projects that should be put on the TEN-T network map following a review in 2023. These include the Via Carpathia transnational road route, the Solidarity Transport Hub, the Danube-Oder-Elbe water corridor, and sections of high-speed rail connecting Europe with V4 capitals.
The development and modernisation of transport links in Central Europe is necessary to free the economic potential of the region’s countries and to increase the EU competitiveness. The selected projects were included in the V4’s Joint Statement on the development and modernisation of transport infrastructure of the TEN-T network that was adopted during the meeting.
Poland’s presidency of the V4 coincided with the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister Andrzej Adamczyk stressed that the V4 countries must cooperate actively to overcome the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
“As a result of COVID-19, social mobility has been drastically reduced, which has also affected the financial situation of the transport sector. The V4 countries must work together to restore the mobility and transport in the region and in the EU, and to bring the socio-economic life back on track,” said Minister Adamczyk.
The officials also discussed the results of actions taken so far during the COVID-19 pandemic and future cooperation in transport projects.
Photo: The Ministry of Infrastructure