Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Forum, Legislation, Transport

Photo: sumin.lt

European Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas says that with pride in his voice. It is no coincidence that Estonia is the place where more than a thousand high-level European transport officials and state figures, who have been working on the TEN-T or nine transport corridors project, convene today. The cost of the project is 26 billion EUR and it includes the Rail Baltic project that has caused passions to flare in Estonia.

Kallas states that Europe's wealth is the common internal market but the rather dispersed transport network is the problem. The fluctuating quality of highways in different states is a problem, while the quality of railways and pan-European ports-internal waterways networks is an even bigger problem.

"In this respect a very big step ahead is made," said Kallas. "All the corridors cover several states, there are no projects here that only one country would have to pay for."

While in the previous financing period, rails, roads and seaways received 8 bln euros of funds from the EU, the money allocated for the transport sector in 2014-2020 is 26 bln euros.

The Nordic-Baltic corridor passes via Estonia, improving transport connections between Finland, the Baltic States and Poland. The new Rail Baltic railway line, and Via Baltica highway form a new North-South transport network backbone, connecting the Baltic states and creating a bridge with Poland and Central Europe.

Kallas considers cross-border railway and highway networks very important. Also ports, internal waterways, airports. The important transport hubs in Estonia, in the opinion of Europe, include among airports besides the Tallinn airport also Tartu, Pärnu, Kuressaare and Kärdla. With ports, in addition to Tallinn also Heltermaa, Kuivastu, Pärnu, Paldiski South Port, Rohuküla, Sillamäe and Virtsu.