The Directorate-General for Energy and Transport of the European Commission has launched on March 31st 2009 a set of Calls for Proposals in order to award grants to projects in the field of the Trans-European Transport Network for 2009.  Such Calls are launched both under the multi-annual work programme and annual work programme 2009, as well as under the European Economic Recovery Plan.

The Community financial aid in the field of the trans-European transport and energy networks (TEN-T and TEN-E) aimed to meet the objectives set by the European Council of 2002, when Member states underlines the fact that strong and integrated energy and transport networks were the cornerstone of the European internal market and that better use of the existing networks and the completion of missing links would make it possible to increase effectiveness and competitiveness and to guarantee an appropriate level of quality and a reduction in saturation points and, therefore, better long-term viability.

As trans-European networks are still one of the priorities which represent essential elements to strengthen the cohesion of the internal market, this financial contribution from the Commission will support initiatives meeting the general objectives of the programme:

• Ensure mobility of persons and goods
• Offer users high-quality infrastructures
• Combine all modes of transport
• Allow the optimal use of existing capacities
• Be interoperable in all its components
• Cover the whole territory of the Community
• Allow for its extension to the EFTA Member States, countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean countries

The economic downturn has prompted the European Economic Recovery Plan to make explicit reference to the need to support the development of tran-European Transport network as a way to boost economy and welfare in the European Union. Following this approach, the highest budget, 500 million Euro, will be allocated to one Call for proposals under the work programme for grants in the field of the TEN-T as foreseen in the European Economic Recovery Plan, in order to finance projects whose implementation will start this year or at the latest in 2010, as set out in the Recovery Plan.

Within the same Community financial aid for the development of trans-European transport network, the Commission has launched a Call for proposals under the multi-annual work programme 2009 for grants in the field of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) for the period 2007-2013, for a total amount of 370 million Euro. This Call is open to finance projects in the fields of Motorways of the Sea (MoS), Intelligent Transport Systems for Road Traffic, and European Rail Traffic Management Systems (ERTMS).

Finally, the Directorate General for Energy and Transport has also allocated 80 million euros to the Call for proposals under the annual work programme for grants in the field of the TEN-T for 2009.

Interested applicants for any of the Calls will have to submit their applications by May 15th 2009.

Further informations as well as some relevant documents for these grants may be found at the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency website.