Three key European transport projects ranging from the Baltic countries to the Iberian Peninsula have today been given a boost by the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding. The signing of these documents demonstrates the commitment to carrying out these projects as fast and as efficiently as possible. The three projects are the Rail Baltica, running from Estonia to Poland, the high-speed lines linking France, Spain and Portugal and the key East–West railway axis Lyon–Turin–Trieste–Ljubljana–Budapest.

In the framework of TEN-T Days, that are being hold in Zaragoza (Spain), three Memorandums of Understanding have been signed by the ministerial representatives in charge of transport in the Member States concerned, and endorsed by Vice-President Kallas and the three European TEN-T coordinators:

• Priority Project 3 — High-Speed Railway Axis of Southwest Europe — is vital to bridging the long-lasting gap between the Iberian network and the rest of Europe, which so far has been set apart by a difference of gauge and natural barriers.
• Priority Project 6 — Railway Axis Lyon–Trieste–Divača/Koper–Divača–Ljubljana–Budapest–Ukrainian border — represents an East–West link that plays a crucial role in European integration after the 2004 enlargement.
• Priority Project 27 — Rail Baltica — not only brings Baltic countries closer together, but also improves links to central Europe and Scandinavia.

Furthermore, the European Commission has appointed three new coordinators for the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The coordinators will be responsible for coordinating priority transport projects and reporting back to the Commission.

The three new European coordinators, appointed in agreement with the Member States and after having consulted the European Parliament, are:

• Pat Cox, former president of the European Parliament, will take over the coordination of Priority Project 1 (Berlin–Palermo) from the late Karel Van Miert;
• Péter Balázs, former Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, returns to Priority Project 17 (Paris–Bratislava), the project he actively coordinated from July 2005 until April 2009;
• Gilles Savary, former prominent member of the Parliament's transport committee, will be responsible for Priority Project 22 (Athens–Nuremberg/Dresden).