The Influence of the Trans-European Transport Networks and European Territorial Cooperation on Cross-Border Transport

Border Region

European Union, Case studies in the Greater Region Saar-Lor-Lux+ (Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg) and the border region Brandenburg – Poland (Lubuskie) (Germany, Poland)

Language(s)

Anglais

Type

Note on a scientific book publication

Main Category

Regional Development – Sustainability

Governance – Power – Cooperation

Theories – Concepts – Terms

Introduction

This dissertation examines the influence of EU policy (trans-European transport networks and European territorial cooperation) on intra-European, cross-border transport.

Summary

This dissertation examines the influence of two EU policies, the European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) and the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T), which are meant to develop cross-border transport within the EU. It shows that the two EU policies support cross-border transport at different levels. Both policies need to be more interlinked in order to complement each other more effectively. They influence the political and planning documents at the various national administrative levels and their practical implementation in a differentiated manner. The final implementation of the EU policy objectives and the cross-border transport initiatives is strongly influenced by the different initial positions in the member states.

Content

Context

One of the fundamental objectives of the European Union (EU) is economic, social and territorial cohesion. To achieve this, the inner-European border barriers are to be dismantled and European integration strengthened. Efficient cross-border transport infrastructures and public transport services are important factors for the territorial cohesion of the member states. To date, however, a number of obstacles have hampered the smooth cross-border movement of people and goods within the EU on a daily basis. Two EU policies, the European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) and the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T), are aimed at developing cross-border transport through cooperation in so-called ‘soft spaces.’ This dissertation examines the influence of these two EU policies on cross-border transport and further European integration.

Méthodology

Based on an analysis of European, national and cross-border policy and planning documents, surveys among TEN-T corridor coordinators and INTERREG secretariats and a multitude of expert interviews, the dissertation examines and evaluates how the objectives of EU policies have been implemented both formally and practically in ‘soft spaces’ and EU member states. In this way, the potentially initiated Europeanization and European integration processes are evaluated. The analysis will include nine preliminary studies and two in-depth case studies. The case studies are border regions characterized by different initial positions, which are promoted by the ETC policy and crossed by a TEN-T corridor. The Greater Region Saar-Lor-Lux+ and the border region Brandenburg-Poland (Lubuskie) are investigated in detail.

Contents

1 Introduction – Research questions – Methodology

1.1 Introduction to the topic, research problem and state of the art 1.2 Objectives of the study and research questions 1.3 Methodology 1.4 Relevance and relation to spatial planning 1.5 Structure of the dissertation

Part 1: Theory & Policies

2 Theoretical framework: the rationale and influence of European Union policy making

2.1 European integration
2.2 European integration theories
2.3 Europeanisation
2.4 Policy making in the European Union
2.5 Policy implementation in the EU
2.6 Derivations to the research framework

3 Transport in and across border regions within the European Union

3.1 European cross-border regions and cross-border cooperation
3.2 Transport across national borders
3.3 Status quo of the EU Transport System

4 EU policies influencing cross-border transport

4.1 European Transport and TEN-T Policy
4.2 European Cohesion Policy and European Territorial Cooperation
4.3 Coordination of EU policy documents influencing cross-border transport in the EU

Interim Conclusion I: European Integration, Policies and Cross-Border Transport

Part 2: Implementation & Influence

5 Implementation of the ETC and TEN-T Policy in Soft Spaces: Influence on Cross-Border Regional and Corridor Policies

5.1 Transport strategies and objectives of ERDF funded cross-border regions (ETC)
5.2 Strategies and objectives of the TEN-T priority projects and core network corridors (EU Transport Policy)
5.3 Overlapping cross-border regional and TEN-T corridor policies

6 Implementation of European policies in European cross-border regions – Contribution to cross-border transport

6.1 Choice of in-depth case studies of cross-border regions crossed by a TEN-T corridor
6.2 The German transport system
6.3 Main Case Study 1: Greater Region - North Sea Mediterranean Corridor & Atlantic Corridor
6.4 Main Case Study 2: Brandenburg-Lubuskie– North Sea Baltic Corridor
6.5 Comparison of the two case studies - influence of EU policies on cross-border transport

Interim Conclusion II: Influence of EU policies on cross-border transport

Part 3: Conclusions & Recommendations

7 Conclusions: European integration and Europeanisation caused by EU policies in the field of cross-border transport

8 Recommendations and the future of cross-border transport in Europe

8.1 Future orientations of the ETC and TEN-T policies and additional initiatives to efficiently improve cross-border transport
8.2 Outlook and further research needs

Conclusions

The dissertation concludes that the two EU policies cannot meet all the challenges of cross-border transport. However, it appears that EU policies emphasize the importance of cross-border transport and, in addition to financial support for concrete projects, promote cooperation and learning and exchange processes between EU member states. These aspects are of great relevance for the autonomous cross-border transport development controlled by the member states and for further European integration. The dissertation recommends that the transport planning competences of the EU, in addition to the existing competences in the TEN-T network, should not be further developed in the future. Instead, further transnational transport development planning should be organized on a decentralized basis in transnational transport planning committees. The implementation of these strategies would benefit from additional EU funding for secondary and tertiary cross-border connections. In addition, the potential complementarities of the transnational cooperation areas and transport corridors as well as the two EU policy areas must be better used through improved communication. This means that both the ‘soft spaces’ and the TEN-T and ETC policies as well as the transport ministries of the EU member states and the national administrations responsible for the implementation of the two EU policies must intensify their cooperation. In addition, it is recommended that future ETC projects, rather than investing in small-scale scattered, expensive infrastructure or public transport projects that only add value to a small sub-space, focus on issues that either benefit the whole border region or can be applied in different spatial contexts. The ‘tools’ and results developed in this context – even if they are not directly measurable in numbers – are to be made visible through improved public relations within the EU and its member states and made available to other potential users. Another success factor for more concrete gains is the regular involvement of transport and spatial planners in transnational projects in order to increase the relevance of the projects to planning practice. In addition, barriers to cooperation could be dismantled by further training in the field of planning culture.

Key Messages

The coordination of the development of the main European transport axes through the TEN-T policy makes sense, but rarely affects traffic flows within border regions. Moreover, the EU cannot oblige the member states to implement the corridors. As a result, the contribution to cross-border transport has been small so far. The promotion of cross-border transport by the ETC policy brings in particular a soft, but definitely relevant, added value and supports the establishment of contacts. However, the implementation of all transport-related objectives, and thus a direct influence of EU policies, cannot be ensured as cooperation areas focus on a small selection of all objectives according to their respective needs. The promotion of cross-border transport at an EU level contributes to the internalization of the relevance of the issue among EU citizens as well as transport and spatial planners.

Lead

Beate Caesar

Author of the entry

Beate

CAESAR

Links

https://kluedo.ub.uni-kl.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/5181

Keywords

Cross-border transport

European Territorial Cooperation

European Union

European Integration