EUParliament Rapporteur on Transport Networks Cumutsakos to EuroFora:2014-2030 TENS=Ambitious+Doable

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- The new EU's 2014 - 2030/50 Plan for TransEuropean Transport Networks is both Ambitious and Realistic, i.e. Doable, stressed EU Parliament'sd Rapporteur, the Geo-Politically Experienced George Cumutsakos, from the Governing Majority in Greece, which will Chair the EU when this Europe-Wide Plan will Start to be implemented, and former Foreign Ministry Spokesman, in reply to a relevant Question by "EuroFora", where he used particularly Pedagogic and crystal-clear terms, during a Press Conference after Plenary Debates and Votes by MEPs throughout Monday Evening and Tuesday early Afternoon, together with an accompagnying Report on the way that this Giant Program could be Funded.

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- "EuroFora" had referred to EU Parliament Rapporteur's earlier remark that new EU's TENS policy for the forthcoming period 2014-2030/2050 would "allow much more Ambitions, now", and reminded f.ex. the fact that, "a long time ago (i.e. around 2004-5), concerning High Speed Train interconnexions, there were some Dreams, not yet Realities, about the eventual possibility, at the Horizon, not immediately, to try to connect, progressively, the big Capitals of a Great PanEuropean Axis, dictated by Geography and History, going f.ex. from Madrid up to Paris, Berlin, and Warsaw, may be Moscow afterwards, etc., while also having Vertical Corridors, such as f.ex. from Finland to Greece, and/or London to Rome, etc.

"Even if this is a quite a Science Fiction, but quite an Interesting one, f.ex. in order to "Pass from a Patchwork to the Network", as you said, in the Future, and if we also see the Movements of the Populations". => "Do you think that there is any Hope to go from Science Fiction to Reality in the foreseable Futue in such a Direction ?", in such kind of Mega-Projects ?" "EuroFoa" asked EU Parliament's Rapporteur.

In fact, the overall Idea had been highlighted by "EuroFora"s co-founder during a SNCF High Speed Train Exhibition on February 2005 in Strasbourg, which was, shortly aftewards followed at the beginning of March by a 1st, exceptional Quadripartite Summit with Spain, France, Germany and Russia's Heads of State/Government, at Paris' Elysee Palace, at the invitation of former French President Jacques Chirac.
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- "Yes !", replied in principle Positively from the outset Cumutsakos. - "This (2014-2030) Plan is Ambitious". "The New Plan of TransEuropean Transports' Network, is, indeed, long-term and Visionary : That's absolutely clear", he stressed.

+ "But, at the same time, it also Realistic, Doable and Tangible. And if you allow,  that's the biggest Advantage, resulting from the Way in which it was organized", EU Parliament's Rapporteur pointed out.

- Indeed, "the preparation of this New TENS Network, followed exactly the Logic of a Blood supply System : Because the Transports' Network is the Blood System of (EU)'s Single Market", he explained.

- "Therefore, the Draft of these TENS, has Distinguished between a Central core Network, which will be built First (before 2030), with what we could call "the Blood Arteries", and, then, in the Comprehensive, Full Plan (due before 2050), which  adds the Veins and the Blood Vessels inside a Human Organism".

=> -  "Given that the Arteries' System, is that which has the First and most Important meaning, the Funds (29 Billions €) from the (EU's) New Financing Facility are Directed towards certain works  which are of Crucial Importance, in that Artery System, i.e. at the Central core Network, there where there are Bottlenecks, or Missing Links", he resumed pedagogically.

+ But, "at the Same Time", EU's 2014 - 2020 TENS "aim also at becoming "Environment Friendly, as we both called them with Mr Ertug, (his collegue, co-Rapporteur, "Socialist" MEP for Germany), because "another Aim of this Network is to take Heavy Traffick from  Roads, which are the main Polluting mode of transport, towards Other Modes of Transport, much more Environment Friendly, such as the Rail, Short Sea Shipping (?), and, obviously, for the Central and Northern Europe, the Rivers' System (of Inland Waterways),

=> "As you see, Nothing was left  to Chance, absolutely nothing".

+ "Moreover", the 2014-2020 TENS "have also included Technical Prescriptions, which make this Plan more Accessible" : Because "These Technical Prescriptions are Not absolutely Rigid nor 100% Obligatory, but can be Adapted to the particular Topographical Circumstances, f.ex of Mountainous or Island areas, where, Flexibility Clauses allow to take some Distances from the General Prescriptions", Cumutsakos pointed out.

=> "In conclusion, as fas as it concerns the Main Substance of your Question and of my Reply, on this (EU) Directive : - Do I believe that, this time, we have a really Doable Plan ?", he said on "EuroFora's Querry.  - "I would categorically reply : -"Yes !", not only as EU Rapporteur, but also as a MEP who had a Chance to make a Deep Study of this (EU) Regulation".

- "Indeed, this System is Designed in a way which really makes it a Network, and not merely a Patchwork", the competent EU Rapporteur clearly reiterated, (Comp. Supra). "And there is going to be a strict (EU) Monitoring on the way in which (EU) Funds will be used in order to materialize this Great Endeavour", he concluded.

+ Adding later more remarks in reply to subsequent "EuroFora"s Questions on certain concrete points, EU Parliament's Rapporteur confirmed that, indeed, this 2014-2030/50 TENS Plan endorsed and strengthened further also some relatively New Ideas, that we had suggested since Many Years ago (from 2002 onwards), going f.ex. from a Rhine - Danube Rivers inland waterways corridor leading up to the Black Sea, towards the Caspian, as well as Mediterranean Sea Motorways, including Sea Ship Transports between South-Eastern EU and Cyprus, (EU's Strategic outpost, at the crossroads of 3 Continents, Suez Chanel and recent and growing Oil/Gas Findings, via Greece; etc.

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(NDLR : Fast Translation from the Original in Greek)

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 ("DraftNews", as already sent earlier to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version might be published asap).

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