Process; ongoing

EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 1b Rail-Road-Air Mobility

The development of an interconnected and integrated transport system in the Danube Region is a challenge of macro-regional relevance and consistent with national priorities as well as with the EU objectives of a more connected, greener and low-carbon Europe. It aims at strengthening transport infrastructure networks relations by identifying multimodal corridors alongside the TEN-T network, including connections between the EU and non-EU member states. In addition, the network shall improve connections between the Northern Adriatic and Black Sea and intermodal connections with the river and seaports of the macro-region.

Objectives: A system of multimodal corridors in the Danube Region, alongside the TEN-T network, aims at reducing infrastructural, technological and legislative gaps and improving accessibility, in order to facilitate cross-border demand flows and transport operations, and strengthen interconnections between the logistics and urban nodes of the Region.

The overall goal is contributing to create a seamless, harmonised and competitive transport system with a twofold scale of outcomes: on the one hand to exploit the strategic geographical position of the Danube Region between the Black Forest and Black Sea, intercepting the routes from and to the Far East in the context of global trades; on the other hand, to facilitate regional and local connections.

The concept of multi-modal corridors, crossing and connecting several states, has a macro-regional relevance by definition. In the Danube Region, it can include several types of actions and projects, ranging from infrastructural development and upgrading to common functional, quality and safety standards (e.g. those foreseen by Reg. (EU) 1315, establishing the TEN-T network) to soft measures including the development of ICT or other innovative solutions to promote environmental-friendly transports (e.g. micro-mobility, cycling routes…), common safety and security standards and to facilitate cross-border crossings.

Need and (expected) impact: The Danube Region Multimodal Corridors is a policy directed towards the development of a Danube Region-wide multimodal transport network, which contributes to the three principal objectives of the macro-regional policy-making: fostering growth, creating jobs and adapting to climate change. The multimodal corridors are part of the TEN-T and extended TEN-T to non-EU countries which consists of a “core network” layer to be completed by 2030 and a “comprehensive network” layer to be completed by 2050.

A major instrument to facilitate and streamline the coordinated development of the core network is the “transport corridor approach”, in which a set of ten European transport corridors (ETC) have been identified by the European Commission. Newly proposed is the “Western Balkans Transport Corridor”.

The objective of this process is two folded:

1. to assess the growth, jobs and climate impacts resulting from investments to be made between 2022 and 2030 to implement each macro-regional corridor, in line with the TEN-T network implementation as part of the EU transport policy and
2. to identify and support additional multimodal corridors with added value for the macro-region e.g. Black Sea – Northern Adriatic Multimodal Corridor.

Planning and decision making on transport infrastructure, including multimodal infrastructure, is time-consuming and a financially demanding task. The results are most often seen after years of hard work.

Macro-regional dimension: Multimodal transport corridors are important for all countries of the Danube Region, the same way as they are of utmost importance for all EU member states since well-functioning and modern infrastructure is important for enabling smooth transport of goods and peoples. The EU and including all 14 Danube Region countries got new momentum with the adaptation and publishing of the new, revised TEN-T guidelines (Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1153 and (EU) No 913/2010 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013).

Stakeholders involved:

Regardless of the country there are always several stakeholders involved:

• national authorities,
• regional/local authorities,
• the European Commission,
• IFI’s e.g. EIB, WB, EBRD.
• International institutions e.g. Transport Community.
• NGOs
• and others.

Budget and Funding: Budget needed: not estimated; Financial sources: national budgets, EU funds (CEF, IPA, NDICI…), bank loans.

Contact:

Mr Franc Žepič, Priority Area Coordinator, PA 1b, Ministry of Infrastructure, Slovenia,

Mr Aleksandar Banjac, Priority Area Coordinator, PA 1b, Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Serbia,