South Eastern Europe

15/10/2001

A document was developed by the Working Group of the Commission services Directorate General for Energy and Transport Directorate General for External Relations EuropeAid Co-operation Office Full Version

11/06/2004

Memorandum of Understanding on the development of the South East Europe Core Regional Transport Network On 11 June 2004 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Development of the South East Europe Core Regional Transport Network was signed by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Kosovo/UNMIK (UNSCR 1244) and the European Commission. Aim of the MoU is to promote regional cooperation in the field of transport. Technical assistance is provided through the technical secretariat/South East Europe Transport Observatory (SEETO) in Belgrade. The signatories aim at the adoption in 2006 of the first multi-annual regional development plan, composed of an integral regional strategy and a short list of concrete priority projects and measures. Press release "Commission opens the door to Western Balkans transport network development" Memoradum as signed Annex 1a: South-East Europe Core Rail & Ports Network Annex 1b:  South-East Europe Core Road  & Airport Network

The Commission services have prepared a paper for transport and energy infrastructure in South East Europe. The paper has been discussed with international financial institutions, Member States and countries of the region and has been presented to the Stability Pact meeting in Tirana (23 May 2001) and in Bucharest (26 October 2001).

The paper is developing strategies for transport and energy infrastructure aiming at: 

• Giving guidance to infrastructure development in the region, by establishing networks, on the basis of agreed principles and criteria

• Becoming the reference when establishing multiannual and annual plans at national and regional levels

• Being a condition when deciding programmes and financial interventions

Some general principles applicable for both sectors are :

• Priority to existing infrastructure by repairing and rehabilitating it

• Investment programme based on economic viability of projects

• Density of network must reflect financial strength of each country

a) The objective of the transport infrastructure strategy is to create a multimodal transport network for the region covering all modes of transport and adjusted to the present and future passenger and goods traffic in the area. The strategy indicates also the urgent need for reforms in the transport sector.

The creation of the network is based on the Corridors decided in the Pan-European Transport Conference at Helsinki and the main roads and railroads defined the United Nations : "Economic Commission for Europe ".

The methodology used is the one of the TINA exercise carried out for the accession countries.

Maps 2 and 4 of the paper show the proposed strategic road and strategic railway network as well as the main airports, ports and maritime ports that are considered.

The ongoing Transport Infrastructure Regional Study (TIRS) will establish project priorities in the context of this strategy.

b) the objectives of the energy infrastructure strategy are the following

• To create a modern and efficient energy infrastructure, able to meet demand for electricity, oil and gas in a sustainable way

• To establish a regional electricity market

• To stimulate reforms in the national and regional level in the energy sector

• To foster energy investment decision, to be taken by commercial operators on economic grounds

The priorities for electricity infrastructure are the interconnections of the networks among themselves and with the UCTE system, interconnections promoting exchanges and the regional electricity market, rehabilitation of lignite mines and of electricity production, continuation of the process leading to a regional electricity market.

The priorities for oil and gas infrastructure are to strengthen and complete the region’s oil network to ensure supply to the region and transit to neighbouring regions and to continue the study of new supply routes and pipelines contributing to the security of oil supplies.

For gas possibilities should be considered to bring gas to new zones

Map 5 shows the main electricity transmission network

Map 6 shows the main oil and gas transmission networks